Thanksgiving Scavenger Hunt Ideas For Fun-Loving Families

Family and friends gathered around the table. The way your house smells so heavenly. Yummy food to eat. What’s not to love about Thanksgiving? Thing is, just because you’re looking forward to a mega marathon of feasting with the fam doesn’t mean that your child is. That’s when you’re going to have to get creative to keep the kids occupied, and there’s no better way than having a Thanksgiving scavenger hunt. So you don’t have to scavenge to put it together, we’ve picked these ideas to make it as easy as (pumpkin) pie for you.

How to make your Thanksgiving scavenger hunt a success

• Use the location (both indoors and out) to make the scavenger hunt more fun.
• Time the scavenger hunt for when your child is full of energy — and not about to go down for a nap. A cranky kid is not going to make you feel thankful.
• Take your child’s age into consideration when crafting the clues, so that they’re having fun (and don’t get frustrated) while solving the clues.
• Theme your scavenger hunt with Thanksgiving items (either with printables that have turkeys on them, for example, or prizes that relate to the holiday).
• Thanksgiving is all about feeling grateful for the blessings in your life. But if kids and cousins are fighting over who won the scavenger hunt, you might want to give everyone a small prize. Hey, everyone can be a winner on Thanksgiving, especially if it means you’ll all be able to eat your meal in peace.
• Don’t Be Too Obvious
• Sure, you might want to lay down for a nap, but chances are your kiddo is full of energy and excitement. That’s why you shouldn’t be too obvious in where you hide the items for your Thanksgiving scavenger hunt. By making them work (and, you know, run) around, you’ll tucker out those little turkeys, which can let you get back to that couch to crash on.

Thanksgiving scavenger hunt clues

• Bring on the turkey and pumpkin pie / Head to the place where guests arrive / And you wave hi and bye.
• Thanksgiving is a day to celebrate and eat / Open me up and take a peek / Inside you’ll find a frozen treat.
• There is always something to be thankful for / Find your next clue with the socks in your drawer.
• Winner winner / Turkey dinner / Where the car is parked / Is the next place to consider.
• Thanksgiving dinner / Is delicious as can be / When you find time that is free / Go to the place where you watch shows with glee.
• Happy Thanksgiving / Let the feast begin / I dry your clothes and take them for a spin / Gobble til you wobble
• Go to the place where you read a novel / It’s pie thirty / When your hands are dirty, go to the place/ Where you give your hands a squirty.
• Right this way / Search in the place you go / For toys when you want to play.
• Count your many blessings / Name them one by one / I rotate around and around / Like the Earth around the Sun. / I heat up food and beep when I’m done.

Thanksgiving scavenger hunt jokes and riddles

• This normally grows in fields / It’s a grain from what I hear / It can be eaten piece by piece / Or straight from a long ear. Answer: Corn
• It is time for Thanksgiving / I don’t know if you’d heard / It’s also time to gobble / This very tasty bird. Answer: Turkey
• He’s best friends with a tinman / And a lion with giant paws / If you were to shake his hand / You’d be clutching at some straws. Answer: Scarecrow
• You will need plenty of produce / To fill up this big food horn / Sweet potatoes, pumpkins and gourds / Apples, squashes and some corn Answer: Cornucopia
• This key has legs but can’t open a door. What is it? Answer: turkey
• What is the most favorite sport of pumpkins and gourds? Answer: Squash
• Why didn’t the turkey finish its dessert? Answer: Because it was already stuffed.
• Where do turkeys go to dance? Answer: The Butter Ball
• What is the name of the berry that isn’t happy? Answer: Blueberry

Thanksgiving scavenger hunt printables

If you want to spend some quality time with your kid while those rock-hard sweet potatoes finally finish roasting, you can start a Thanksgiving scavenger hunt. But don’t worry about having to write out cue cards — you can print out any of these cards to make your scavenger hunt sweet and simple.

Thanksgiving scavenger hunt prizes

Sure, it’s fun to watch your child race wildly around the house hunting for clues and rocking those riddles. That’s why they should get a Thanksgiving scavenger hunt prize to honor all that hard work. You can have small prizes (like stickers or squishies) at the location of each clue, or you can wait until the very end to award the winner one grand prize. From pencils and plushies, to rubber duckies that will make your kid grateful for bath time, these Thanksgiving scavenger hunt prizes will give your kid an attitude of gratitude.

A Thanksgiving scavenger hunt is a fun way to spend some time with your kids. And if it gets the wiggles out long enough for your child to sit down and eat with your family, well, that’s a big reason to feel grateful.