Skip the 5k Turkey Trot this year. There are many unconventional ways to celebrate the season of gratitude and avoid the Turkey Day slump without waking up early to run or participating in the same boring traditions as usual.
Make it a Thanksgiving to be thankful for with these fresh activity ideas:
Host a Pumpkin Hunt
Add some friendly competition to your Thanksgiving celebrations with a pumpkin hunt. Instead of Easter eggs, hide mini pumpkins around the space for your guests to search for.
Everyone will have a blast running around and looking for pumpkins to collect, and laughs are guaranteed. For an extra incentive, offer a small prize to the person who finds the most mini pumpkins.
Swap Cookies
A cookie swap is a unique holiday party theme that will satisfy your sweet tooth. Invite your partygoers to bring a big batch of their favorite homemade cookies. Decorate a table to display all the cookies, and offer tins or boxes for guests to load up on the sugary delights.
Stuff a Turkey Piñata
Who says piñatas are only for birthdays? A candy-filled turkey piñata is a fun addition to any Thanksgiving party. It’s pretty cheap to make or buy a turkey-shaped piñata, and you can stuff it with all kinds of sweet treats.
Plan a Pie-Baking Contest
Prepare for a sugar rush and host a contest for the best homemade pie recipe. Since pie is a staple Thanksgiving dessert, it only makes sense to celebrate with as many varieties as possible.
Ditch the bland store-bought pies and ask attendees to make one from scratch for the feast. Serve small slices of each, vote on the best ones, and award the crowd-favorite the coveted Best Baker title.
Create a Parade Bingo Card
Craft a custom bingo card for your Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade watch party this year. It’s an engaging yet simple way to get in the holiday spirit.
Free templates are available online, but you can get creative and make a card from scratch. Include silly items on your sheet, like someone’s hat blowing off or a microphone malfunction.
Concoct Signature Drinks
Turn your party into a tasting hour by having your guests bring ingredients to make a signature cocktail (or mocktail). It’s a fun and delicious activity for those who enjoy trying new flavors and beverage recipes. If you need inspiration, consider something Thanksgiving-related, like a cranberry margarita or a warm spiced cider.
Have a Thanksgiving Trivia Competition
Discover who among your friends and family knows the most about Thanksgiving with a themed trivia competition. You can set it up as a free-for-all or team tournament and tailor the questions to the age of your attendees if children are participating. Everyone loves trivia, and it’ll be entertaining to see whose Turkey Day knowledge comes out on top.
Fill a Gratitude Jar
Remember the reason for the season by filling a gratitude jar this Thanksgiving. Set up a station with a jar, paper strips, and pens for guests to write down something they’re thankful for as they arrive.
Have everyone put their notes of gratitude in the jar until it’s full. Once you’ve eaten and everyone is lounging around, open the jar and start reading the papers to share the spirit of thankfulness.
Throw a Petsgiving
Pets are part of the family, too. Show your furry friends you’re thankful for them by throwing an animal-themed Thanksgiving party.
Dress your pets in festive costumes or bandanas, gift them a new toy, and make them a plate of special Turkey Day-inspired foods. If you have a dog, consider taking them on a post-feast walk to get some movement amidst all the eating.
Volunteer
Give thanks this year by giving back to your community. Many organizations welcome volunteers for various Turkey Day projects.
You could serve meals at a soup kitchen, distribute items at a homeless shelter, or donate essentials to your local food bank. There are many meaningful ways to support members of your community who are less fortunate than you.
Draw on the Dinner Table
Skip the fancy placemats and table settings this Thanksgiving. Instead, cover your eating areas with kraft paper sheets for folks to scribble on.
Provide pens, markers, pencils, and crayons, and let your guests go wild decorating their places at the table. It’s incredibly entertaining to see what designs people create when they unleash their inner artists.
Compete in a Potato Sack Race
Hosting a potato sack race guarantees laughs all around. This old-school game is a classic for a reason.
Watching your loved ones hop around in potato sacks is a hilarious sight. Partygoers of all ages can compete in the race, so everyone can join the fun.
Make a Thankfulness Tree
If you feel crafty this Turkey Day, tackle a thankfulness tree project. You only need colored construction paper, markers, glue, and a poster board.
Draw a tree with many branches and cut yellow, orange, and red paper for the leaves. Give everyone a leaf to write what they’re grateful for on—by the end of the day, you’ll have a beautiful, heart-warming art piece.
Assemble Care Packages
Put your thankfulness into practice by assembling care packages at your holiday get-together. Many local and global organizations accept kits containing necessities like toiletries and pantry staples. Research what’s in high demand and assign or ask partygoers to bring different items so you can pack up some boxes for those in need.
Revisit Family Memories
Break out the family videos and photo albums to revisit your most cherished memories. Thanksgiving is the perfect excuse to lean into nostalgia and recall your favorite moments with loved ones. Seeing reminders of the good old days will spark meaningful conversations and shared storytelling.
Craft your own Turkey Day decorations
Stop overspending on cheap decor that won’t last until next Thanksgiving. Create new holiday memories by making these simple, money-saving DIYs.
14 DIY Thanksgiving Decor Ideas That Save Time and Money
Make a better-for-you Thanksgiving feast
Are you tired of feeling too stuffed to move after Thanksgiving? This year, lighten up your meal without sacrificing flavor.
15 Healthy Thanksgiving Recipes That Won’t Induce a Food Coma
Elise Armitage is an entrepreneur and founder of What The Fab, a travel + lifestyle blog based in California. At the beginning of 2019, Elise left her corporate job at Google to chase her dreams: being an entrepreneur and helping women find fabulous in the everyday. Since then, she’s launched her SEO course Six-Figure SEO, where she teaches bloggers how to create a passive revenue stream from their website using SEO. Featured in publications like Forbes, Elle, HerMoney, and Real Simple, Elise is a firm believer that you can be of both substance and style.
