11 Best Thanksgiving Activities For Teens

Thanksgiving is a unique occasion to meet family and express our gratitude and love to the almighty. It is a fun time for teenagers to spend with their friends and reflect on giving back to others. If you are looking for some exciting activities for teens, look no further. Make this Thanksgiving special for them, and entertain them and the guests with some cool activities and crafts that they will thoroughly enjoy. Read on to explore our list of Thanksgiving activities that are sure to delight your teens this holiday.

In This Article

Thanksgiving Activities For Teens

1. Dolphin paper art

Image: Image: Shutterstock

The delicious task spells fun for your teen and their friends. The activity will also encourage relaxation and make them feel refreshed.

Prepare corn cobs and place them in a bowl. Keep separate bowls for individual teens.

  • The twist is that your teen and friends have to eat the corn without using their hands.
  • To make it more interesting, you can also blindfold the players.
  • You can also make it into a team play. Blindfold one player and let him try to feed the other player.
  • Put a timer and the teen or team who finishes the corn is the winner.

2. Toss the popcorn

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It is one ‘healthy’ competition for your teen and his friends this Thanksgiving.

  • Make teams of two teens each.
  • Hand out a plastic cup of popcorn to one player in each team.
  • The player with the popcorn has to toss the popcorn into their partner’s mouth. Once the other player eats the popcorn, the player can toss the next popcorn.
  • Set a timer if you want. The team that finishes the popcorn first is the winner.
protip_icon Point to consider
Managing kids while preparing for Thanksgiving celebrations can get overwhelming for parents. These activities will keep your kids busy so you can focus on making arrangements for the fete.

3. Toss the egg

Image: IStock

You can egg your teen and his friends to participate in this fun competition.

  • Make teams of two players each and ask them to stand apart.
  • Give one egg to each team and ask them to toss it between them.
  • With each toss, ask the players to go back a step to make it more fun.
  • In the end, the team that has the unbroken egg is the winner.

4. Do a turkey run

Image: IStock

Here is one task that can help you bond with your teenager this holiday season.

  • Going for a family run on Thanksgiving is a great way to build up your appetite for some turkey.
  • Many neighborhoods organize community runs that also raise funds for charity. Check out with your neighbors in case they are already participating.
  • If you want to do it as a family alone, head out to a safe area and start running toward the finish line.

5. Pumpkin hunt

Image: IStock

Treasure hunt remains a favorite among children of all ages.

  • Hide a pumpkin in your house – indoors, outdoors, backyard – wherever you wish.
  • Hand out fun and interesting cue cards for your teen and his friends.
  • Set a timer for the teenagers to find the pumpkin and bring it back to you.

6. Sack race

Image: IStock

Here is a twist to the good old sack race and enjoy the Thanksgiving celebration.

  • Let your teen go all out for the sack race with old sacks or let them use your pillowcases instead.
  • Set the finish line and make sure everyone can easily see it.
  • Create fun obstacles using Thanksgiving-themed items like pumpkins and corn stalks.

protip_icon Do remember
Sack race can be a great aerobic exercise for kids. It also helps strengthen muscles and develop the gross motor skills of children.

7. Pumpkin water race

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Let your teen and his friends have a super fun splash at the pool with this activity.

  • Take a large pumpkin for each teenager.
  • Ask the teens to get in the water along with the pumpkin.
  • The teens have to push the pumpkin using only their head and make it reach the finish line at the other end of the pool.
  • The teen who manages to make the pumpkin hit the finish line first is the winner.

8. Pumpkin pair

The task will test the coordination between your teen and his friends.

  • Make teams of two players and hand a pumpkin to each.
  • The players have to place the pumpkin between them by using their foreheads. Touching the pumpkin is not allowed.
  • One teen will act as the leader and give commands like ‘jump’, ‘squat’, ‘turn around’ and more. The teams have to perform these tasks without touching the pumpkin with their hands and ensuring it does not fall.
  • The team that has the pumpkin in place until the end is the winner.

9. Pumpkin line up

Image: IStock

It is a fun activity for your teen and his friends.

  • Make two groups of teens and ask them to stand in a line.
  • Hand out a pumpkin to the teen at the front.
  • The teen has to hold the pumpkin between his chin and chest.
  • Once the leader shouts go, the teen holding the pumpkin has to turn back and pass it to the next person. The next person can only grab the pumpkin using the chin and chest and cannot use his hands.
  • The team that sends the pumpkin to the end the fastest wins.

10. Scoop out the balls

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You can use this popular game to make this holiday season fun for your teen and his friends.

  • Fill large bowls with cotton balls. Hand out a bowl and a small spoon each to all the teenagers.
  • Once you give the signal, the participants have to scoop out the cotton balls one by one using the spoon.
  • The teen who empties the bowl first wins.

11. Turkey bowling

Turkey bowling
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Image: Shutterstock

This is an exciting bowling game mostly played in grocery stores. However, you can play it in your home too.

  • Fill ten plastic bottles with water and place them in a triangle shape. If you have bowling pins, you can use them too. Do not use empty plastic bottles, as they will get crushed in the first round itself.
  • Stand at a distance of at least 20 feet and roll the packed turkey to drop down the ten bottles or bowling pins.
  • Ensure the track you intend to bowl on is smooth enough for the turkey to slide easily.
  • Play as many rounds as you want.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How can teens get involved in volunteering during Thanksgiving?

Teens who wish to volunteer on Thanksgiving day can contact local charities and community shelters. Several organizations conduct special donation and charity service events on this day. Teens may check these organizations’ social media accounts or websites to learn about such events.

2. What are some Thanksgiving traditions that are popular with teens?

Some popular Thanksgiving traditions with teens include helping cook dinner, playing Thanksgiving games with friends and family, and volunteering at local charities or food banks.

3. How can teens use technology to enhance their Thanksgiving celebrations?

Teens can organize a virtual Thanksgiving dinner, create digital photobook memories from past celebrations and share it with friends and relatives, and participate in a virtual charity event.

Thanksgiving is one of the exciting and hectic days in the house. So, while you are hustling in cooking or baking a delicious feast, engage your clan in these Thanksgiving activities for teens to avoid any interruptions. This handy list has many activities to suit the likes of most teenagers. These games can also be played by adults and are a great way to burn the excess calories consumed during dinner instead of sitting and watching movies. So, from this year onwards, let Thanksgiving Day be a day of gratitude, appreciation, a fantastic feast, and also a fun-filled gathering day with your family. You may also enjoy with music, shopping, and volunteering for noble activities.

Infographic: Interesting Games To Play With Teens On Thanksgiving

Teens can be hard to please as they get bored easily. So, this Thanksgiving, include the fun activities from the infographic below to keep your teen in your family engaged and entertained throughout the party. These activities will also allow the teens to bond with their friends and cousins and know them better.

fun activities for teens during a thanksgiving party (infographic)

Illustration: Momjunction Design Team

Get the high-quality PDF version of this infographic.

Download Infographic in PDF version

Key Pointers

  • Thanksgiving is a day for expressing heartfelt gratitude to the almighty.
  • Fun activities with teens on Thanksgiving can help them appreciate family time and foster bonding.
  • Including activities such as sack race, tossing the egg, pumpkin hunt, and turkey run can make Thanksgiving more enjoyable for teens.
Thanksgiving Activities For Teens_illustration

Image: Stable Diffusion/MomJunction Design Team


Gather your family and friends for some fun Thanksgiving games! Enjoy the best Thanksgiving games to play with your loved ones over Zoom. It’s easy and fun for all ages!
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