Level Up Your Friendsgiving with These Fantastic Party Games
If you’re looking to amp up your celebration this year, check out these exciting Friendsgiving games that will have you and your friends laughing and playing all night long.
Friendsgiving (noun)
fren(d)z-ˈgi-viŋ
- A celebration or meal shared among friends on or near Thanksgiving Day.
- The ultimate Thanksgiving related hangout where your favorite people, delicious foods, and cozy vibes all come together.
Fall is finally here, and that means all the cozy vibes and holiday plans. Aka, the perfect excuse to throw a Friendsgiving party! It’s one of my favorite traditions because it’s all about good food, good people, and gratitude. If you’re wanting to make your friendsgiving stand out from just a casual hangout, then this article is for you.
Games and activities are my secret weapon to turn a chill dinner into a night full of laughter, memories, and a little bit of friendly competition. So if you’re ready to take your Friendsgiving from basic to unforgettable, here are some amazing Friendsgiving games that are easy to recreate.
Friendsgiving Games
1. Friends Trivia
Create a personalized trivia game with questions about your friend group to see how well you all know each other.
You can include things like shared memories, quirky habits, and everyone’s favorite things for a fun trivia session.
2. Movie Night
After all the eating, laughing, and casual conversations, everyone might just want to wind down with a chill and relaxing activity. That’s where a movie night comes in handy as a great addition to your Friendsgiving activity lineup.
If you don’t want to commit to a full movie, you can always watch an episode of a show instead. This is also a great opportunity to watch some Thanksgiving themed episodes from your favorite shows.
3. Who Am I?
“Who am I?” is a guessing game where each player wears a sticky note with a word written on it.
The goal is for each person to figure out what their sticky note says. BUT they can only ask yes-or-no style questions to find out!
How to Play “Who Am I?”
1. Write the names of Thanksgiving, fall themed items, and/or famous people on sticky notes. (Ex: pilgrims, apple, baking)
2. Without letting them see, stick one sticky note on each player’s forehead.
3. Have players go around the room asking each other questions to figure out who (or what) they are.
4. REMEMBER, they can only ask yes-or-no questions. Such as “Am I a celebrity?” “Am I a food?” or “ Am I savory food?”
5. The game ends once everyone has guessed the name or item on their forehead.
4. Friendsgiving Family Feud
Whether you’re playing the board game or the online version, divide into teams and get ready to buzz in with a fun game of “Family Feud.”
5. Face the Cookie
Are you ready to face the cookie? This hilarious game is all about using your facial muscles to move a cookie from your forehead to your mouth. (NO HANDS ALLOWED!)
Here’s How to Play:
1. Place a cookie on each player’s forehead.
2. The goal is to wiggle and move your face to get the cookie into your mouth without using your hands.
3. If the player’s cookie falls on the ground in the process, place a new cookie on their forehead.
4. The first person to successfully get the cookie into their mouth wins.
5. You can also keep playing until all of the players have successfully moved the cookie into their mouth.
My friends and I love this game, and it’s become a staple Friendsgiving tradition. There’s something about watching everyone make the funniest facial expressions that is absolutely priceless.
Fun Games for Friendsgiving
6. Karaoke
Is it just me, or is any opportunity to sing, a good one. (Eventhough I am not a good singer). Karaoke is all about letting loose, having fun, and just enjoying the moment.
Whether it’s a full-on karaoke session, a game of “Finish the Lyrics,” “Guess the Song Title,” or even a dance off, there’s just something so incredible about how music brings people together. It has a way of capturing a moment and turning it into a great memory.
7. Pumpkin Painting
If you’re looking for a fun arts and crafts activity that lets you and your guests tap into your creative side; or something that doubles as both a fun activity and a cute party favor, consider painting pumpkins.
You can use real or faux pumpkins, big or small. Just grab some paint, brushes, and paint markers, and you and your friends will be all set to create your own pumpkin masterpieces.
8. Gratitude Cards
Thanksgiving is all about gratitude and thankfulness. A great way to tap into that theme is by creating gratitude cards with your friends.
Set up a little crafting station with craft paper, pens, stickers, and anything else fun to help create your card. You and your friends can write heartfelt cards for each other, or make cards for your loved ones to give out on Thanksgiving.
9.Friendsgiving Charades
Charades is such a classic group game for basically any type of gathering. And for a Friendsgiving twist to the game, go for thanksgiving/fall related words and phrases to act out.
10. Coloring Station
If you’re looking for a chill and relaxing activity, a coloring station is a perfect choice. It’s something you and your friends can do while sitting around the table, or after you’re done eating.
Just set out some fall themed coloring pages, markers, and colored pencils, and you’ve got a calming, creative activity your guests will love.
Plus, it doubles as a cute party favor since everyone can take their finished artwork home as a little souvenir. Want to take it up a notch? Provide some picture frames so your friends can frame their colored pages.
Friendsgiving Game Ideas
11. Junk in the Trunk
If you’re looking for a hilarious Friendsgiving game idea, then “Junk in the trunk” will do the trick. Using a string, have each player tie an empty tissue box filled with cotton balls around their waist.
The goal is to shake and wiggle their bottoms (Without using their hands) until all the cotton balls fall out.
The first person to shake out all of their cotton balls wins the game. As always, you can continue the game, until every player has gotten the chance to shake all of their cotton balls out.
12. Thanksgiving This or That
Do your friends prefer ham or turkey? Christmas or Thanksgiving? Hot cocoa or apple cider? Find out with a game of “This or That”.
This game is all about choosing between two options and seeing what everyone picks. It’s a great way to learn more about your friends’ preferences. Plus, it makes for an amazing icebreaker, especially if you’re mixing friend groups and not everyone knows each other.
Here are a few of my favorite ways to play “This or That” in a group setting:
1. Raise Hands: Call out each question and have everyone raise their hand for their chosen answer.
2. Move Left or Right:
Have everyone stand in a line.
Read the two choices. If they pick “this,” they move left. If they pick “that,” they move right.
For example, if the choice is “Cyber Monday or Black Friday,” those who prefer Cyber Monday go left, and those who prefer Black Friday go right.
13. Cotton Ball Scoop
Cotton ball scoop is another one of my favorite interactive game ideas. All you need is some cotton balls, a table, 2 scoops/large spoons, 2 bowls, and something to blindfold the players with.
How to Play “Cotton Ball Scoop”
1. Get two players and have them stand on opposite or the same side of a table, then blindfold them.
2. Scatter a pile of cotton balls in front of each player, and give each player a bowl and a large spoon or scoop.
3. Set a timer and challenge them to scoop as many cotton balls as they can into their bowl before time runs out.
4. The player with the most cotton balls in their bowl at the end wins.
14. Card Games
If you’re looking for easy Friendsgiving games and ideas, then go with the good ol’ classic card and board games.
From “Uno” to “What do you Meme”, card games are an all around great activity that works for most occasions. (Especially for a Thanksgiving party)
Games to Play at Friendsgiving
15. Floral Arrangement Station
You might usually think of a flower bar as a spring or summer party idea. But fall is another great (and unexpected) time to incorporate one into your Friendsgiving party.
Since most people associate fall with pumpkins and leaves, having a floral arrangement station can be a fun little surprise. You can go with classic flowers like roses and baby’s breath, or tap into more fall themed options like sunflowers.
Set up a little station where your guests can create their own bouquets, and this idea is sure to be a hit.
16. Apple Relay Race
An apple relay race is basically just like an egg relay race, but instead of using an egg, you’ll use an apple.
The goal is to balance an apple on a small spoon and race to the finish line without dropping it. If a player drops their apple along the way, they have to go back to the starting line and try again.
17. Tug of War
If you and your friends are looking for outdoor Friendsgiving games that are super competitive, then consider the following activities.
Divide into teams and battle it out in a good old-fashioned game of tug of war.
18. Potato Sack Race
Let everyone tap into their inner child with a classic potato sack race. This fun and slightly chaotic game, will have players hopping and even falling toward the finish line.
19. Turkey Egg Hunt
Think of an Easter egg hunt, but during Thanksgiving. A Turkey Egg Hunt is basically the same idea: fill plastic eggs with candy, small trinkets, or even money, and hide them around your space for guests to find.
Try to hide them really well to make the game a little bit more competitive. Especially if your friends love a good challenge.
To make it even more exciting, create a special golden egg and place a note inside that says something like “You’ve won a $15 gift card!” or “Grand Prize: Self Care Package.” It adds a fun surprise element and might give everyone something to look forward to as they hunt.
20. Jenga
Last but not least… on this list of Friendsgiving games, is Jenga! Whether you go with the regular size or the giant version, this classic game is always a hit and works perfectly in a group setting.
