Free printable, no sign-up Thanksgiving Charades Cards

What's on the Thanksgiving charades cards

The deck has 60 Thanksgiving charades ideas, and every one is a short action from the long weekend: carving the turkey, pulling the wishbone, loosening your belt after dinner, falling asleep on the couch. Everyone at the table has lived most of them, which is why they're so much fun to act out. Here's a taste of what's inside, grouped by theme.

Easy cards to start with: carving the turkey, mashing potatoes and raking leaves on a windy day. Harder ones for the show-offs: thawing a frozen turkey in the sink, sitting at the kids' table and twirling a baton. Every card is clean and family-friendly, so the same stack works for a big family dinner, a Friendsgiving or a class party.

How to play charades at the Thanksgiving table

The rules fit in one breath: one person acts, their team guesses, and the actor can't talk. The best time to play is after dinner, while the pie cools and nobody wants to move far from the table.

1. 1Split into two teams. Mix the ages on each side, so every team has a few teens or adults and a few kids.
2. 2Shuffle the cards and put them face down in a bowl, a basket or an empty pie tin.
3. 3The first actor draws a card and reads it without showing anyone.
4. 4Start a one-minute timer on a phone or kitchen timer.
5. 5Act it out. No talking, no mouthing words and no pointing at the real thing on the table, even if the turkey is right there.
6. 6If the team guesses before time runs out, they get a point. If not, the card goes back in the pile.
7. 7Teams take turns, with a new actor each time. When the cards run out, or when dessert is ready, the team with the most points wins.

Charades for all ages

Thanksgiving charades works because the cards are things everyone at the table has done or watched. Teens and adults tend to be the boldest actors, so let them go first and set the tone. A big, silly performance of “A turkey running away from the cook” makes it easier for shy relatives to take a turn.

Kids are welcome too. Younger players who can't read yet can act in pairs with an older cousin, or a teammate can whisper the card to them. Grandparents who would rather not get up make great guessers, and they often know “Grandpa telling a very long story” better than anyone.

Charades hand signals

These classic signals help your team without a word. Go over them before the first card, so the whole table knows what they mean.

• Number of words: hold up that many fingers. “Pulling the wishbone” is three.
• Which word you're on: hold up one, two or three fingers again before you act that word.
• Number of syllables: lay that many fingers on your forearm.
• Sounds like: tug your earlobe, then act out a word that rhymes.
• Small word, like “a” or “the”: hold your thumb and finger close together.
• The whole idea: sweep your arms in a big circle, then act out the whole scene at once.
• Getting close: wave your hands toward you to say “keep going.”
• You got it: touch your nose and point at the person who said it.

Printing and party tips

• Print on cardstock so nobody can read the words through the back.
• Fold each card in half before it goes in the bowl, so nobody spots the words by accident.
• Keep score with candy corn or a dry bean for each correct guess, or use our free scoreboard on a phone.
• Clear a space between the table and the couch. Charades needs room more than skill.
• Hosting a big crowd? Print two sets and play kids' table versus grown-ups' table.
• Laminate a set and keep it with the fall decorations for next year.

Thanksgiving charades variations

Play the same deck on one phone

Our charades game has the same Thanksgiving deck built in, with a timer and a scoreboard. The actor holds the phone so only they can see the prompt while the team guesses. It's handy when there's no printer at Grandma's house or no time to cut.

For a bigger lineup, see our Thanksgiving games. Printing more for the table? Try the Thanksgiving trivia cards for before dinner and the Thanksgiving would you rather cards for between courses.

Questions