Thanksgiving hosting
The short answer: The best Thanksgiving activities fit around the meal: a parade or turkey trot in the morning, crafts and games while dinner cooks, a gratitude round at the table, then a walk, games or a movie after dinner. Plan one activity for each part of the day, and give kids a job away from the kitchen.
Our picks for thanksgiving activities
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I love the seasons and the holidays, and the traditions that make a family feel like a family: the meals, the cards and the little rituals you repeat every year. Start with the Thanksgiving Day Timeline in the Meal Planner & Grocery List: Thanksgiving Edition ($4.99), then slot activities into the gaps around the oven schedule.
Thanksgiving activities by time of day
| Time | Activity ideas |
|---|---|
| Morning | Watch the parade, run a turkey trot, start a gratitude jar |
| Midday | Make place cards, set the table, play outdoor football |
| While dinner cooks | Puzzles, coloring pages, word searches, card games |
| At the table | Gratitude round, conversation questions, family toast |
| After dinner | Family walk, board games, trivia, a movie |
| Evening | Start the Christmas list, look through old photos, pie round two |
Morning Thanksgiving activities
- Parade watch party: set out a simple breakfast and watch the parade on TV.
- Turkey trot: many towns hold a Thanksgiving morning fun run or walk.
- Gratitude jar: put out slips of paper for guests to fill all day.
- Table setting team: let early arrivals fold napkins and make name cards.
- Family photo: take it in the morning, before the kitchen gets busy.
Thanksgiving activities for kids
Kids need a job and a spot away from the stove. NFPA's Thanksgiving safety page says Thanksgiving is the peak day for home cooking fires. It advises keeping children at least three feet from the stove.
- Color Thanksgiving pages or do a word search at the kids' table.
- Build a paper gratitude chain, one link per thankful thought.
- Make handprint turkey place cards for each guest.
- Run a nature scavenger hunt for leaves, acorns and pinecones. Save the idea for December, too, with a Christmas scavenger hunt.
- Put on a short "Thanksgiving news report" for the grown-ups.
Gratitude activities for the table
- Gratitude tree: guests write thanks on paper leaves and hang them on branches in a vase.
- Pass the thanks: each person thanks the person to their right for something specific.
- Gratitude jar reading: read the morning's slips aloud during dessert.
- Thank-you cards: write a card to someone who helped your family this year.
I love giving and receiving cards, and I keep them. Thank-you cards written on Thanksgiving make a sweet keepsake to tuck away.
After-dinner Thanksgiving activities
- Family walk: a 20- to 30-minute walk after the meal is easy for most ages. The CDC's adult activity guidelines recommend 150 minutes of moderate activity a week, such as 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week.
- Game tournament: cards, dominoes or a board game bracket.
- Thanksgiving trivia: try questions about the holiday's history.
- Movie night: pick one that works for every age.
- Start the Christmas list: pass around a gift list while everyone is together.
Trivia fact to share: Thanksgiving has not always had a fixed date. The National Archives explains that Congress made the fourth Thursday in November the federal holiday in 1941. In 2026, that is Thursday, November 26.
Thanksgiving activities that give back
- Volunteer at a food bank. Call early, since holiday shifts fill quickly.
- Bring canned goods to a local drive.
- Deliver a plate to a neighbor who is alone.
- Write cards to service members or nursing home residents.
- Gather outgrown coats for a donation drop-off.
- Drop off a grocery gift card at a local food pantry.
Plan the day, then plan the season
The Meal Planner & Grocery List: Thanksgiving Edition ($4.99) includes a Thanksgiving Day Timeline and a Guest & Dish Sign-Up, so the meal and the activities fit together. When the leftovers are put away, the Christmas Budget & Gift Planner ($4.99) is ready for the gift list. The Holiday Season Bundle ($15.99) adds the Sinking Funds Tracker and Cleaning Schedule. Browse every holiday printable or save with our bundles.
Our free Holiday Budget Starter Kit is three US Letter pages we email you after you join our list.
See also
For hands-on projects, see our Thanksgiving crafts for kids: 45 ideas sorted by age, from handprint turkeys up.
Want rituals you repeat every year? Browse our 25 Thanksgiving traditions, both classic and new.
Want more ideas for the rest of the season? Browse our 75 fall activities for families.
Plan the feast on paper
Your Thanksgiving timeline, guest list and grocery list in one place
The Thanksgiving Edition of our Meal Planner & Grocery List, in a warm harvest design: map the day on the Thanksgiving Day timeline, track who brings what on the guest & dish sign-up, and shop once with the aisle-sorted grocery list. Print it at home tonight.
- Thanksgiving Day timeline that works backwards from dinner
- Guest & dish sign-up
- Grocery list sorted by aisle, plus pantry and freezer pages
Thanksgiving and Christmas planners together: the Holiday Quick-Start Pack, $7
Frequently asked questions
What are some fun Thanksgiving activities for families? Fun Thanksgiving activities for families include watching the parade, running a local turkey trot, making a gratitude tree, playing board or card games, taking an after-dinner walk and watching a holiday movie together. Mixing one active idea with a few calm ones works for every age.
What can kids do on Thanksgiving while dinner cooks? While dinner cooks, kids can make place cards, color Thanksgiving pages, build a paper gratitude chain, set the table or play a word search. Keep them busy away from the stove, since NFPA advises keeping children at least three feet from it.
What are good Thanksgiving activities for adults? Good Thanksgiving activities for adults include a friendly football game, a puzzle table, a card game tournament, a gratitude toast, a dessert-judging contest and planning Christmas gifts over leftovers. A Thanksgiving trivia round also works well with mixed groups.
What are some Thanksgiving gratitude activities? Thanksgiving gratitude activities include a gratitude tree with paper leaves, a gratitude jar read aloud at dinner, a 'pass the thanks' round at the table and writing thank-you cards to people who helped this year. They take little time and cost almost nothing.
What are outdoor Thanksgiving activities? Outdoor Thanksgiving activities include a turkey trot, a backyard football game, a leaf-pile jump, a nature scavenger hunt and a family walk after dinner. An after-dinner walk is also an easy way to fit in movement on a big eating day.
How do you plan Thanksgiving activities around dinner? Plan Thanksgiving activities around dinner by writing the meal schedule first, then slotting activities into the gaps. The Thanksgiving Day Timeline in the Meal Planner & Grocery List: Thanksgiving Edition shows exactly when the oven is busy and when guests are free.
What are Thanksgiving activities that give back? Thanksgiving activities that give back include volunteering at a food bank, donating canned goods, delivering a plate to a neighbor, writing cards to service members or nursing home residents and sorting outgrown coats for donation. Call volunteer sites early, since Thanksgiving shifts fill quickly.
When is Thanksgiving in 2026? Thanksgiving in 2026 is Thursday, November 26. Thanksgiving falls on the fourth Thursday of November, a date Congress set into law in 1941.
What can you do the day after Thanksgiving besides shopping? Besides shopping, the day after Thanksgiving is a good day for decorating for Christmas, a leftovers lunch, a family hike, a movie marathon or starting the Christmas gift list. The Christmas Budget & Gift Planner gives that list a home before the spending starts.
Free printable
Thanksgiving bingo for up to 20 players
A caller sheet with 48 words and 20 different cards. You'll also get our weekly HomeBase email with simple holiday planning, budgeting and hosting tips.
Sources
- National Archives: Congress establishes Thanksgiving archives.gov
- NFPA: Thanksgiving fire safety nfpa.org
- CDC: Adult physical activity cdc.gov
