Thanksgiving Drawing Game Words for the Whole Table: how it works
These Thanksgiving drawing game words cover the whole day, not just the bird: Gravy boat, Turkey baster, Kids' table, Food coma and 129 more. There are 22 easy cards for the youngest cousins and 50 hard ones for the adults, so one deck runs a Pictionary-style game for the full table. Press Next card while the pie cools.
Play between dinner and pie
Hand the phone to the first drawer and press Start round. The clock runs for a minute, and 30 s makes a fast round of easy cards. After a correct guess, press Next card and tap +1. Add a team makes room for the cousins. When a six-year-old draws, tap Easy for the 22 single objects, such as Drumstick and Hand turkey.
Seven topics, from the oven to the sofa
The full Thanksgiving drawing game words list is printed under the deck, with a way to draw each word beside it. Eleven of the 16 cards in Harvest and history carry a checked fact: the Mayflower crossed in 1620 with 102 passengers, and the buckle on the Pilgrim hat was added by artists in the 1800s. Food sayings to draw holds 15 phrases such as Gravy train and Talk turkey.
Tips
Draw the dish, not the ingredients. Cranberry sauce is a cylinder with ridges from the can, and every guesser knows it on sight.
Draw a saying literally. A gravy boat on train wheels gets Gravy train faster than any picture of money.
Play a history card as an all-play: one drawer from each team sketches Plymouth Rock at once, and the first correct guess scores. Read the fact aloud afterwards.
Questions and answers
Can kids and adults play these Thanksgiving words together?
Yes. The level pills sort the deck by age. Easy has 22 single objects, Medium has 61 small scenes such as Dog under the table, and Hard has 50 ideas and sayings such as Gratitude and Pecking order. On Any level, let each drawer press Skip once per turn.
Is this an official Pictionary holiday deck?
No. This is an independent deck of 133 original words written for this site. It is not the boxed game and is not affiliated with its publisher. It borrows only the common rules: no letters, no numbers, no talking and a one-minute timer.
Why are the history cards all objects?
A ten-second sketch of a person becomes a costume, and nobody at the table should be asked to draw a caricature of Native people. So the history cards are things and events: Mayflower, Plymouth Rock, Cornucopia, Three Sisters and Harvest feast. Their facts were checked against Wikipedia: the 1621 feast at Plymouth lasted three days.
Apple ciderA jug with an apple drawn on the front and a steaming mug beside it.
Apple pieA round pie with a lattice top, steam rising and an apple beside it.
Baked hamA rounded joint scored in diamonds, with a dot in the middle of each diamond.
Brussels sproutsTiny cabbages on a fork and a child's face turned away.
Butter dishA brick on a small tray, with a cover beside it and a knife resting on top.
Collard greensBig flat leaves with thick stems in a pot, with steam rising.
Corn on the cobA long cob with a grid of kernels and a small holder stuck in each end.
CornbreadA square cut from a pan, with a corn cob beside it as the clue.
Cranberry sauceA cylinder on a plate with ridges around it from the can, and one slice cut off.
Dessert tableA long table holding nothing but pies, and a guest with an empty plate who cannot choose.
Dinner rollsA basket lined with a cloth and filled with round domes.
DrumstickA club shape with a knob of bone at the thin end and one bite missing.
GibletsA small bag being pulled from inside the raw bird by a surprised cook.
Gravy boatA low jug with a long spout and a handle, sitting on a saucer, with one drip.
Green bean casseroleA dish of thin sticks with a layer of crispy rings on top.
Leftover sandwichTwo slices of bread with turkey, stuffing and sauce stacked between, and an open fridge behind.
Macaroni and cheeseLittle curved tubes piled in a dish, with strings of cheese lifting off a spoon.
Mashed potatoesA white mound in a bowl with a square of butter melting on top.
Pecan pieA round pie whose top is covered in ovals laid in rings.
Pie crustA circle of dough draped over a dish with a thumb crimping the edge.
Pumpkin pieA wedge with a crimped crust edge and a swirl of cream on top.
Roast turkeyA big oval on a platter with two drumsticks pointing up and steam above it.
StuffingSmall cubes spilling out of the open end of the bird onto a spoon.
Sweet potato casseroleA baking dish with a bumpy top of marshmallows and one scoop taken out.
Whipped creamA can tipped over a slice of pie with a tall swirl coming out.
WishboneA forked bone with a hand gripping each end. Whoever snaps off the bigger half gets the wish.
In the kitchen 20
Aluminum foilA roll in a long box and a shiny sheet tented over the bird.
ApronA bib with a neck loop, two strings and a front pocket holding a spoon.
Burnt rollsA tray of black domes giving off smoke while a cook fans them with a towel.
Carving knifeA long knife and a two-pronged fork crossed above the bird.
Deep-fried turkeyA tall pot on an outdoor burner, the bird lowered in on a hook and the cook standing well back.
Frozen turkeyThe bird inside a block of ice in the sink while a worried cook looks at the clock.
Grandma's recipeA stained card passed from wrinkled hands to young hands, with a pie behind them.
Kitchen timerA round dial with shake lines around it and a cook running toward the oven.
Lumpy gravyA whisk in a pan where the sauce has big bumps, and a frowning cook.
Meat thermometerA dial on a spike, stuck into the thickest part of the bird.
Oven mittA mitten with a thumb and a quilted grid, holding a hot dish.
Peeking in the ovenA cook crouched at the oven window with the light on inside.
Pie on the windowsillA pie on a ledge with steam lines and a nose sniffing from outside.
Potato masherA handle ending in a zigzag plate, pressed down into a pot.
Roasting panA deep tray with a handle at each end and a rack inside.
Rolling pinA cylinder with a handle at each end, lying on a flat sheet of dough.
Sink full of dishesA tower of plates leaning out of a sink full of bubbles.
Slow cookerAn oval pot with a glass lid, one dial and a cord, with steam at the rim.
Smoke alarmA round alarm on the ceiling with sound waves, and smoke curling up from the oven door.
Turkey basterA tube with a rubber bulb on the end, squirting juice over the bird.
Harvest and history 16
Canadian ThanksgivingA maple leaf beside a roast bird, with trees still full of leaves. Canada's holiday is the second Monday in October.
CornucopiaA horn-shaped basket on its side with fruit and corn spilling out. The name is Latin for horn of plenty.
Decorative cornDried cobs shaded in different tones, with the husks pulled back and tied in a bunch on a door.
Fourth ThursdayA calendar page with the fourth box in one column circled and a turkey beside it. That has been the date by US law since 1941.
Harvest basketA woven basket with a hoop handle, piled with corn, apples and beans.
Harvest feastA long outdoor table, baskets of corn and a cooking fire. The 1621 feast at Plymouth went on for three days.
MayflowerA wooden ship with three masts and square sails on big waves. It crossed from England in 1620 with 102 passengers.
Pilgrim hatA tall black hat with a flat top and a band. The famous buckle was added by artists in the 1800s.
Plymouth RockA boulder on a shore with a sailing ship anchored behind it. The Pilgrims' own writings never mention it.
ProclamationA scroll with a wax seal and a quill beside it. A national Thanksgiving Day was first proclaimed in 1863.
Quill penA long feather with a cut tip, standing in a pot of ink.
Three SistersA corn stalk with a bean vine climbing it and squash leaves shading its foot. Indigenous farmers across North America grew the three together.
Turkey featherOne long feather with dark bars across it.
Turkey pardonA live turkey beside a podium with a hand raised over it. The White House ceremony has included a pardon every year since 1989.
VoyageA small ship, a dotted line across an ocean and a far shore. The Mayflower was at sea for about ten weeks.
Wild turkeyA round bird with a fanned tail, a bare head and a wattle hanging under the beak.
The day itself 29
Backyard footballFamily members in sweaters chasing a ball across a lawn covered in leaves.
Black Friday lineShoppers in coats lined up outside a shop door in the dark, one in a sleeping bag. It is the day after Thanksgiving.
Carving the turkeyA figure at the end of the table with knife and fork raised while everyone watches.
Delayed flightA traveler asleep on a pile of bags under a big board, with a plane outside in the rain.
Dog under the tableA dog's nose poking out from under a tablecloth while a hand slips it a scrap.
Drum majorA figure in a tall hat marching ahead of rows of players, swinging a long baton.
Family photoRows of people squeezed together while one runs back from a camera on a stand.
Food comaA diner slumped in a chair with a round belly, eyes shut and a fork still in one hand.
Football on TVA screen showing goalposts, seen over a pair of feet up on a footstool.
FriendsgivingFriends arriving at an apartment door, each carrying a different covered dish.
Hand turkeyThe outline of a hand where the thumb is the head and the fingers are tail feathers.
Holiday trafficA road jammed with cars, and a passenger holding a pie on their lap.
Kids' tableA small low table beside a big tall one, with little chairs and peas on the floor.
LeftoversA fridge shelf stacked with boxes and a plate wrapped in foil.
Nap on the couchA figure flat on a sofa with the mouth open, the belt undone and an empty plate on the floor.
Parade balloonA giant character floating between tall buildings, held down by many ropes and tiny people. New York's parade has run since 1924.
Parade floatA decorated platform on wheels with someone waving from the top.
Passing the dishesOne bowl moving from hand to hand along a row of diners.
Pie for breakfastA sunrise in the window, pajamas and a wedge of pie next to a coffee mug.
PotluckA long table where every dish is different and every guest walks in carrying one.
Road trip to Grandma'sA packed car on a winding road toward a small house with chimney smoke and a grey-haired figure waving.
Saying graceDiners around a table with heads bowed and hands joined.
Saying what you are thankful forA ring of diners, one standing with a hand on the chest and a speech bubble holding a heart.
Second helpingA diner holding out a plate again while crumbs from the first round are still on it.
Setting the tableHands laying a fork to the left of each plate and a knife to the right, down a long row.
Stretchy pantsTrousers with a wide elastic waist pulled out by a thumb, next to a full plate.
Turkey trotRunners with race bibs at sunrise, one of them in a turkey costume. The oldest, in Buffalo, New York, dates to 1896.
Washing up togetherOne figure washing and one drying with a towel, with a stack of plates between them.
Welcome hugAn open front door, two figures hugging and a suitcase left on the step.
Around the house 17
Air mattressA flat bed on the floor with a pump beside it, sagging slowly under a sleeper.
CandlesticksTwo tall holders with lit candles and a drip of wax.
CenterpieceA low arrangement of gourds, leaves and candles in the middle of a long table.
Cloth napkinA folded fan shape pushed through a ring beside a plate.
Coat pile on the bedA bed heaped with coats and scarves, with a cat asleep on top.
CousinsTwo family trees joined at the top, with the children at the bottom of each waving to each other.
Folding chairA chair with crossed legs, carried in under one arm.
Good chinaPlates with a fancy rim being lifted very carefully down from a high cabinet.
Grandpa's storiesAn old man in an armchair with a speech bubble holding a huge fish, and children at his feet, one yawning.
Gravy stainA shirt front with a blot on it and a hand dabbing at it with a napkin.
Head of the tableA long table seen from above, with the chair at the short end drawn bigger than the rest.
Place cardA small folded card standing above a plate with a leaf tucked into it.
Raising a toastGlasses lifted over the middle of the table, with one figure standing.
Table leafA table pulled apart in the middle while an extra board is dropped into the gap.
TableclothA table with cloth hanging in folds at the corners.
Unexpected guestA host at the door counting chairs on their fingers while a smiling visitor holds a pie.
Welcome matA mat at a front door with leaves on it and many pairs of shoes lined up beside it.
Thanks and togetherness 10
AbundanceA table so full that dishes balance on the edges and on a stool beside it.
Coming homeA traveler with a bag at the end of a path, a lit doorway ahead and a dog running out.
Count your blessingsTo turn your mind to the good things in your life. Draw a figure ticking off fingers with a heart above each one.
Family reunionMany cars parked at one house and a crowd hugging on the lawn.
Food driveA box by a door filling with cans and bags while a line of people add to it.
GenerosityA figure with one small loaf, breaking it and holding out the bigger half.
GratitudeA figure with both hands on the chest, and small pictures of a home, a meal and friends floating above.
Soup kitchenA server behind a counter ladling into bowls for a line of people.
TogethernessOne big blanket wrapped around a whole family on a sofa.
TraditionThe same pie handed down through three pairs of hands, from wrinkled to small.
Food sayings to draw 15
A lot on your plateMany matters waiting to be dealt with. Draw a dinner plate stacked with a clock, a phone and a pile of paper.
Breaking breadTo share a meal with someone. Draw two hands tearing one loaf between them.
Bring something to the tableTo add something useful to a shared effort. Draw a guest carrying a lightbulb on a serving platter.
Butter someone upTo flatter someone in the hope of a favor. Draw one figure spreading butter on another with a big smile.
Cream of the cropThe best of a group. Draw a row of corn stalks with one wearing a crown.
Easy as pieVery easy. Draw a pie beside a relaxed figure with their feet up.
Eat humble pieTo admit your faults and apologize. Draw a bowing figure taking a bite of pie.
Eyes bigger than your stomachTaking more food than you can eat. Draw huge eyes, a small belly and a towering plate.
Feast your eyesTo look at something with great pleasure. Draw two eyes with a knife and fork either side, staring at a painting.
Gravy trainA job that pays well for very little effort. Draw a gravy boat as a locomotive pulling cars full of coins.
Pecking orderWho ranks above whom in a group. Draw birds on the rungs of a ladder with the biggest at the top.
Save room for dessertA belly drawn as a box that is nearly full, with one pie-shaped gap left.
StuffedA diner as round as the bird and tied with string, waving away one more spoonful.
Talk turkeyTo talk plainly and get to the point. Draw two turkeys at a desk with speech bubbles.
Too many cooks in the kitchenToo many people on one task and it goes badly. Draw a tiny kitchen crammed with chefs bumping elbows over one pot.