Thanksgiving Entertainment: Fun Games for Grownups to Play While Digesting that Turkey

As an adult, Thanksgiving has become one of my favorite holidays. It’s relatively low-stress for me. Since I don’t know how to cook well, no one expects me to make anything! I buy the rolls and set the table. Easy job. You know what I really love about Thanksgiving? It’s one of the few times of the year that I have enough people around to play grownup games! Trivial Pursuit isn’t all that fun when you’re playing against yourself, after all. Here are a few of my favorite (or on my wish list) adult group games to play while you’re all digesting that turkey.

Adult Games to Play on Thanksgiving

Affiliate links included below.

Apples to Apples: This is my absolute favorite group game for adults! My little brother introduced it to me on a visit and I was hooked. If you haven’t played it yet, basically it’s a game of comparisons, but you’re not just picking the best synonym for the card, you have to pick the one you think the judge will go with. So you really have to know the other players and their senses of humor. Bonus: it’s got apples on it, and we eat apple pie on Thanksgiving!

Apples to Apples

Head’s Up: I’ve never been big into charades, but this alternative is quite fun! Players take turns wearing a headband with a card stuck in it. You can’t see your card, but other players can. They act out clues and you have to guess what the card says based on their clues. If you don’t want to pay $18 for the board game, you can download an app version pretty cheap. Of course, you could always just make your own! Before your guests arrive, create index cards with Thanksgiving-themed clues on them.

Heads Up

Name 5: I love list games like Scattegories and Family Feud, where you have to come up with a certain number of things related to a set clue, letter or word. I haven’t played this one yet, but I saw it when I was researching fun post-Thanksgiving meal games and it looks super fun. Players have to name five things related to the question before the time runs out. Could be things like naming super heroes, Tom Hanks movies or just about anything else!

Name 5

Trivial Pursuit: There’s a Trivial Pursuit edition for just about everyone under the sun, including, apparently, people who stink at trivia! It’s called Trivia Pursuit Bet You Know It. If you want to include younger kids in the gaming fun, though, I recommend the Family Edition. It has special cards specifically for kids.

Trivia Pursuit

What If?Got a super creative family? You’ll love this game! Players have to write answers to “what if” scenarios, then throw them in a pile and try to figure out who wrote what. The only issue I can see with this game is if you know each other’s handwriting. Maybe a judge or something reads the answers? I haven’t played it yet, but it’s also on my list.

What If

If you’re only going to get one of these games, my pick would be Apples to Apples. It’s such a fun game! I can’t wait til Thanksgiving so I can play again!

For more Thanksgiving and fall related entertainment, visit a few of my favorite bloggers:

What are your favorite grown-up games to play in a large group? Tell me in the comments!