Seasoned hostesses know it takes time to cook a Thanksgiving turkey. So if you’re planning on hosting a Friendsgiving of your own, ease the wait and appease hungry friends with creative ideas to keep them entertained. Stack up a teetering game of giant Jenga, get crafty with mini pumpkins and nail polish or throw the ole pigskin around. Whatever your friends’ interests, check out these 18 fun and easy Friendsgiving activities that’ll keep *all* your friends entertained.
1. DIY Giant Jenga: Brighten up a giant set of Jenga blocks with a few coats of colorful paint. Let them dry and then let your friends have at it! (via Brit + Co)
2. DIY Cornucopia Piñata: If you’re still trying to work your way through all that leftover Halloween candy, no problem. Just throw it all inside this piñata. (via Brit + Co)
3. Thanksgiving Photo Booth: If you hosted the ultimate Friendsgiving and didn’t post it on Instagram, did it really happen? All jokes aside, make sure to whip up this ultra festive Thanksgiving photo booth with a clever hashtag to ensure your party gets plenty of recognition on Instagram. (via Brit + Co)
4. DIY Turkey Bowling: You can’t go wrong with a classic game of bowling. Give the pins a Thanksgiving makeover and use a medium-sized pumpkin as the bowling ball. (via The Dating Divas)
5. DIY Clay Wishbone: You’ve only got one turkey, so whip up enough DIY clay wishbones for the whole gang to make a wish. Just add one to every other place setting so each person can break the wishbone with their seat partner. (via Oh Happy Day)
6. DIY Nail Polish Marbled Pumpkins: All it takes to make these half-dipped marbled pumpkins is water and nail polish. Before you know it, each of your friends will have a pretty pumpkin to take home. (via Say Yes)
7. DIY Pumpkin Pie Slice Hat: Have your guests make pumpkin pie slice hats as soon as they walk in the door. It’ll give them something to do, and add a silly element to your Friendsgiving photo album on Facebook. (via Studio DIY)
8. DIY Pickled Vegetables: Here’s an activity that’ll have your friends puckering up! Whip out those mason jars and use vinegar, honey and salt to create these delightful DIY side dishes your friends can take home. (via Cupcakes and Cashmere)
9. Printable Turkey Coloring Page: Your friends will appreciate the opportunity to express their inner artists with this inviting coloring page. You can even turn them into placemats guests can directly doodle on by printing out the DL onto a larger piece of paper. (via Red Ted Art)
10. Pie Bar: No one can resist pie, especially on Thanksgiving. Treat your guests to a pie bar so they can customize their perfect slice with a selection of toppings and whipped cream. (via Shiny Happy Sprinkles)
11. DIY Icebreakers Thanksgiving Decor: Break the ice with this DIY Q&A dinner game. It even blends seamlessly into your tablescape until flipped over to reveal a series of fun questions. (via Homemade by Carmona)
12. Mayfair Games The Settlers of Catan ($73): Challenge your friends to see who’s the smartest settler with this addicting strategy game. Players collect resources and use them to build roads, settlements and cities on their way to victory. Since the board itself is variable, it makes each game a little different from the next.
13. Printable Thankful Bingo: You can’t go wrong with Bingo, especially not this snarky Thanksgiving edition. Filled with cheeky choices like “Someone Neurotically Checks for Likes on Their Thanksgiving Instagram” and “Someone Gets Too Drunk,” it’ll have your friends cracking up. (via Almost Makes Perfect)
14. Printable Thanksgiving Spinner Game: You’ll get the conversation going in no time with this DIY spinner game. Just print it out, cut it out and use a small brad fastener to attach the arrow spinner. Of course, you can always DIY your own with your choice of questions. (via The Dating Divas)
15. DIY Tic Tac Toe: Put your spare washi tape to use by whipping up this super simple game of tic tac toe. Use mini pumpkins as game pieces and you’re all set for a classic game kids *and* adults will love. (via It’s Overflowing)
16. Hot Apple Cider: Treat your guests to some delicious hot apple cider by setting out a crockpot and small bowls filled with ingredients that’ll pair perfectly with the cider flavor. Think: cinnamon sticks, orange slices and caramel sweets. (via Camille Styles)
17. Wine and Painting: Time spent painting and sipping mulled wine is never time wasted. Plus, your pals can take their finished works of art home to spruce up their homes. (via Sabrina Nohling, Audra Zaba/Style Me Pretty)
18. Gobble Gobble Mad Libs by Roger Price and Leonard Stern ($5): Hand your friends one of these booklets and watch the laughfest begin. This edition features 21 original stories about Thanksgiving traditions, Black Friday shopping and more that’ll have your friends keeling over from laughter.
How many of these activities will you feature at your Friendsgiving? Follow us on Pinterest for more entertaining ideas!
Brit + Co may at times use affiliate links to promote products sold by others, but always offers genuine editorial recommendations.