Thanksgiving Table Categories: A No-Prep Dinner Game
Take this game to the party.
Download the instructions and game materials in your preferred edition. Each PDF is 2 pages. Print only the pages you need.
US Letter • Single-sided • For A4, choose Fit. Browse all printables
Give each person paper and a pencil. Choose five categories and one starting letter that works for your group. Set a one-minute timer for each round.
What you need
- Paper
- Pencils
- Timer
A phone timer is handy for timed rounds. Set out supplies before guests arrive, and give the group one practice turn if the rules are new to them.
How to play
- Read the categories and announce the letter. Everyone writes one answer per category beginning with that letter.
- Stop writing when time ends and compare answers one category at a time.
- An acceptable answer nobody else wrote earns two points. A matching answer earns one. Blank or off-topic answers earn zero.
- Play three rounds with different letters and add the scores. Agree as a group on doubtful answers before moving on.
Prompts and round ideas
- Something on a dinner table
- A food
- A place to visit
- Something cozy
- A word describing autumn
- Suggested letters: P, S, C
Make it work for your group
For children, drop the starting-letter rule and simply ask for a different answer in each category.
A host’s note
Try your letters beforehand. You want conversation, not a round where every category is nearly impossible.
Plan your party flow
Explain the aim before handing out supplies, then demonstrate one turn. Let guests join as a player, helper, or spectator. Stop while the group is still enjoying the game rather than adding extra rounds just to fill time.