Thanksgiving Printables (Free Games to Print)

A simple plan for the day

Before dinner, at the kids' table. Put out a stack of the Thanksgiving word search and the Thanksgiving word scramble with a cup of crayons. Both are quiet, need no grown-up and take about fifteen minutes each. For children under eight, open the word search maker, choose the Easy setting so words run only across and down, and pick a smaller grid; the letters come out bigger and the puzzle feels fair.

While the turkey rests. Hand the older children the Thanksgiving scavenger hunt. It sends them around the house and yard looking for a pine cone, a gravy boat and the guest who traveled farthest, and it keeps them out of the kitchen for exactly as long as you need.

After dinner, everyone plays. Thanksgiving bingo is the game that works for a four year old and a great-aunt at the same table. Print one card per guest, give the caller sheet to whoever has the loudest voice, and use dried cranberries or candy corn as markers. A round takes about ten minutes, so there is time for two before pie.

Friendsgiving, fall and the week before

Hosting friends instead of relatives? Friendsgiving bingo swaps the family squares for potluck dishes and funny table moments. If your gathering is earlier in the season, or you want something that works all through November, the fall bingo and fall word search pages are full of leaves, apples and sweaters without a turkey in sight.

Teachers can use the same pages the week before the break. The word search and scramble suit a quiet morning, and bingo rounds off a class feast.

Making them your own

Every list on these pages is editable. Type in the names of the people at your table, the dishes your family always makes or the team playing on television, and the cards or puzzles rebuild at once. Nothing to sign up for, nothing to pay, and the sheets print on Letter or A4 paper.