Here’s a post for you about Thanksgiving Day trivia game ideas. It’s educational, festive, and perfect for boosting engagement during the Thanksgiving holiday season:

🦃 Thanksgiving Trivia Game Ideas: A Fun Way to Celebrate Turkey Day!

The Thanksgiving holiday is a time for delicious food, warm holiday gatherings, and meaningful Thanksgiving traditions. But once the Thanksgiving dinner is over and the sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, and green bean casserole have been devoured, what’s a fun way to keep the festive energy going?

Host a Thanksgiving trivia game, of course!

Whether you’re a high school teacher planning a classroom activity, a family gathered around the dinner table, or coworkers at a team-building event, Thanksgiving trivia questions are a great activity for all ages. Let’s dive into game ideas that blend fun facts, history, and laughs — perfect for any Thanksgiving weekend celebration!

🍂 1. Classic Thanksgiving Trivia Challenge

This game is all about interesting facts and historical knowledge. Split into teams and answer multiple-choice or open-ended questions. Think of it as Jeopardy meets a harvest festival!

Sample Questions:

• Which U.S. president declared Thanksgiving a national holiday?
  Answer: President Abraham Lincoln

• What day is Thanksgiving celebrated on?
  Answer: The fourth Thursday in November

• What was the name of the ship that brought the English settlers to the New World?
  Answer: The Mayflower

• What year was the first Thanksgiving celebrated?
  Answer: 1621

• Which Native American tribe helped the Pilgrims survive their first winter?
  Answer: The Wampanoag

• Where was the first Thanksgiving held?
  Answer: Plymouth, Massachusetts

• Which founding father thought Thanksgiving was a “theatrical” holiday and refused to endorse it?
  Answer: Thomas Jefferson

• When is Thanksgiving in Canada?
  Answer: The Second Monday in October

• How many people were at the first Thanksgiving meal?
  Answer: Approximately 140

• Which Native American tribe helped the Pilgrims survive their first winter?
  Answer: The Wampanoag

• How long did the first Thanksgiving meal last?
  Answer: Three days

• Which US state first adopted Thanksgiving as a national holiday?
  Answer: New York

Bonus:

Add turkey trivia questions like:

• What do you call a group of female turkeys?
  Answer: Hens

It’s a great way to teach the history of Thanksgiving while having a good time!

🏈 2. Thanksgiving Football Face-Off

Football lovers, this one’s for you! This game focuses on the first Thanksgiving NFL game, sports trivia, and iconic teams.

Sample Questions:

• Which NFL team has hosted the first Thanksgiving football game since 1934?
  Answer: The Detroit Lions

• What other team traditionally plays on Thanksgiving?
  Answer: The Dallas Cowboys

• Which U.S. president gave the first official football game coin toss?
  Answer: Trick question — no official record, but President Calvin Coolidge was a fan!

• Name the teams that beat the Bills in 4 straight Super Bowls?
  Answer: Giants, Washington, Cowboys (2)

• The Lions are 4 time NFL champions from the pre-Super Bowl era. Who did they defeat for their last title in 1957?
  Answer: The Browns

• How many times have the Lions made the NFC Championship Game?
  Answer: Once in 1991-92

• Who was the first cowboy honored in the Ring of Honor?
  Answer: Bob Lilly

• Name the 3 teams the Giants beat for their 4 Super Bowl wins?
  Answer: Patriots, Bills, Broncos

• The first football game on Thanksgiving was a college match between what two teams in 1876?
  Answer: Yale beat Princeton

• Name the only team to never play on Thanksgiving?
  Answer: The Jaguars

• Name the 4 teams that beat the Vikings in their Super Bowl losses?
  Answer: Chiefs, Dolphins, Steelers, Raiders

Throw in an extra point if someone can name the oldest Thanksgiving Day parade featuring a marching band!

🎭 3. Pop Culture Thanksgiving Trivia

This game is a hit with middle and high school students — or any family that loves movies, music, and traditions.

Sample Prompts:

• What classic cartoon features a sad plate of Thanksgiving leftovers?
  Answer: A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving

• In Modern Family, Phil is left in charge of the turkey one Thanksgiving. Who makes the backup turkey just in case?
  Answer: Claire

• Who wrote the famous “Thanksgiving Song”?
  Answer: Adam Sandler

• Which character leads the very first Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade?
  Answer: Little Lamb, followed by Santa Claus ushering in the Christmas season

• In the iconic Friends Thanksgiving episode, who is wearing the turkey with the sunglasses on their head?
  Answer: Monica

• Which How I Met Your Mother character says the following line, ‘Thanksgiving is a day of peace, there will be no slaps today’?
  Answer: Lily

•  In Full House, who makes Pam’s famous pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving?
  Answer: DJ

• What animated family often has Thanksgiving episodes featuring Homer and his family?
  Answer: The Simpsons

• What movie starring Sarah Jessica Parker, revolves around a dysfunctional family Thanksgiving?
  Answer: The Family Stone

• Sarah Josepha Hale, who campaigned for Thanksgiving to be a national holiday, wrote what famous song?
  Answer: Mary Had a Little Lamb

• What 18-minute monologue is performed on many rock and classic rock stations every Thanksgiving?
  Answer: Arlo Guthrie’s “Alice’s Restaurant”

• What popular song’s real title is “The New England Boy’s Song About Thanksgiving Day”?
  Answer: “Over the River and Through the Woods”

Mix in quotes, movie clips, or even a Thanksgiving break soundtrack to keep it lively.

🦃 4. Turkey Trot Trivia

Inspired by the first turkey trot and the millions who run each year, this fast-paced game is perfect for active players.

How to Play:

Read a question, and the first to “trot” (or jog in place) and answer correctly wins a point. Throw in fun Thanksgiving trivia like:

• What’s the only state where wild turkeys are not native?
  Answer: North Carolina

• What amino acids are in turkey that make you sleepy?
  Answer: Tryptophan

• What year did the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade first have balloons?
  Answer: 1928

• How many turkeys are prepared for Thanksgiving in America each year?
  Answer: About 46 million

• What percent of Americans skip turkey on Thanksgiving?
  Answer: About 12-18 percent

• When was the first Turkey Trot?
  Answer: 1896

• Where was the first Turkey Trot?
  Answer: Buffalo, NY

• About how many pumpkin pies are consumed every Thanksgiving?
  Answer: About 50 million

• Black Friday is the biggest day of the year for what trade profession?
  Answer: Plumbers

• What turkeys actually gobble?
  Answer: Male turkeys

• According to the Guinness Book of World Records, how much does the heaviest turkey on record weigh?
  Answer: 86

• Statistically, what is Americans’ favorite Thanksgiving side dish?
  Answer: Stuffing

• When did canned cranberries first come about?
  Answer: 1912

• What meat is the most popular alternative to turkey on Thanksgiving?
  Answer: Ham

• How many calories, on average, are consumed per person at Thanksgiving dinner?
  Answer: 3,000 to 4,500

Add a Guinness World Record twist: Ask about the largest Thanksgiving dinner or most pies eaten!

🗽 5. Parade & Presidential Trivia

This one celebrates the iconic Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and its long history, as well as the quirky presidential pardon of turkeys.

Sample Questions:

• In what city is the oldest Thanksgiving parade held?
  Answer: New York City

• Which founding father, ironically, opposed Thanksgiving?
  Answer: Thomas Jefferson

• Who was the first president to pardon a turkey?
  Answer: Officially, President George H.W. Bush, but President Calvin Coolidge received one too!

• Which President received a live raccoon as a Thanksgiving present?
  Answer: Calvin Coolidge

• Which city’s Thanksgiving Day Parade ends with Santa Claus getting a key to the city?
  Answer: Detroit

• On average, how many people attend the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade each year?
  Answer: About 3.5 million

• How many people participate in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade each year?
  Answer: About 8,000

• Which President tried to make Thanksgiving the third Thursday in November to help boost the economy for the holiday season?
  Answer: Franklin Delano Roosevelt

• Which President first ordered a national day of Thanksgiving?
  Answer: George Washington

Connect this game to the American people’s love for holiday traditions — and the start of the Black Friday rush.

👩‍🏫 6. Classroom or Family Team Trivia

Divide players into teams and give them categories like:

• Thanksgiving food (e.g., pumpkin pie, sweet potatoes)

• Thanksgiving traditions (e.g., watching football, Thanksgiving leftovers)

• Thanksgiving history (e.g., Plymouth Colony, Native American tribe, Sarah Josepha Hale)

Include questions like:

• What is the second Monday of October in North America known as in Canada?
  Answer: Thanksgiving

• What role did Native Americans play in the very first Thanksgiving celebration?
  Answer: They shared the first Thanksgiving feast with Pilgrims as part of a day of thanksgiving

Use stats from the U.S. Census Bureau or quotes from President Roosevelt to deepen the learning.

Final Thoughts

There’s no better way to bring joy, learning, and laughter to your Thanksgiving meal than with a Thanksgiving trivia game. These games can transform your Thanksgiving weekend into an unforgettable, interactive experience — filled with fun facts, friendly competition, and a celebration of gratitude.

So after you’ve had your fill of turkey, pumpkin pie, and the first Thanksgiving NFL game, gather around, play a round or two of trivia, and give thanks for the gift of togetherness.

Happy Thanksgiving from our table to yours! 🦃🍁

Looking for some fun ideas for family game night?

Check out some of the best games here!