Thanksgiving Games for Students in Upper Elementary

Thanksgiving week can be exciting, but it can also make keeping students focused a little harder. I mean, who can blame them knowing a week off of school is right around the corner. Thanksgiving games for students give you a fun way to channel your students’ extra energy.

These Thanksgiving classroom games work well when you need something different before the holiday break. Some get students moving, while others are perfect for a quieter part of the day.

Most of these games also use simple supplies you may already have in your classroom.

Whether you need a quick brain break, indoor recess ideas, or a Thanksgiving activity, you’ll find several options below.

Easy Thanksgiving Games for Students

Pumpkin Barrel Toss

For this Thanksgiving game, set up brown cups to represent barrels. Use orange pom-poms or orange ping-pong balls as the pumpkins.

Students stand behind a line and throw the pumpkins into the barrel. You can place the cups at different distances and assign each one a point value.

Students can take turns tossing a set number of pumpkins. You can also give them one minute to score as many points as possible.

This game works well for a brain break, and a resource, or a quick Thanksgiving Classroom activity.

If your students enjoy toss-style games, this next one is another easy option.

Top the Pie

Set a disposable pie tin on a table or the floor, use a white ping-pong ball to represent a dollop of whipped cream.

Students bounce the ball once and tried to land it inside the pie tin.

You can give each student a number of tries. Another option is to give them one minute to see how many successful bounces they can make.

For an extra challenge, set up several pie tins in different distances. Assign more points to the tins that are farther away.

Turkey Leg Ring Toss

This fun Turkey Leg Ring Toss idea comes from Melissa at Kid Friendly Things To Do.

Students toss rings and try to land them around a homemade turkey leg. It would be a fun option for a class party or Thanksgiving game day.

Melissa shares the supplies, directions, and scoring ideas in her full tutorial.

Cranberry Scoop

For this game, place red pom-poms in one bowl to represent cranberries, Set an empty bowl several feet away.

Students use a spoon to carry cranberries from one bowl to the other. They can only use one hand.

For a one-minute challenge, students try to transfer as many cranberries as possible before time runs out.

You can also give each student the same number of cranberries. Students race to move all of them to the second bowl, and the first one finished wins.

Thanksgiving Charades

Thanksgiving charades is an easy way to get students moving and laughing without a lot of set up.

Students take turns acting out Thanksgiving-themed words while their classmates try to guess each one.

You can play as a whole class or divide students into small groups. this also works well for a class party, indoor recess, or the day before Thanksgiving break.

If you want a ready-to-use version, the Thanksgiving Charades game includes the prompts so you can print and play.

Thanksgiving Boggle

Thanksgiving boggle is a fun way to mix a word game with a little friendly competition.

Students use a letter on the board to create as many words as they can.

Some Thanksgiving themed words are hidden within the board. Students earn extra points when they find those special words.

You can have students play in a penalty over a partner. When time is up, they can total their points and compare results.

This works well for morning, work, centers, early finishers, or quieter Thanksgiving classroom game.

Thanksgiving Puzzles

Thanksgiving themed puzzles are a good option when you want a game that keeps students engaged without adding more noise or movement.

Students can work independently, with partners, or small groups. You can also add a timer or turn the council into a friendly competition.

A few options include:

Thanksgiving word search
Thanksgiving crossword
Thanksgiving unscramble
Thanksgiving word sudoku

For an extra challenge, students can raise to finish first or see who gets the most correct answer before time runs out.

More Thanksgiving Ideas for Upper Elementary

Looking for a few more ideas for Thanksgiving week? These posts can help:

Frequently Asked Questions About Thanksgiving Games for Students

What Thanksgiving activities work for a classroom party?

For a classroom party, choose Thanksgiving activities that are easy to explain and keep students involved. Toss games, charades, quick challenges, and puzzle stations can all work well.

What Thanksgiving games work well for 4th and 5th grade students?

Thanksgiving games for upper elementary students should feel fun without being too young. Charades, word games, timed challenges, puzzles, and simple competition games work well for 4th and 5th grade.

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