Thanksgiving is more than just a feast; it’s a time for family bonding and creating memories. What better way to make the most of your time together than playing fun, fast-paced “Minute to Win It” games? These Thanksgiving-themed games bring laughter, excitement and a little competition to your holiday gathering. Whether you’re entertaining children, teens, or adults, these games can be adapted to suit every age group and skill level.
In this article, I’ve curated a list of the best fall-inspired Minute to Win It games specifically for Thanksgiving, filling in the gaps and adding more details to help you host the most entertaining Thanksgiving ever.
What Are “Minute to Win It” Games?
“Minute to Win It” games are short, high-energy activities where players try to complete a task within 60 seconds. The tasks often involve common household items and are designed to be fun and slightly challenging. These games are perfect for large gatherings like Thanksgiving because they encourage group participation and friendly competition.
Quick & Easy Thanksgiving Minute to Win It Games
This section focuses on simple and fast games that are ideal if you want to break the ice or have some quick fun before the Thanksgiving meal.
1. Turkey Baster Relay
- What you’ll need: A turkey baster for each player, lightweight objects like feathers or ping pong balls, a finish line.
- How to play: Players use only their turkey baster to blow a lightweight object from one end of the table to the other. The first person to cross the finish line wins.
- What could be added: Encourage guests to decorate their basters with Thanksgiving-themed stickers or markers before the game begins, adding an extra layer of creativity and competition.
- Age Range: Suitable for all ages.
- Tip: Make the race harder by adding small obstacles on the table, such as mini pumpkins.
2. Stuff the Turkey
- What you’ll need: Small, lightweight balls (like foam balls or bean bags), a large bucket or container (the “turkey”).
- How to play: Players have one minute to toss as many balls as possible into the “turkey.” The player with the most balls in the bucket at the end of the minute wins.
- What could be added: Provide each player with a Thanksgiving-themed blindfold to increase the difficulty. You can also use this game to teach younger kids about taking turns and counting.
- Age Range: Best for kids, but adults can join too for some laughs.
3. Goblet Gobble
- What you’ll need: Plastic goblets, orange ping pong balls.
- How to play: Place goblets on one side of the room and ping pong balls on the other. Players must transfer the ping pong balls to their goblet using only their chin and neck. The first person to fill their goblet wins.
- What could be added: To increase difficulty, reduce the size of the goblets or increase the number of ping pong balls that must be transferred within the minute. For a team-based challenge, make it a relay race!
- Age Range: Kids and adults alike can enjoy this, but it’s particularly fun for older children and teens.
Summary of Quick and Easy Activities
This first set of games focuses on quick and easy activities that are ideal for warming up the crowd or providing a quick laugh. From a creative take on a turkey baster race to stuffing the turkey with foam balls, these games bring both fun and a sense of competition to your Thanksgiving gathering. Incorporating small tweaks like blindfolds, team elements, or creative decoration can add even more excitement to these already engaging games.
Hilarious Thanksgiving-Themed Minute to Win It Games
In this section, we’ll dive into games that bring an extra dose of humor to your Thanksgiving gathering. These games are sure to get everyone laughing and provide some memorable moments.
4. Flying Turkey Challenge
- What you’ll need: Nerf guns, plastic cups, turkey-themed cutouts.
- How to play: Line up turkey-themed cutouts on a table, then give each player a Nerf gun. Players have one minute to knock over as many turkeys (cups) as possible using the Nerf darts. Whoever knocks down the most turkeys wins.
- What could be added: For an extra twist, use different-sized cups or place some of them at varying distances to make it more challenging. You could also add point values to each cup based on difficulty.
- Age Range: Perfect for kids, but adults will love the challenge too.
- Tip: To make it even more festive, have the cups decorated by the kids beforehand with turkey feathers or Thanksgivng-themed stickers.
5. Turkey Feather Roll
- What you’ll need: A dice, feathers and a table.
- How to play: Players roll the dice and try to move feathers across the table using only their breath. The goal is to roll each feather to the corresponding number they rolled on the dice. The first to roll all the feathers wins.
- What could be added: For a competitive edge, reduce the time limit to 30 seconds or require players to blow the feather into a specific target (like a hoop or bowl) instead of just across the table.
- Age Range: Fun for all ages, especially younger children.
6. Football Flick
- What you’ll need: Mini footballs, buckets or baskets, point markers.
- How to play: Set up buckets at different distances from the starting line. Each bucket has a point value (e.g., 1 point for the closest, 5 points for the farthest). Players have one minute to flick mini footballs into the buckets and score as many points as possible.
- What could be added: For added fun, set a higher difficulty for adults by placing the buckets farther away or using smaller footballs. To keep the game moving, have someone reset the balls between rounds.
- Age Range: All ages can participate, but the game is particularly engaging for teens and adults.
7. Candy Corn Stack
- What you’ll need: Candy corn and a flat surface.
- How to play: Using only one hand, players must stack as many pieces of candy corn on top of each other as possible within one minute. The player with the tallest stack wins.
- What could be added: You could add a rule that if the stack falls, the player has to start over, adding more tension and hilarity to the game. For younger players, use slightly larger objects like marshmallows.
- Age Range: This game is perfect for all ages, though it’s especially fun for younger kids.
Summary of Hilarious Thanksgiving-Themed Games
These hilarious Thanksgiving-themed games offer a mix of skill and silliness, making them perfect for families who love to laugh together. By adding creative twists and extra challenges like varying point systems or decorating the game items beforehand, you can easily adapt these games to suit all ages and keep everyone entertained.
Thanksgiving Team-Based Minute to Win It Games
Team-based games are a great way to encourage collaboration and friendly competition during your Thanksgiving gathering. These games require groups to work together, making them perfect for larger families or groups of friends.
8. Feather Float Relay
- What you’ll need: Feathers, large tables or open space.
- How to play: In teams of two or more, players must keep a feather in the air by blowing on it as they move from one side of the room to the other. They cannot touch the feather and if it falls, the player must start over. The first team to complete the relay wins.
- What could be added: To make the game more difficult, increase the distance the team must cover or add obstacles that they need to navigate around without letting the feather fall.
- Age Range: Suitable for all ages, especially fun for kids and adults.
- Tip: Assign point values for the speed of completion and number of times the feather touches the ground to add another layer of competitiveness.
9. Pumpkin Pie Pass
- What you’ll need: Mini pumpkin pies (or small paper plates), large spoons.
- How to play: Players form two teams and line up. The first player in each team scoops up a mini pumpkin pie with a large spoon and passes it down the line to the next player. The team must pass the pie without dropping it. The first team to successfully pass the pie to the last player in line wins.
- What could be added: If you want to add some chaos and humor, blindfold one or two players in each team to make the pass even more challenging. You could also replace the pies with other Thanksgiving-related items like small gourds or apples.
- Age Range: Best for teens and adults, but kids can join with simplified rules.
- Tip: If you’re using real pies, make sure to have extras on hand for when (not if!) they get dropped!
10. Shake Your Tail Feather
- What you’ll need: Tissue boxes, feathers, pantyhose.
- How to play: Attach a tissue box filled with feathers to each player’s waist using pantyhose. Players have one minute to shake out all the feathers by wiggling and dancing around. The first team to empty their boxes wins.
- What could be added: For more fun, play upbeat Thanksgiving-themed music while players wiggle to shake out the feathers. To up the challenge, fill the tissue box with heavier objects like marbles.
- Age Range: Perfect for all ages, especially hilarious with adults and older children.
- Tip: Offer small prizes like Thanksgiving-themed stickers or candy to the winners to add extra motivation.
11. Cornucopia Chaos
- What you’ll need: Small plastic fruits and vegetables, baskets.
- How to play: Players form teams and stand on opposite sides of the room. One player throws plastic fruits and vegetables while the other tries to catch them in a basket. The team that collects the most items in one minute wins.
- What could be added: For added difficulty, blindfold the player catching the items, or increase the distance between the players. You could also introduce point values for different fruits and vegetables to increase competition.
- Age Range: Fun for all ages, especially when mixing up the difficulty levels for different age groups.
Summary of Team-Based Games
These team-based games are perfect for bringing everyone together and fostering a bit of healthy competition. Whether it’s wiggling to shake out feathers or working in tandem to keep a feather floating in the air, these games ensure that no one is left out of the Thanksgiving fun. Adding extra challenges like blindfolds or varying point systems can make the games even more engaging and hilarious.
Creative and Competitive Thanksgiving Minute to Win It Games
For families who enjoy a little competition and creativity, these games combine artistic flair with a dash of rivalry. Perfect for engaging different age groups, these games allow players to showcase their skills in unique ways.
12. Face the Pie
- What you’ll need: Pie tins, whipped cream, gummy letters.
- How to play: Fill each pie tin with whipped cream and hide gummy letters that spell out a Thanksgiving-related word (like “TURKEY” or “FEAST”). Players must dig through the pie using only their face to find the letters. Once all the letters are found, they must unscramble them to spell the word. The first person to spell the word wins.
- What could be added: Add a time limit to increase the urgency and excitement. You could also add multiple words for each player to unscramble for an even bigger challenge.
- Age Range: Best for teens and adults, but younger children can participate with simplified rules.
- Tip: Have wet wipes ready for easy cleanup after this messy but hilarious game.
13. Feather Frenzy
- What you’ll need: Feathers, fans or large pieces of cardboard.
- How to play: Players must use a fan or a piece of cardboard to blow feathers across a designated area and into a basket. The first player to get five feathers into the basket wins.
- What could be added: For added difficulty, reduce the size of the basket or require players to stand farther back. You could also make it a relay, where players have to pass the feather from one to another using the fan or cardboard.
- Age Range: Suitable for all ages.
- Tip: This game can also be played outside if the weather is good, making it a perfect option for larger gatherings.
14. Pumpkin Stack Attack
- What you’ll need: Mini pumpkins.
- How to play: Players have one minute to stack as many mini pumpkins as possible into a tower. The tallest tower that stands for at least five seconds wins.
- What could be added: Use varying sizes of pumpkins to make stacking more difficult, or blindfold players for an extra challenge. For team play, one player can stack while the other gives directions.
- Age Range: Fun for all ages, especially children.
- Tip: To avoid frustration, have extra pumpkins on hand in case any fall or break during the game.
15. Thanksgiving Word Scramble
- What you’ll need: Index cards with Thanksgiving-themed words scrambled on them.
- How to play: Players must unscramble the words as quickly as possible within one minute. The player who unscrambles the most words wins.
- What could be added: For team play, give each group a different set of words to unscramble. To make it more competitive, you could assign a point system where longer or more difficult words earn higher points.
- Age Range: Great for all ages, but especially engaging for teens and adults.
- Tip: Use words related to Thanksgiving themes like “turkey,” “gravy,” “pilgrims,” or “harvest” to make it educational for kids as well.
Summary of Creative and Competitive Twist
This chunk of games adds a creative and competitive twist to your Thanksgiving activities. From messy pie-eating contests to stacking pumpkins, these games provide a platform for showcasing skills while keeping the atmosphere light and fun. Adding team elements or increasing the difficulty with blindfolds or time limits ensures everyone stays engaged and entertained.
Thanksgiving-Themed Minute to Win It Games for All Ages
These last games are perfect for groups of mixed ages, ensuring that both kids and adults can participate and have fun together. They are designed to be inclusive and adaptable for different skill levels.
16. Cranberry Scoop Challenge
- What you’ll need: Cranberries (or other small round objects), spoons, bowls.
- How to play: Players must transfer cranberries from one bowl to another using only a spoon. They have one minute to move as many cranberries as possible. The player with the most cranberries in their bowl at the end of the minute wins.
- What could be added: Add a twist by blindfolding the players or making them use their non-dominant hand. You could also assign point values for each cranberry based on how difficult the game setup is (e.g., larger spoons make it easier, smaller spoons make it harder).
- Age Range: Suitable for all ages.
- Tip: For younger players, allow them to use larger spoons or bowls to ensure everyone has a fair chance.
17. Pilgrim Hat Ring Toss
- What you’ll need: Large plastic pilgrim hats, rings (or homemade rings from pipe cleaners or paper plates).
- How to play: Set up the pilgrim hats on the ground or table and players must toss rings onto the hats. The player who lands the most rings on the hats in one minute wins.
- What could be added: For a team variation, players can stand farther away or use smaller rings to increase the difficulty. You could also decorate the hats beforehand as a family activity to get everyone involved in the setup.
- Age Range: Fun for all ages, especially young children.
- Tip: Use brightly colored rings or markers on the ground to designate where players should stand, ensuring that everyone has a clear understanding of the game’s rules.
18. Turkey Waddle Race
- What you’ll need: Balloons.
- How to play: Players place a balloon between their knees and race from one side of the room to the other without letting the balloon drop. If it falls, they must start again. The first player to cross the finish line wins.
- What could be added: Make it more challenging by adding obstacles or creating a relay where team members pass the balloon without using their hands. You could also use different-sized balloons to make it fun for various age groups.
- Age Range: Ideal for kids, but adults will get a good laugh from this game as well.
- Tip: Have extra balloons on hand in case they pop or get dropped, especially for younger kids who might need a few tries to get the hang of it.
19. Corn Harvest Toss
- What you’ll need: Plastic corn or bean bags, baskets or buckets.
- How to play: Players must toss plastic corn into baskets placed at varying distances. The farther the basket, the more points it’s worth. Players have one minute to score as many points as possible by getting the corn into the baskets.
- What could be added: Add point multipliers or change the size of the baskets to increase the challenge. For younger players, you can bring the baskets closer to make the game more accessible.
- Age Range: Suitable for all ages, especially fun for children and teens.
- Tip: Decorate the baskets with Thanksgiving themes like pumpkins or leaves to make the game more festive.
20. Thanksgiving Pictionary
- What you’ll need: Drawing paper, markers, Thanksgiving-themed word cards.
- How to play: Players must draw Thanksgiving-related words (like “turkey” or “pilgrim”) while their team tries to guess what they’re drawing. The team that guesses the most words in one minute wins.
- What could be added: You can add a rule that only Thanksgiving foods can be drawn, or make it more difficult by requiring players to draw with their non-dominant hand.
- Age Range: Fun for all ages, especially teens and adults.
- Tip: To engage younger kids, use simpler words and allow more time for guessing.
Final Thoughts
Thanksgiving is all about bringing loved ones together and these Minute to Win It games provide the perfect opportunity for some fast-paced fun. Whether you’re looking for quick icebreakers, team-based challenges, or creative and competitive activities, these games are sure to be a hit. By customizing the difficulty levels and incorporating additional twists, you can ensure that every family member, from toddlers to grandparents, enjoys the festivities.
With this comprehensive list of games, you’ll have everything you need to keep your Thanksgiving lively and full of laughter.
