How These Lists Work
Each list on this page loads straight into the generator with one click. Every card gets its own shuffle of the squares, so no two players hold the same card, and you decide how many to make: one per guest, plus a couple of spares for whoever turns up late.
The first list is a classic caller game: someone reads words out and players mark them. The other two need no caller at all. Players mark a square when it actually happens at the table, so the game runs quietly in the background of the meal.
The classic list, ready to go
All 48 Thanksgiving words are loaded below. Add your family's own dishes, delete anything that doesn't fit your table, or pick one of the other lists further down.
Nothing is sent anywhere. The list stays in this browser and goes to the generator when you continue.
List 1: Classic Thanksgiving Words
Best for: kids, classrooms and mixed ages. Forty-eight words covering the food, the decorations and the day itself. A caller draws words one at a time, players mark them, and the first complete line wins.
- Turkey
- Stuffing
- Gravy
- Cranberry sauce
- Mashed potatoes
- Sweet potatoes
- Pumpkin pie
- Pecan pie
- Apple pie
- Whipped cream
- Dinner rolls
- Cornbread
- Green beans
- Corn on the cob
- Casserole
- Mac and cheese
- Wishbone
- Leftovers
- Parade
- Football
- Hay bale
- Acorn
- Fall leaves
- Scarecrow
- Hayride
- Harvest
- Cornucopia
- Apple cider
- Cinnamon
- Maple syrup
- Oven mitt
- Apron
- Tablecloth
- Napkins
- Centerpiece
- Candles
- Place cards
- Thankful
- Gratitude
- Family
- Friends
- Feast
- Recipe
- Kids' table
- Turkey trot
- Nap time
- Sweater weather
- Rolling pin
Make the free space say GOBBLE. Type it into the Free Space Label box in the generator. It's a small touch that usually gets a laugh from the kids' table.
List 2: Dinner-Table Moments
Best for: teens and adults at the main table. There's no caller. Each square is something that tends to happen at a Thanksgiving dinner, and players mark it when they see it. Set a card beside each plate before the meal and let the game run until dessert.
- Someone asks for the recipe
- The turkey gets applause
- "I couldn't eat another bite"
- A pet gets a sneaky scrap
- Someone photographs their plate
- A dish arrives wrapped in foil
- The gravy runs out first
- Someone burns their tongue
- A kid won't try something new
- The good china comes out
- The game is on in another room
- Someone dozes off on the couch
- Containers come out for leftovers
- A story everyone has heard before
- A toast to the cook
- Something red gets spilled
- The wishbone gets pulled
- A video call with family far away
- Two people bring the same dessert
- The oven timer goes off mid-toast
- Someone sneaks a taste early
- Canned vs homemade cranberry debate
- Someone says what they're thankful for
- The kids' table gets loud
- Someone forgets their dish at home
- Pie gets cut before plates are cleared
- Someone offers to do the dishes
- Someone actually does the dishes
- A game or puzzle comes out
- Someone plans next year's menu
- The table needs an extra chair
- "Is there more whipped cream?"
- Someone asks what's in the stuffing
- Someone wears something festive
- A walk after dinner
- A dish made from a family recipe
List 3: Friendsgiving Potluck
Best for: a Friendsgiving, or any potluck where the food arrives in waves. Same rules: mark it when it happens. It works well as an icebreaker when not everyone knows each other yet, because the squares hand people an easy reason to start talking.
- Two people bring the same dish
- Someone forgets serving spoons
- "Just ten more minutes in the oven"
- A board game comes out
- Group photo before anyone eats
- Someone brings only ice
- Someone brings their signature dish
- A dish nobody can identify
- A dish from a family tradition
- Someone asks for the recipe
- Someone asks for the Wi-Fi
- A dessert that's still cooling
- Homemade bread
- Mac and cheese shows up
- Someone makes a toast
- A playlist debate
- Flowers for the host
- Two tables pushed together
- Mismatched chairs
- Someone eats standing in the kitchen
- A dish labeled with a sticky note
- Leftovers go home in takeout boxes
- A story from a past Friendsgiving
- A pet tries to join the meal
- Someone carves and regrets it
- More desserts than mains
- A salad nobody expected
- Served in the pan it was baked in
- "Running ten minutes late"
- A card game breaks out
- Someone falls asleep before dessert
- A homemade dip
Keep it kind. These lists stay away from squares about one particular person, and from politics, money, health and diets. If you add your own, hold to the same rule: the game should be something everyone at the table laughs along with, not at.
How to Run Thanksgiving Bingo
With a caller (List 1)
Copy the word list into a document and print it. Cut it into slips and drop them in a bowl (a clean gravy boat works too). Draw one slip at a time and read it out. Keep the drawn slips in a pile so you can check a winner's card against them.
Without a caller (Lists 2 and 3)
Players mark squares as things happen. When someone completes a line, they read their squares out and the table agrees, or argues, that each one really happened. The arguing is half the fun.
Winning patterns
- One line (across, down or diagonal) for a quick round before dinner.
- Four corners for a second round with the same cards.
- Blackout, every square marked, for a game that lasts the whole evening.
Prizes that cost nothing
First pick of the leftovers, the first slice of pie, a pass on dish duty, or the right to choose the movie. A chocolate turkey works too.
Want your family's own dishes on the card? Edit the list in the generator and every card updates with it.
Customize the List →Printing and Playing on Phones
For a printed game, choose landscape in the generator: two cards fit on each page, with a line to cut along, so a big family uses half the paper. Cardstock holds up better near the gravy. If some relatives are joining by video, switch to Share Online and text each of them the link to their own card; they can follow along on a phone and keep track on scrap paper.
For little kids, a 5×5 card can be a lot. Set the grid to 3×3 or 4×4 in the generator and any of these lists still works: each card simply draws fewer words.
Making and printing cards is free. Free downloads carry a small demo watermark, and a pass removes it if you want clean cards.
More holiday bingo: Christmas Bingo · Office Holiday Party Bingo · New Year's Eve Bingo
Frequently Asked Questions
Make Your Thanksgiving Cards
Print a stack before the turkey goes in, or send cards to phones. No account needed.
Open the Generator →