15 Delightful Thanksgiving Board Games For The Whole Family

Spoiler Alert: You’ve known Thanksgiving was around the corner once you saw the “pumpkin spice” version of everything on every shelf everywhere. And now Thanksgiving is finally here! At my house, we turn our thoughts to gratitude for all we have been given, delicious feasts, and fun times with family and friends. But I’ll be honest, I’m the one who does all the cooking. I also clean up after everyone dismembers the turkey and food comas have overtaken everyone else. So I love these family games for Thanksgiving to keep the tweens and teens around after dinner and give us all another chance for fun, laughter, and connection. Enter family games for Thanksgiving.

Games, especially board games, are the perfect way to catch a few belly laughs, spark friendly (and sometimes serious) competition, and create lasting memories around the dinner table! Finding Thanksgiving-specific board games isn’t as easy as you might think. Sooooo, I dug deep for this post. I put together this list of games we have enjoyed in the past, but I’ve connected each game to something Thanksgiving-related. I award bonus points if you figure out why I included each game.

Each of these Thanksgiving family board games lends itself to including friends and family of all ages and all interests. From toddlers to grandparents, these game options ensure your family’s fun is still rockin’ long after dessert. If anything, I wanted to be certain everyone could come together, so some games admittedly skew a bit toward the younger side. With our list of 15 delightful Thanksgiving board games, you can find the perfect game for your family’s interests and create new traditions that will be enjoyed for years to come. So gather ’round friends and family! Roll the dice, draw a card, and let the festivities begin! This Thanksgiving is going to be unforgettable!

Fun Thanksgiving trivia: the First Thanksgiving was likely not a family event at all. “The only eyewitness account mentions “some 90 men.” This was a political gathering. The Wampanoags and the Pilgrims were cementing a military alliance. Massoasoit, the Wampanoag king, was there. So was the English governor, William Bradford.” First Thanksgiving Dinner: No Turkeys. No Ladies. No Pies.

This three-day gathering featured various foods that may surprise us today. The most surprising to me was seafood! Lobsters, mussels, oysters, clams, and fish like striped bass and eels made up a huge part of the early diet of the Pilgrims, and at least some of these items were likely present. The Wampanoags brought five deer, so venison was on the menu. The English brought fowl, likely ducks and geese. Winter squashes, corn, and beans were staples for native tribes, so they were likely eaten at the feast as well. The English brought vegetables such as carrots and cabbage to America, so they may have been on the table. What Foods Were Served At The First Thanksgiving?

Unlike our modern feasts, which are filled with turkey and uber carbs, their meal reflected local traditions and what was in season.

Learning the history of our current-day celebration led me to select the games you’ll find below. I encourage a bit of curiosity and investigation into the roots of our holiday as another fun family activity. I know you’re likely to get a round of ? ? ? from the tweens and teens in attendance but give it a shot!

PS – I took a few liberties with apples. Check it out: “It’s unlikely that any of the crops planted by the British settlers were providing much of anything in 1621; apples, for example, are not native to North America and wouldn’t bear fruit for at least ten years (and that’s a very optimistic guess).” Foods Served And pies. They wouldn’t have had flour or butter at that point to have made pies. ? No Pumpkin Pie

As kids and adults gather ’round, I hope these Thanksgiving games get the oldest to the youngest connecting.

If you are creating new traditions or continuing the old with new selections, this list is perfect. As you play, encourage grandparents to share favorite childhood stories and watch the kids marvel at life before screens. Don’t forget to suggest some investigation into those early years of American life. Maybe a friendly competition for who can discover the most interesting fun fact about Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving is a time for families to come together and bond over delicious food, fun, and collective memories. Once you’ve had a chance to play, let me know which ones you liked the most.

My hope for this season is that we can all let Thanksgiving be more than an endless week of cooking and tedious chores. I encourage you to jump at the chance to enjoy a feast (or cut back on the feast if you need to) and spend time with family and friends. It’s an opportunity to create amazing memories through connection with one another. Table top games are one of my favorite traditions in our family…

don’t forget to pin this so you can come back and grab another game!