21 Fun DIY Thanksgiving Games and Activities for All Ages

For many of us, Thanksgiving is the time of year when friends and family of all ages gather under one roof. And, if you've been handed the title of "host," it's safe to say you've got a lot on your plate. To ensure everyone has fun this year, we've come up with a few fall-tastic Thanksgiving games and activities for entertaining everyone from kids to grandparents.

Looking for even more ways to occupy your Thanksgiving guests? Don't miss our favorite Thanksgiving crafts and DIY backyard games. Plus, keep hungry crowds happy until dinnertime with our hearty, warm appetizers and flavorful fall cocktail recipes.

Still have plenty of leftover Halloween candy on hand? Fill a glass jar before guests arrive and place a note beside it challenging them to guess how many candies are in the jar. Pick a designated prize or simply send the winner home with the jar of candy.

Don't you just wanna gobble this turkey cupcake up? So will your little ones. Bake cupcakes the day before and have icing and small bowls of candy prepped so kids can start decorating their cupcakes as soon as the festivities begin. Bake up some Thanksgiving fun with our how-to, below.

Thanksgiving crafts don't have to be edible to be a hit with the kiddos. Minimal prep and basic craft supplies are all you need to keep kids busy creating these tiny turkeys. Get our step-by-step tutorial below and start crafting.

No kids' table is complete without these printable Thanksgiving word games. Alongside each place setting, include a copy of our Thanksgiving Word Search and Thanksgiving Word Scramble. Print out more Thanksgiving fun, below.

For younger kids who aren't quite ready for Thanksgiving word games, be sure to include a few coloring tools and blank pages for drawing. Get them started by teaching them how to turn the outline of their hand into a turkey, then let their imaginations run wild.

Here's a Thanksgiving game that's sure to fill the dessert buffet. Task your guests with bringing their best homemade pie. Then, whoever's dish is cleared first is crowned pie master. Need inspiration? Click the link below to feast your eyes on our favorite pie crust ideas.

Rather than going the traditional Thanksgiving route of pumpkin pie, gather the family around the fire pit to cook up something sweet and festive. This rustic apple grunt is as fun to make as it is delicious to eat. Set your taste buds ablaze with this and more fire-pit recipes, below.

Craft a few paper leaves and scatter them around each place setting. Once guests are seated, invite them to write what they're thankful for or what they would like to give to others in the upcoming year, then hang them on the tree. Get the how-to below and branch out into a new Thanksgiving tradition.

How long was the first Thanksgiving? What foods were served? Put your Thanksgiving knowledge to the test with a turkey-tastic round of Thanksgiving trivia — effortlessly steering the conversation in the right direction in the process.

Do you have what it takes to knock out this carnival classic? This DIY pumpkin toss is sure to get all ages outside and moving on Thanksgiving Day. We suggest giving it a true carnival theme and having guests compete for some Thanksgiving treats. Let the games begin with our pumpkin-spired games, below.

For those who know that Thanksgiving means a day filled with eating delicious food and watching football, we didn't forget you. Set up a backyard tailgate complete with a mini football toss to warm up your arm for the big game. Follow our step-by-step instructions below and get ready to score a Thanksgiving touchdown.

Bobbing for apples is a classic fall game that kids love. However, if you have reservations about the germs — we get it. That's why we recommend giving each bobber their very own dish of apples. Fall in love with our favorite fall harvest party ideas, below.

Once all the apples have been bobbed, let each contestant turn their apple into something sweet so nothing goes to waste. Keep things traditional with candy and caramel coatings or shake things up with an assortment of holiday toppings like pumpkin spice and peppermint bark.

All those extra Thanksgiving calories (especially the sweet ones) give kiddos a lot of energy. Help them tire out with a hay-bale race. Simply lay out several hay bales in a line between a start and finish line and whoever can jump over all the hay bales first wins.

Guests young and old will love heading outside to play pumpkin tic-tac-toe. Simply draw a grid on your driveway using decorative duct tape, then swap traditional Xs and Os for mini pumpkins to give this classic game a Thanksgiving twist.

If you're like us, Thanksgiving is the largest meal we host all year long. With all these guests under one roof, what better game is there than a classic round of tug of war? Trust us, everyone will give their all when you tell them the losing team is responsible for post-feast cleanup. Find more ways to take the fun outdoors this Thanksgiving in the link below.

Fall is the season for beer, so why not spill the Oktoberfest cheer over into Thanksgiving? While the kids craft turkey cupcakes and have hay-bale races, host an Oktoberfest party for the adults complete with all your favorite German brews. Crack open a cold one the German way with our Oktoberfest party guide, below.

Build your very own Plinko-inspired drinking game, where bottle caps decide the outcome. At the bottom, give things a Thanksgiving spin by challenging guests to "give us your best gobble" or simply "say one thing you're thankful for."

While beer pong may not be a staple of your Thanksgiving Day festivities, pumpkin pong is sure to become one. Get the whole family involved or give it an alcoholic twist that those 21 and up will love.

By Thanksgiving, Halloween pumpkins are on their way out. Instead of throwing them straight into the compost, give them a Turkey Day makeover. Some paintbrushes, acrylic paints and a few pumpkins are all you need to unlock your guests' artistic side, though we do recommend lining the table with butcher paper or a drop cloth.