Author: Need something to keep everyone entertained while the turkey finishes cooking? These free printable Thanksgiving riddles are an easy way to bring a little extra fun to your Thanksgiving table. There are familiar fall favorites to figure out, a few silly turkey jokes, and just enough tricky wording to get everyone comparing answers.
Our Thanksgiving “Riddle Me This!” printable includes two colorful activity sheets with 16 riddles altogether. With fall leaves, a cheerful turkey, and warm autumn colors, they’re ready to set out at the kids’ table or pass around after dinner. It’s a fun way to get everyone involved and having fun. Thanksgiving is the perfect time for activities like this.
Grab a few pencils and see who can solve them all. Just be prepared for some wonderfully corny jokes along the way!
Thanksgiving Riddle Me This Printable
This two-page printable game mixes simple “What am I?” riddles with funny jokes and wordplay. Some answers come straight from the Thanksgiving menu, while others need a little more thought.
Each page includes eight numbered questions, a space for your name, and a line beneath every riddle to write an answer. The answers are listed farther down this post so you can keep them out of sight while everyone plays.
Page 1: Thanksgiving “What Am I?” Riddles
The first activity sheet features riddles about Thanksgiving food, fall leaves, and being thankful. Kids can use clues about colors, shapes, sounds, and familiar traditions to work out each answer.
They’ll meet a bird with a fan-shaped tail, something with ears that cannot hear, and a feeling that doesn’t fit on a dinner plate.
These are a good starting point for younger kids, especially with someone reading the clues aloud. For the final riddle, you can also talk about what gratitude means and share a few things everyone appreciates.
Page 2: Turkey Jokes and Tricky Riddles
The second page brings in more Thanksgiving jokes, including the most musical part of a turkey, a running turkey, and a turkey’s favorite dance.
There are also clues about pumpkin pie and the dinner table, plus a final question that rewards careful reading. It’s a fun mix for siblings, cousins, and grown-ups to try together.
Some of these answers are puns, so younger children might need a little help understanding the joke. Explaining why “fowl weather” sounds like “foul weather” can be part of the fun!
How to Use the Thanksgiving Riddle Worksheets
You only need the printable pages and something to write with. Regular printer paper works well, so there’s no need for special supplies. Just print out these fun little printables and you’re ready to go. The best thing is how easy it is!
- Download the PDF file near the end of this post.
- Print both pages, or choose the page you want to use.
- Give each player a pencil and their own copy, or work together in pairs.
- Read each riddle and write your best guess on the line.
- Check the answer key below once everyone has finished.
The pages are designed for US Letter paper. Choose “Fit” in your printer settings if needed to keep the leafy borders inside the printable area. You can also print them on A4 using the fit-to-page setting.
For a relaxed family activity, skip the timer and let everyone talk through the clues. If your group enjoys a little competition, award one point for each correct answer and see who gets the highest score out of 16.
Ways to Play on Thanksgiving Day
There’s no need to plan a whole afternoon of Thanksgiving activities. These little sheets can fill a few spare minutes whenever you need them during the holiday season.
Set Them Out at the Kids’ Table
Place a worksheet and pencil at each seat so the kids have something to do while dinner is being served. Older children can help younger ones read the riddles, or everyone can compare guesses once they’ve had a chance to try.
Make It a Whole Family Game
Read the questions aloud and let the whole family join in. This works especially well after the Thanksgiving feast, when everyone is still sitting around the dinner table.
You could split into teams or pair a child with a grown-up. For large groups, ask teams to write down their answers before revealing them so everyone gets a chance to think.
Take Them Along for the Car Ride
Traveling to see family for the holiday? Print the sheets before you leave and let a passenger read the riddles aloud. You can play without writing anything down, making this an easy option for a car ride.
Turn the Questions Into Riddle Cards
If you prefer individual riddle cards, cut the question sections apart and place them in a bowl. Take turns choosing one to read aloud.
You could also tuck a question beside each place setting for a little conversation starter. Keep the answer key handy so you can reveal the answers when everyone has guessed.
A Little Thinking Between the Laughs
Riddles give kids a reason to slow down and listen closely. They practice picking out useful clues, considering different meanings, and checking whether their answer fits the whole question.
The first page focuses mostly on identifying familiar things from descriptions. The second adds wordplay and a few trickier questions, giving children a chance to notice that words can work in more than one way.
You can keep the activity going by asking everyone to write a riddle of their own. Choose a Thanksgiving food or object, think of two or three clues, and finish with “What am I?” Then swap riddles and try to solve them.
Thanksgiving Riddles Answer Key
Ready to check your guesses? Here are the answers to both printable pages.
Page 1 Answers
- Turkey
- Pumpkin
- Corn
- Cranberry
- Stuffing
- Gravy
- Leaf
- Gratitude
For number eight, “thankfulness” or “being thankful” works too. There’s no need to be strict when someone has understood the clue!
Page 2 Answers
- The drumsticks
- Fast food
- Fowl weather
- The turkey trot
- The outside
- Pumpkin pie
- The dinner table
- The letter G
The last question asks what comes at the end of the word Thanksgiving. If anyone answered “dessert” or “doing the dishes,” have them read it one more time!
Download the Free Printable Thanksgiving Riddles PDF
Ready to give them a try? Download the free printable Thanksgiving riddles below and print a copy for everyone who wants to play.
The PDF includes two activity pages with 16 riddles total. The answer key is here in the blog post, so the printable worksheets won’t give away the answers.
This free download is for personal use. Save the digital file so you can print it again whenever you need a quick Thanksgiving activity.
Whether you’re keeping the kids busy before dinner or getting everyone involved between slices of pumpkin pie, these printable riddles are a simple way to share a few laughs. You might even find that telling terrible turkey jokes becomes an annual tradition!
More Thanksgiving Activities and Crafts
- DIY Thanksgiving Candles
- Thanksgiving Turkey Coloring Page
- Thanksgiving Snack Mix
- Thanksgiving Thankful Place Cards
If you enjoyed these Thanksgiving printables, please share this post with a friend or save it to your Thanksgiving Pinterest board so you can find it again. Happy Thanksgiving!
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