30 Thanksgiving Trivia Questions for Kids (With Answers)

By Cedar & Ledger

Thanksgiving trivia keeps kids busy while the food finishes and gets the grown-ups playing too. These 30 questions are sorted from easy to harder, and every answer is right under its question so whoever reads can play host. Read them aloud, or split the table into two teams and keep score on a napkin.

Easy (ages 5 and up)

1. What bird do many families eat on Thanksgiving? A turkey.
2. What color is cranberry sauce? Red.
3. In which season is Thanksgiving in the United States? Fall (autumn).
4. What is a male turkey called? A tom (or gobbler).
5. What sound does a turkey make? A gobble.
6. What orange vegetable is used to make a classic Thanksgiving pie? Pumpkin.
7. What do we call the bone people pull apart to make a wish? The wishbone.
8. What month is U.S. Thanksgiving in? November.
9. What day of the week is U.S. Thanksgiving always on? Thursday.
10. What do you call the bread mixture cooked inside or next to the turkey? Stuffing (or dressing).

Medium (ages 8 and up)

1. Which Thursday of November is U.S. Thanksgiving? The fourth Thursday.
2. What is a female turkey called? A hen.
3. What is a baby turkey called? A poult.
4. What is the red, floppy skin that hangs from a turkey's beak called? A snood.
5. Which country celebrates its Thanksgiving in October? Canada (the second Monday of October).
6. In which city is the most famous Thanksgiving morning parade, with giant balloons, held? New York City (it started in 1924).
7. Can wild turkeys fly? Yes, for short distances.
8. Which president made the White House turkey "pardon" a yearly tradition in 1989? George H. W. Bush.
9. What fruit grows in bogs and is often served at Thanksgiving? Cranberries.
10. What do people often call the day after Thanksgiving, known for big sales? Black Friday.

Harder (ages 11 and up)

1. In what year was the harvest meal often called the "first Thanksgiving" held at Plymouth? 1621.
2. What was the name of the ship the Pilgrims sailed on? The Mayflower.
3. Which Native American people shared the 1621 harvest meal with the Pilgrims? The Wampanoag.
4. Which president made Thanksgiving a national holiday in 1863? Abraham Lincoln.
5. Which writer and magazine editor campaigned for years to make Thanksgiving a national holiday? Sarah Josepha Hale.
6. Which president moved Thanksgiving a week earlier in 1939, which people nicknamed "Franksgiving"? Franklin D. Roosevelt.
7. Which state raises the most turkeys in the U.S. in most years? Minnesota.
8. About how fast can a wild turkey run? Around 20 to 25 miles per hour.
9. How many days did the 1621 harvest celebration last? About three days.
10. What was the agreement the Pilgrims signed aboard their ship in 1620 called? The Mayflower Compact.

How to play it as a game

• Teams: kids vs. grown-ups, or mix ages on each team so it stays fair.
• Points: 1 point for easy, 2 for medium, 3 for harder questions.
• Fast round: the reader picks 5 questions, first hand up answers.
• Prize: the winning team picks the first slice of pie.

A small tip: write the score on a paper napkin and let the youngest player keep it. They will guard it with their life.

More printable games

If trivia goes over well, our Thanksgiving Bingo keeps the kids' table busy, and the Thanksgiving Table Talk & Gratitude Game gives everyone question cards for dinner. You can also grab a free Thanksgiving word search.

Related template: the thanksgiving bingo printable template. Also see: Thanksgiving Table Talk & Gratitude Game · the holiday games template

See all Cedar & Ledger templates

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