Best Thanksgiving Mad Libs Free Printable (Use It This Year!)
Are you looking for a light-hearted activity to incorporate into your Thanksgiving celebration?
Thanksgiving Mad Libs is the answer!
These fill-in-the-blank stories give you a wildly entertaining word game that all ages love. Plus, they’re easy to do.
How To Play Thanksgiving Mad Libs
Mad Libs is a simple word game that prompts participants to fill in blanks with random words.
This creates hilarious and often far-fetched stories. And makes for lighthearted fun for kids and adults.
To play:
- Players are given a story containing blank spaces. Each space is designated for a specific part of speech such as an adjective, noun, or verb. Or specific categories of words such as number, food, person, etc..
- One person tells the other players to provide the words needed to fill in the blanks, without revealing or reading the story.
- Once all blanks are filled in, the story is read aloud, often resulting in hysterical combinations.
Thanksgiving Mad Libs can be incorporated into:
- Family traditions
- Thanksgiving celebrations
- Friendsgiving games
- Classroom activities
- Rainy or cold fall days
Print and use both of the free Thanksgiving Mad Libs stories below!
Want to save this activity? Enter your email below and I’ll send it straight to your inbox.
Mad Libs Game Variations
Try out these variations for using the Thanksgiving Mad Libs.
Age-Appropriate Adaptations
Thanksgiving Mad Libs can be played by all age groups. Modify the game for younger children by providing simpler prompts to choose from.
For example:
- Instead of asking for a noun, be specific and ask for a person, place, or thing.
- Use word categories instead of parts of speech (numbers, food, emotion, etc…)
- Make a word list ahead of time for each category.
- Give two or three choices that younger kids will be excited to choose from.
- Use a word bank. Players must use all the words. (This works well in a classroom!)
My boys lean toward potty humor when filling out Mad Libs. (Can you relate?) Simply give a reminder to keep things G-rated!
Play In Teams
Divide into teams. Each team creates their version of the Mad Libs story. Once all the stories are filled out, each team can read their completed story aloud.
The funniest story is declared the winner!
*This would be a fantastic addition to a classroom party or celebration!
Round Robin
Instead of having one person read all the prompts, the whole group can take turns filling in the blanks in a round-robin manner.
This adds an element of surprise, which will lead to an even more hilarious story!
Related:
Create your own Thanksgiving Mad Libs
Challenge your kids to create their own mad libs for your Thanksgiving family gathering this year. Then, get ready to laugh.
Fun Fact: Invented in 1953, Mad Libs creators actually stumbled upon the idea while working on a script. The name “mad libs” came a few years later when they overheard an actor wanting to “ad-lib” in an interview and his agent thought he was “mad”. (source)
1. Brainstorm and choose a theme
Decide on a Thanksgiving topic for your Mad Lib.
Ideas include:
- Turkey Tale
- The history of Thanksgiving
- Thanksgiving food
- Thanksgiving meal mayhem
- A funny story about the day
- Thanksgiving day activities
- Friendsgiving
- How to (set the table, make a pie, prepare for guests)
2. Write a story
Create a short and simple story based on your theme. Aim for 100-200 words to keep it concise and easy to complete. Write a beginning, middle, and end.
3. Identify fill-in-the-blank spots
Replace specific words in your story with blanks. Indicate the type of words to be filled in.
- Nouns- name a person, place, thing, or idea
- Verbs- describe an action
- Adjectives- describe a noun
- Adverbs- describes a verb, adjective, or another adverb and usually tells how, when, where, why, or to what degree
- Or specify specific word categories like foods, numbers, family members, friends, places, etc…
*Kids can ask a grown-up to help with the type of words needed for each blank.
4. Ask for input
One person should act as the leader, reading the prompts aloud to the group and writing down the responses without peeking at the story.
5. Read the story
After all the blanks are filled, read the completed story out loud to reveal the funny sentences created by the participants.
Got squirrely kids? Try our Thanksgiving charades game! They will also LOVE this Thanksgiving 5 Second Rule Game.
Free Thanksgiving Mad Libs Printable
Download and print your Thanksgiving Mad Libs game sheets here.
More Thanksgiving Questions and Activities
Thanksgiving is a wonderful opportunity to connect and talk with loved ones. Use these awesome questions and Thanksgiving activity ideas to enhance your day.
- Thanksgiving Would You Rather Printable Cards: Would you rather…go Black Friday shopping or sleep in?
- Thanksgiving Conversation Starters Printable Cards: What four foods must be on your Thanksgiving menu?
- Thanksgiving Day Trivia Cards: Question: What is a male turkey called? Answer: A tom or a gobbler
- Fall This or That: Apple cinnamon or pumpkin spice?
- Thanksgiving Picture Books: Find great picture books for all ages.
- Thanksgiving Scavenger Hunt: Enjoy this photo activity during your day.
- More Fun Thanksgiving Day Activities: More ideas for meaningful Thanksgiving Day connection.
- Gratitude Activities For Kids: Focus on being thankful with these family activities.
- Thanksgiving Riddles, Jokes, and Puns: If April showers bring May flowers, what do May flowers bring? Answer: Pilgrims!
- Thanksgiving Minute to Win It Games – Or try all of our Funniest Thanksgiving Games!
Join the Family Night Club
The Family Night Club is an exclusive weekly email for members only. Every Wednesday, you’ll receive a movie idea, a new printable activity, easy-to-scan recipe card, and more fun ideas to do with your kids. Join the club now >>
What’s Next?
Add this humorous Thanksgiving Mad Libs word game to your holiday and create lasting memories.
Don’t forget to use this Thanksgiving mad libs at your upcoming Friendsgiving! Find more Friendsgiving games and tips for hosting!
More HHI posts you’ll love…
Free Printable Thanksgiving Mad Libs
