I have hosted Thanksgiving dinner a number of times now, and while I plan and stress over the food, it is never the most memorable part of the event. What people want is connection, some good laughs and memories made! I went to Pinterest looking for ideas of how to involve kids in making a fun memory (and making great photos!) a some game ideas. I have had success with many minute to win it games in the past, as they involve all ages, don’t cost much and move quickly. But this year I want to do something different, so I went hunting on Pinterest for some new ideas and of course Pinterest pulled through! I am most excited to try this gratitude game to give our traditional dinner conversation a new twist! Read on for some photos and details about how to pull this off!

Isn’t this hairstyle the cutest!? You can prep the materials ahead of time so the actual hairdo the day of won’t take much time. You’ll need a variety of colored feathers and foam or paper to make a turkey. To make the feathers ahead of time, cut a small arc out of foam and hot glue the feathers flaying apart as pictured. Make a bun using a bun maker (found at Sally Beauty, Target or H&M!) and then bobby pin the turkey head to the front of the bun. Then bobby pin the feathers behind the back of the bun. Easy and very festive! Kids eat this stuff up, probably more than they will the dinner ;)

These charade prompts make all the brainstorming work done for you! They are fun for kids and adults to act out, and get people a little out of their comfort zone and having a good time! Divide into 2 teams and rotate between the teams, acting out as many items as your team can guess in 1 minute. Then switch! Whichever team guesses the most words accurately wins!

I have many childhood memories going around the table sharing what each person is thankful for, and the answers rotating between “my family” and “my house.” Of course those are great things to be thankful for, but some more creative ideas could generate a bit more conversation and get some new ideas out there! You can use colored straws and play the game like pick up sticks, naming something in the assigned category that you’re thankful for with each straw.

Red: Person

Orange: Place

Green: Food

Blue: Thing
Purple: Free Choice

Alternatively, you could place a few straws at each place setting and go around the table, having people share the people, places, foods and things they are grateful for on each round. Have fun with this!

I hope these ideas give you some inspiration to jazz up your Thanksgiving meal and get you thinking and planning beyond the food! Happy Thanksgiving!