These Thanksgiving trivia questions will be loads of fun at your holiday dinner. You can test your guest’s knowledge of Thanksgiving facts with this cute Thanksgiving quiz. It’s a great way to bring everyone together and have some fun competition.
We also use these conversation starters to get the holiday discussions going. If you want to get the giggles going have your kids share these hilarious Thanksgiving Jokes. Try one or all of these and be ready to enjoy tons of laughter during your family gathering.
See how much general knowledge your guests know about the Thanksgiving holiday, like where the first Thanksgiving was held, who made Thanksgiving an annual holiday, and more! You will have so much fun no one will want to leave the party to visit department stores and start their shopping!
Supplies for Trivia Game
Here’s what you’ll need to make your Thanksgiving Trivia:
- Trivia Printable
- Brown Kraft Paper or Reversible Scrapbook paper
- Scissors
- Hole Puncher
- String
Printable Thanksgiving Trivia Game
Print out the Thanksgiving Trivia printable quiz. There are two sets of Thanksgiving trivia questions and they print out on 1 page. Once printed cut the page in half between the sets of questions.
To make your game a little more festive, you can cut out kraft paper or scrapbook paper so that it’s just a little bit bigger than the printable. Fold down the top part of the game so that the answers are hidden.
Do the same with the kraft/scrapbook paper so that it covers the top of the page. Hole punch the top with two holes and add a ribbon or string to hold it all together.
Not only is this game fun, but it also looks cute, and your guests will never know that the answers are right in front of them!
Make the game a little more competitive and include a prize for the person that gets the most answers correct!
So while you are chowing down on mashed potatoes and pumpkin pies at your Thanksgiving feast you can play a round of Thanksgiving trivia. And, with the included quiz questions and answers, most of the work is done for you.
Thanksgiving Trivia questions and answers
Which President made Thanksgiving an annual holiday?
A.Washington B. Abraham Lincoln C. Franklin D Roosevelt
Approximately how many feathers does a mature turkey have?
A. 500 B. 1,000 C. 3,500
How fast can wild turkeys run?
A. 15 mph B. 25 mph C. 5 mph
What do you call the skin that hangs from a turkey’s neck?
A. a gobble B. a wattle C. a gaggle
What do you call a male turkey?
A. Joe B. Tom C. Tim
How high must a cranberry bounce before it is harvested?
A. 2 inches B. 8 inches C. 4 inches
What is in turkey that, when eaten, can make you sleepy?
A. Chloroform B. Fat C. Protein D. Tryptophan
Which Indian tribe taught the Pilgrims how to cultivate the land and were invited to the Thanksgiving meal?
A. Apache B. Wampanoag Indian Tribe C. Cherokee
Approximately how many turkeys are eaten each year on Thanksgiving in the United States?
A. 125 million B. 46 million C. 85 million
Answers under flap
1.B 2.C 3.B 4.B 5.B 6.C 7. D 8. B 9. B
A group of turkeys is referred to as a
A. Rafter B. Gaggle C. Flock D. Gobble
Turkeys can see in color.
A. True B. False
How many pilgrims came over on the Mayflower
A. 212 B. 87 C. 102 D. 165
In what year did the first American Thanksgiving take place?
A. 1621 B. 1776 C. 1901 D. 1552
What does “Cornucopia” mean?
A. traditional corn dish B. Greek goddess of corn C. Horn of Plenty D. goat’s horn
What is another name for a turkey’s wishbone?
A. Corona B. Furcula C. Swot D. ossein
How fast can a wild turkey fly?
A. 55 mph B. 25 mph C. 65 mph D. 35 mph
Where was the first Thanksgiving held?
A. Pittsburgh B. Jamestown C. Plymouth
Answers under flap
1. A 2. A 3. C 4. A 5. C 6. B 7. A 8. C
More Trivia and Fun Facts
If your guests blow through those trivia questions and you have watched Thanksgiving parades here are a few more Thanksgiving facts to test their knowledge.
- While it is estimated that 88% of Americans eat turkey and 94% cranberry sauce at their Thanksgiving dinners it looks like sides vary greatly from state to state. Check out this map of North America from General Mills. Where’s the green bean casserole? I really thought everyone ate that on this National Holiday! I didn’t know people ate Monkey Bread on Thanksgiving Day!
- Thanksgiving occurs on the fourth Thursday in November.
- The first Thanksgiving lasted three days.
- Cranberries, corn, and mashed potatoes were not served at the Pilgrims’ Thanksgiving meal.
- Virginia was the first southern state to adopt a Thanksgiving Day in 1855.
- The Pilgrims did not use forks to eat their Thanksgiving dinner.
- The thigh is the best place to put the meat thermometer in the turkey to see if it is done.
- Harry Truman in 1947 is believed to be the first president to pardon a turkey and start this annual tradition.
- The Pilgrims who came to the New World seeking religious freedom were also Puritans because they wanted to purify the teachings and ceremonies of the Church of England.
- Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade started in 1924.
- The Pilgrims first celebrated Thanksgiving in 1621.
- The First Thanksgiving, feast between the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag Native American Indians at Plymouth Colony contained waterfowl, venison, ham, lobster, clams, berries, fruit, pumpkin, and squash.
- We can thank Sarah Josepha Hale, the American writer of Mary Had a Little Lamb, for campaigning for the creation of Thanksgiving.
- The familiar Christmas carol Jingle Bells was actually written as a Thanksgiving song.
Thanksgiving Trivia for Kids
Here are a couple of trivia questions kids should be able to answer.
- Where was the first Thanksgiving in the U.S? (Plymouth, Massachusetts)
- Do female turkeys gobble? (no) The words “gobble, gobble” are practically synonymous with turkeys. But apparently, only male turkeys also called gobblers, make that sound. Female turkeys, known as hens, make a chirping or clucking sound instead.
- What was missing from the first Thanksgiving? (Turkey) While you will find it on our Thanksgiving menus today, turkey probably wasn’t on the menu at the first Thanksgiving feast. Instead, they were more likely to eat venison and seafood, since that is what is plentiful in Massachusetts.
Megan from Short Stop Designs is sharing a fun way to make your Thanksgiving dinner a little more interesting this year. These Thanksgiving questions will have everyone thinking.
More Fun!
- If you are looking for more fun ways to entertain your guest these would you rather questions are always fun!
- Playing the newlywed game is also hilarious entertainment.
- Kids love this how-to-draw a turkey tutorial.
- Most Likely to Questions can get a group laughing.
- Make Ahead Thanksgiving favorites to include in your feast.
- Pilgrim Hat Party Favors will make your table extra festive.
Happy Thanksgiving! I hope these free trivia questions make your holiday fun and memorable.
I would love to keep you fully stocked with creative ideas, yummy recipes, fun crafts, and loads of free printables. Subscribe to Skip to my Lou to get new ideas delivered to your inbox. Follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and Instagram for all my latest updates.
Kris, click the link to download. You can email the file to a local copy shop or print at home in color. Let me know if you have questions.
I love your ideas! Thank you for sharing. How do I print out your Thanksgiving Trivia Printables?
My only correction to the trivia is Ben Franklin was Never President.
Great Ideas thought just thought it was kinda funny.
I just wanted you to know we used these and loved them! So cute.
In the list of supplies click on the words trivia printable. The PDF should open from there. Let me know if you need help.
How did you print it out?? There is nothing too click on for print??
I am glad you loved them. What a great idea for a prize.
I just want to say THANK YOU! I copied your Thanksgiving Trivia game and also Would You Rather game for my family of 4 on Thanksgiving and they both were a hit! The winner of trivia didn’t have to do dishes which is big for a 19 and 16 year old!
Im new to your website and I am so happy I found you!!!
Hi Robbin,
Try folding the decorative paper down a little farther, it doesn’t have to totally catch the questions, just enough to have it stay in. Also, you might try a smaller hole punch.
First off, thank you SO MUCH for sharing this. We lost our mom 18 weeks ago today after a 2 year battle with colon cancer and this will be our first major holiday without her. I’ve been trying to come up with something fun we could do to kind of lighten the mood and this is perfect. I do have a quick question . . . . I’m having trouble figuring out how to punch holds in the top without punching through the answers when I fold them over?? Any ideas or am I missing something obvious. Thanks! Happy Thanksgiving!
I love this idea! Our family LOVES games and especially Trivia!! Thank you!
Great idea. Can’t wait to share at Thanksgiving.
Cute idea!!