10 Thanksgiving Minute to Win It Games for the Whole Family
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Thanksgiving is one of my favorite times to pull out our Minute to Win It games because everyone can play. Kids, teens, parents, and grandparents can all get in on the fun, and the games are silly enough to get everyone laughing and competitive enough to keep things interesting.
These Thanksgiving Minute to Win It games are especially easy to add to your celebration because most use simple supplies like cups, candy, balloons, and things you may already have around the house. I’ve included 10 of our favorite Thanksgiving games for kids and family, with easy instructions and plenty of ideas for playing with small or large groups.
Whether you need a few games to play on Thanksgiving while dinner is cooking or you’re planning a full Thanksgiving party, you can pick just one or set up several for a Minute to Win It competition. Turkey Leg Wrap, Traffic Yam, Match Maker, and Shake Ya’ Tail Feather are just a few of the games you’ll find below.
Best Thanksgiving Games for Kids and Family
These Thanksgiving games are designed to get everyone up, laughing, and playing together. Most are easy enough for kids but still fun for teens and adults, making them perfect for a family Thanksgiving or holiday party. If your family loves a little friendly competition like mine does, these Minute to Win It challenges are a fun way to get everyone involved.
Thanksgiving Minute to Win It Games Video
Watch some of these Thanksgiving Minute to Win It games in action! The video below gives you a quick look at several of the games before you get started.
What are Minute To Win It Games?
Minute to Win It games are quick challenges that players try to complete in 60 seconds or less. They usually use simple household supplies and can be played individually, in teams, or as a group. For these Thanksgiving games, we’ve given the classic Minute to Win It format a fun holiday twist with candy, balloons, cups, sweet potatoes, and other Thanksgiving-themed supplies.
How to Play Minute to Win It Games
There are several ways to play Minute to Win It games depending on the size of your group. Choose the version that works best for your Thanksgiving gathering, set a timer for 60 seconds, and let the competition begin!
Playing Minute to Win It Games with Small Groups
For larger groups, divide everyone into teams. Choose one player from each team to compete head-to-head in each challenge. Switch players for each game so everyone gets a chance to compete for their team.
Playing Minute to Win It Games with Large Groups
One player per team will go head to head. The players should swap out for each game so everyone has had a turn to compete at least once for their team.
Scoring Minute to Win It Games
If you’re playing as teams, keep a running score after each challenge:
- First place: 3 points
- Second place: 2 points
- Third place: 1 point
- Everyone else: 0 points
Keep track of the points on a whiteboard, chalkboard, or large piece of paper where everyone can see the score. At the end of all 10 games, add up the points to determine the winning team.
10 Thanksgiving Minute to Win It Games
First Up
Thanksgiving Game 1 – Turkey Leg Wrap
Difficulty: Easy
Players: 2 players per team
Melissa’s Tip:
Burlap holds up well for this game, but it can be scratchy. Have players wear long sleeves and pants, or use a wide, soft brown ribbon instead. I found a softer brown ribbon option that would work well for wrapping kids.
Melissa’s Tip:
Burlap ribbon holds up better than paper streamers, but it can be itchy. If you’re using burlap, have the person being wrapped wear long sleeves and pants.
Supplies for Turkey Leg Wrap
Supplies
- Brown burlap ribbon, brown crepe streamers, or soft brown ribbon — soft brown ribbon option
- Chef hats
- Timer
How to Play
One player is the “turkey,” and the other player does the wrapping. Set the timer for one minute and have the wrapper race to wrap their teammate from the ankles up with the brown streamer or burlap to make a giant turkey leg.
The goal is to get as much of the player wrapped as possible before time runs out. If you’re competing in teams, award the points to the team that finishes first or gets the farthest in one minute.
Thanksgiving Game 2 – Sweet Potato Roll – or Traffic Yam
Difficulty: Difficult
Players: 1 player per team
Watch this video showing Traffic Yam
Supplies for Sweet Potato Roll
- 1 sweet potato per player
- 1 wooden spoon per player
- Masking or painter’s tape
- Timer
Set up
Use masking or painter’s tape to mark a starting line and finish line about 12 feet apart. Give each player a sweet potato and wooden spoon, and place the sweet potatoes behind the starting line.
How to Play Sweet Potato Roll
When the timer starts, players use only their wooden spoon to roll the sweet potato toward the finish line. Sweet potatoes are uneven, so they tend to roll in unpredictable directions—which makes this game especially funny!
The first player to get their sweet potato across the finish line wins. If no one finishes within one minute, the player whose sweet potato is closest to the finish line wins.
Game Variations:
Have players get down on the floor and try to roll the sweet potato across the finish line using only their nose.
Note: To make this game really difficult, tape the lanes so the sweet potatoes stay inside. The sweet potatoes are so wobbly that this is really difficult to do.
Thanksgiving Game 3 – Football Stack It!
Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
Players: 1 player per team
Supplies for Football Stack
- 6 brown plastic cups per player
- White chalk marker or paint pen
- 3 paper plates per player
- Timer
Setup
Use a white chalk marker or paint pen to draw football laces on the brown cups. Give each player six cups and three paper plates.
How to Play
- the player stacks 1 cup → plate → 2 cups → plate → 1 cup → plate → 2 cups, all in under one minute.
- The first player to successfully complete the stack wins. If no one finishes in one minute, the player with the most completed levels wins.
Thanksgiving Game 4 – Match Maker
This is my favorite game!
This game is in our favorite Minute to Win It Games List. It’s easy, fun, and challenging for every age.
Watch this video on how to play – Match Maker
Supplies
Here’s what you’ll need for this fun Fall Minute To Win It Game to Play…
- 20 plastic cups
- 18 pieces of fall-colored candy – divided (9 of one type, 9 of another – such as 9 candy corn, 9 pumpkin candies)
- 2 empty cups or bowls
- Timer
Setting Up for Match Maker
- Hide the 18 pieces of candy under 18 of the cups, placing one piece under each cup. Use 9 pieces of one type of candy and 9 pieces of another. Once all of the candy is hidden, shuffle the cups around so the two candy types are mixed up and players don’t know what is underneath each cup.
- Place the remaining two cups or bowls upright across the room. These will be the sorting cups.
Instructions
- When the timer starts, players uncover the candy one cup at a time. Each time they find a piece, they race across the room and place it into the correct sorting cup before returning to uncover another piece.
- The goal is to correctly sort as much candy as possible before the minute is up.
Thanksgiving Game 5 – Suck It Up!
Difficulty: Moderate to Difficult
Players: 1 player per team
Watch this Video for Suck It Up
Supplies
- Bendable straws
- Fall-colored M&M’s — 5 per player
- 2 paper plates per player
- Play dough, optional for the harder variation
Setup
Place two paper plates a short distance apart for each player. Put the candy on one plate and give each player a bendable straw. Adjust the distance between the plates based on the age of your players—it can be difficult to maintain suction over a long distance.
Instructions
When the timer starts, players use the straw to suck up one piece of candy at a time and carry it from the first plate to the second plate. The goal is to transfer all of the candy using only suction from the straw before the minute is up.
Game Variation
For teens and adults, make the game much harder by standing four bendable straws upright and having players try to place the candy on top of the straws. You can increase the difficulty by requiring players to transfer more pieces of candy.
Thanksgiving Game 6 – Candy Corn Shake
Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
Players: 1 player per team
Watch this video for Candy Corn Shake Thanksgiving Game
- Difficulty Level – Easy-Moderate
(1 player per team)
Supplies
Here’s what you’ll need for this fun family Minute to Win It Game…
- 5 plastic cups
- 15 pieces of candy corn
- card stock
- glue
- marker
Setup
Put 1 piece of candy corn in the first cup, 2 in the second, 3 in the third, 4 in the fourth, and 5 in the fifth. Cover the opening of each cup with cardstock and glue it securely in place.
On the bottom, discreetly write the number of candy corns inside each cup so you can check the players’ answers. Mix up the cups before the game begins.
Instructions
When the timer starts, players shake and listen to each cup to figure out how many pieces of candy corn are hidden inside. They must arrange all five cups in order from 1 to 5 pieces of candy corn before the minute is up.
Thanksgiving Game 7 – Shake Ya’ Tail Feather
Difficulty: Easy
Players: 1 player per team
Shake Ya’ Tail Feather Game is an alternative version to Junk in the Trunk
Supplies
Here’s what you’ll need for this super fun Minute to Win It Game
- Empty rectangular tissue box
- Pantyhose
- 1 bag of feathers
- Scissors
- Tape
Setting up
Attach the pantyhose to the tissue box so the legs extend from the back of the box and can be tied securely around the player’s waist. Fill the tissue box with feathers.
Playing
When the timer starts, players shake, wiggle, and move to get as many feathers as possible out of the tissue box—no hands allowed.
The first player to empty their box wins. If no one empties the box within one minute, the player with the fewest feathers remaining wins.
Thanksgiving Game 8 – Pie Face
- Difficulty Level – Easy
(1 player per team)
Supplies
- 3 foil pie plates per player
- Whipped topping
- 2 different types of fall candy, such as candy corn and candy pumpkins
- Timer
Setup
Place a mixture of the two types of candy in one pie plate and cover the candy completely with whipped topping. Place two empty pie plates beside it—one for each type of candy.
How to Play
When the timer starts, players use only their mouths to find the pieces of candy hidden in the whipped topping. As they find each piece, they place it into the correct empty pie plate—candy corn in one and candy pumpkins in the other.
The goal is to find and correctly sort as much candy as possible before the minute is up. The player who correctly sorts the most pieces wins.
Melissa’s Tip: You can use any two candies that are easy to tell apart. And definitely keep some towels nearby—this one gets messy! 😄
Thanksgiving Game 9 – Yank Me!
Difficulty: Moderate
Players: 1 player per team
Watch this video for Yank Me
Supplies
- 4 plastic cups
- 3 pieces of cardstock
- Timer
Setup
Stack the cups into a tower, placing one piece of cardstock between each cup.
How to Play
When the timer starts, quickly yank the top piece of cardstock out from between the cups so the top cup drops onto the cup below it.
Continue working your way down, pulling out one piece of cardstock at a time. The goal is to remove all three pieces of cardstock and have all four cups land in one stack before the minute is up.
Melissa’s Tip: Pull the cardstock quickly and straight out. If you pull it upward or at an angle, the cup is more likely to tip over.
Thanksgiving Game 10 – Defy Gravity
- Difficulty Level – Moderate to Difficult
(1 player per team – although you could add as many as you want per team)
Defy Gravity
Difficulty: Moderate to Difficult
Players: 1 or more players per team
Supplies
- Balloons
- Timer
Setup
Blow up the balloons and give each player one balloon to start.
How to Play
When the timer starts, players must keep their balloon from touching the ground for the entire minute using only one hand.
If the balloon touches the floor, that player is out. Players who keep their balloon in the air for the full 60 seconds complete the challenge.
Make It Harder
For older kids, teens, and adults, give each player two balloons to keep in the air at the same time. For an even bigger challenge, try the classic version with three balloons.
More Thanksgiving Games for the Family
Looking for more fun ways to keep everyone entertained on Thanksgiving? Try some of these family-friendly Thanksgiving games next:
- Stuff the Turkey Game – A simple and hilarious Thanksgiving game that’s great for kids and family gatherings.
More Minute to Win It Game Ideas
If your family loved these Thanksgiving Minute to Win It games, I have plenty more quick challenges you can play throughout the year:
- Easy Minute to Win It Games – Simple challenges for kids, teens, and adults.
- Holiday Minute to Win It Games – Fun Minute to Win It challenges for Christmas and the holiday season.
- More Minute to Win It Games – Browse all of our Minute to Win It game ideas.
- Candy Ball Game
~Melissa – Kid Friendly Things To Do
These are fantastic! I will be using many them for a school party!
I am overthinking it, but… how did you make the chef’s hat for the turkey leg wrap? Yours looks simple; when I google them, the ones that pop up are all more complicated.
I cheated and purchased it! 🙂 Here’s the link to the ones I bought…https://amzn.to/3UFhUrW