The short answer
Thanksgiving trivia works best in teams, with five short rounds and answers everyone can trust, and these 50 questions were each checked against a source we opened on November 7, 2026. So use the easy level for kids.
- Rounds: history, food, football, the Macy’s parade and movies, with 10 questions each
- Levels: 15 easy, 20 medium and 15 hard
- Time: plan on about 10 minutes per round, by our estimate
- History: the 1621 round includes Wampanoag perspectives, not only the school-pageant version
50
Questions with answers
5
Rounds
15
Easy questions for kids
Nov 26
Thanksgiving 2026
In this article
Thanksgiving trivia is a quiz game about the US holiday, its history and traditions, played at the table or in teams after dinner. These questions avoid repeating the 15 starter questions in our guide to Thanksgiving games and activities, so you can play both. For the date and the rest of the day, see our Thanksgiving 2026 guide.
How Do You Run a Thanksgiving Trivia Game?
Run a Thanksgiving trivia game by splitting guests into mixed-age teams and letting them write answers on paper before you reveal anything. Then keep score on a whiteboard, so nobody feels put on the spot.
- Make teams of three to five, and put at least one adult with younger kids.
- Next, read each question twice and allow 30 seconds to write an answer.
- Then score 1 point for easy, 2 for medium and 3 for hard.
- Swap answer sheets between teams after each round, then read out the answers.
- Finally, settle a tie with a closest-number question, such as question 15 on the USDA forecast.
Thanksgiving trivia team names
Funny team names give the game an instant start, so let each team pick one before round 1. Try The Gravy Boats, Stuffing Sensation, Pie Hard, The Drumstick Division or Cranberry Sauced.
Pro tip. To print these questions, print this page and fold the answer column under. Also keep one uncut copy for the host.
Round 1: Thanksgiving History Trivia
This history round covers the feast, the proclamations and the people involved. It deliberately includes Wampanoag history, because those guests were central to the story and their descendants still live in New England today.
| # | Question | Answer | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | What does the name Wampanoag mean? | People of the First Light | Easy |
| 2 | Which president issued the first Thanksgiving proclamation under the Constitution? | George Washington, in 1789 | Easy |
| 3 | Native people held many thanksgivings before colonists arrived. Name one that Plimoth Patuxet mentions. | Strawberry Thanksgiving or Green Corn Thanksgiving | Easy |
| 4 | Who wrote the only surviving eyewitness record of the 1621 harvest celebration? | Edward Winslow, in a letter to a friend in England | Medium |
| 5 | Plimoth Patuxet identifies the Wampanoag leader Massasoit by what personal name? | Ousamequin | Medium |
| 6 | Who actually wrote the words of Lincoln’s 1863 proclamation? | Secretary of State William Seward | Medium |
| 7 | Why did the whole country not observe Lincoln’s 1863 Thanksgiving together? | The Civil War: Confederate states did not consider themselves subject to it | Medium |
| 8 | In 1939, how many states followed FDR’s earlier date, and how many refused? | 32 followed; 16 refused | Hard |
| 9 | Since 1970, where have Indigenous people gathered on Thanksgiving for the National Day of Mourning? | Cole’s Hill in Plymouth, Massachusetts | Hard |
| 10 | Who labeled the 1621 event “the first Thanksgiving” in an 1841 footnote? | Alexander Young, in Chronicles of the Pilgrim Fathers | Hard |
What Do We Really Know About 1621?
We know surprisingly little about 1621, because one short letter is the only surviving eyewitness record. In it, Edward Winslow, an English colonist, says Massasoit came with about 90 men, that the English hosted them for three days, and that the men went out and brought back five deer. However, Plimoth Patuxet Museums says no one knows for sure why the Wampanoag joined or exactly what happened, and it dates the event only to between September 21 and November 9.
The popular image of friendly neighbors sharing a meal also leaves a lot out. The Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian’s study guide ties the gathering to political alliances and diplomacy, and it notes that nothing in Winslow’s letter suggests a giving of thanks. Meanwhile, Plimoth Patuxet quotes the Wampanoag and Penobscot educator Nancy Eldredge, who considered Massasoit’s attendance probably a political show of force.
Wampanoag people are not only part of the past. According to an article by Nancy Eldredge, about 4,000 to 5,000 Wampanoag people live in New England today. In addition, many Native people do not celebrate the holiday: since 1970, United American Indians of New England has marked it in Plymouth as a National Day of Mourning for ancestors, genocide and the theft of Native lands.
Watch out. Skip costume rounds and jokes about “Pilgrims and Indians.” Use the name Wampanoag, present these facts plainly, and let older players talk about them if they want to.
Round 2: Thanksgiving Food Trivia
These Thanksgiving food trivia questions mix the turkey on the table with the crops behind the side dishes. For more on the meal itself, browse our Thanksgiving side dishes and dinner menu guides.
| # | Question | Answer | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | What internal temperature should a roast turkey reach? | 165°F, checked with a meat thermometer | Easy |
| 12 | What is a female turkey called? | A hen | Easy |
| 13 | Which state grows the most pumpkins? | Illinois, about 533 million pounds in 2025 | Easy |
| 14 | Which state ranks second for turkeys raised in 2026? | North Carolina, 29.5 million | Medium |
| 15 | About how many turkeys will the US raise in 2026, according to the USDA forecast? | About 199 million | Medium |
| 16 | Who created green bean casserole in 1955? | Dorcas Reilly, a Campbell Soup kitchen supervisor | Medium |
| 17 | Which president began the turkey “pardoning” custom, and when? | George H.W. Bush, in 1989 | Medium |
| 18 | Winslow’s passage on the 1621 gathering names which two kinds of meat? | Fowl and deer | Hard |
| 19 | What is nasaump, the Wampanoag dish described by Plimoth Patuxet? | A thick, filling food made of corn | Hard |
| 20 | How long does a turkey egg take to hatch? | 28 days | Hard |
Round 3: Thanksgiving Football Trivia
This round suits the crowd watching the games. In fact, 2026 marks the 86th Thanksgiving game for the Lions, according to the NFL.
| # | Question | Answer | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | Which team do the Lions host on Thanksgiving 2026? | The Chicago Bears, 1 p.m. ET on CBS | Easy |
| 22 | Which brand-new holiday game does the NFL add in 2026? | A Thanksgiving Eve game: Packers at Rams on Netflix | Easy |
| 23 | Who won the Lions’ first Thanksgiving game in 1934? | The Bears, 19-16 | Easy |
| 24 | Whom did the Cowboys beat in their first Thanksgiving game in 1966? | The Cleveland Browns, 26-14 | Medium |
| 25 | Which NFL team has never played on Thanksgiving? | The Jacksonville Jaguars | Medium |
| 26 | Which team replaced the Cowboys as a Thanksgiving host in 1975 and 1977? | The St. Louis Cardinals | Medium |
| 27 | Leon Lett’s famous blocked-kick blunder in 1993 handed the win to which team? | The Miami Dolphins, 16-14 | Medium |
| 28 | Which two quarterbacks share the single-game Thanksgiving record of six passing touchdowns? | Bob Griese (1977) and Peyton Manning (2004) | Hard |
| 29 | Who holds the career Thanksgiving rushing record? | Emmitt Smith, 1,178 yards | Hard |
| 30 | Who holds the career Thanksgiving receiving touchdown record? | Calvin Johnson, 11 | Hard |
Round 4: Macy’s Parade Trivia
The Macy’s parade reaches a milestone in 2026, so this round should feel timely on Thursday morning. Macy’s has also promised a record 100 inflatable elements for the 100th parade, with coverage starting at 8:30 a.m. on NBC.
| # | Question | Answer | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 31 | Which cartoon character was the first big balloon, in 1927? | Felix the Cat | Easy |
| 32 | Who traditionally ends the Macy’s parade? | Santa Claus | Easy |
| 33 | Which parade number does Macy’s stage in 2026? | The 100th | Easy |
| 34 | What was the parade called for its first three years? | The Macy’s Christmas Parade | Medium |
| 35 | Before balloons, the parade used live animals on loan from where? | The Central Park Zoo | Medium |
| 36 | Which three years did World War II cancel the parade? | 1942, 1943 and 1944 | Medium |
| 37 | Which city held a Thanksgiving parade first, in 1920? | Philadelphia | Medium |
| 38 | How tall was the original Felix balloon? | 21 feet | Hard |
| 39 | The 1927 Felix did not float. What filled him, and how did he stay up? | Air; handlers carried him on stilts | Hard |
| 40 | From 1929 to 1931, what could people get for returning a released balloon? | A $50 Macy’s gift certificate | Hard |
Round 5: Thanksgiving Movie Trivia
This movie round works best after dessert, especially if you already plan to watch something. Then, when the game ends, pick a film from our list of the best Thanksgiving movies.
| # | Question | Answer | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 41 | Which two actors star in Planes, Trains and Automobiles? | Steve Martin and John Candy | Easy |
| 42 | Whose Thanksgiving special won Charles M. Schulz a 1974 Emmy? | Charlie Brown’s | Easy |
| 43 | In Addams Family Values, which Addams child derails the camp Thanksgiving play? | Wednesday | Easy |
| 44 | Who directed Home for the Holidays (1995)? | Jodie Foster | Medium |
| 45 | Who won Best Actor for the Thanksgiving-weekend film Scent of a Woman? | Al Pacino | Medium |
| 46 | Who won an Oscar as Kris Kringle in Miracle on 34th Street? | Edmund Gwenn, Best Supporting Actor | Medium |
| 47 | How many Los Angeles families does What’s Cooking? follow on Thanksgiving? | Four | Medium |
| 48 | How many Oscars did Hannah and Her Sisters win? | Three | Hard |
| 49 | Who earned an Oscar nomination for Pieces of April? | Patricia Clarkson, Best Supporting Actress | Hard |
| 50 | Alice’s Restaurant (1969) adapts a 1967 song by whom? | Arlo Guthrie | Hard |
Our verdict
These 50 questions adapt to almost any group once you choose the level and length.
Thanksgiving trivia for kids
Use the easy questions: 1, 2, 3, 11, 12, 13, 21, 22, 23, 31, 32, 33, 41, 42 and 43. Give younger players a teammate, and read answers aloud as a story rather than scoring every miss. Our list of Thanksgiving crafts can fill the time afterward.
Hard Thanksgiving trivia for adults
For a tougher game, use the hard questions: 8, 9, 10, 18, 19, 20, 28, 29, 30, 38, 39, 40, 48, 49 and 50. Alternatively, run all five rounds and let teams wager up to 3 points on the final question.
Thanksgiving trivia for seniors and work
For seniors, also print the tables in large type and favor rounds 4 and 5, since parade and movie memories spark good conversation. At work, one round per team over lunch takes about 10 minutes, which suits a quick office game.
Thanksgiving trivia true or false and multiple choice
For true or false, try these: Winslow’s passage on the gathering names turkey (false, it says fowl). Lincoln pardoned a Thanksgiving turkey (false; the National Park Service says Tad Lincoln’s turkey Jack was slated for Christmas). For multiple choice, add three wrong answers from the same round, so each option sounds plausible.
Our verdict
For most families, three rounds are plenty: pick the food and parade rounds for mixed ages, then add football or movies based on who is at the table. Teams, paper answers and a clear scoreboard matter more than the exact questions.
Above all, handle the 1621 questions with the same care as the scoring. Accurate history takes only a minute, and it makes a better game for everyone. Then move on to our other Thanksgiving games when the last round ends.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are good Thanksgiving trivia questions?
Good Thanksgiving trivia questions mix levels and topics, such as what the name Wampanoag means, which president issued the first proclamation under the Constitution, which balloon came first at the Macy’s parade, and who stars in Planes, Trains and Automobiles. Using five rounds keeps everyone involved, because each guest usually knows at least one topic well.
What are easy Thanksgiving trivia questions for kids?
Easy Thanksgiving trivia questions for kids include what a female turkey is called, who ends the Macy’s parade, which cartoon cat became the first big balloon, and which number parade Macy’s stages in 2026. Play in teams with an adult helper, and read each answer as a short story so children learn something even when they miss one.
Was turkey served at the first Thanksgiving?
Nobody can say for certain, because the only surviving eyewitness passage about the gathering does not name turkey. Edward Winslow wrote that four men went fowling and that Massasoit’s men brought five deer. Plimoth Patuxet lists turkey among the wildfowl colonists learned to hunt, so turkey was possible, yet that passage says only fowl.
Do Wampanoag people celebrate Thanksgiving?
There is no single answer, since Native people hold many views of the holiday. Plimoth Patuxet notes that Native people held their own days of thanksgiving long before colonists arrived. In contrast, United American Indians of New England has gathered in Plymouth since 1970 for a National Day of Mourning on the holiday, honoring ancestors and Native resilience.
How long should a Thanksgiving trivia game last?
A Thanksgiving trivia game usually fits best at 20 to 30 minutes, which means two or three rounds of 10 questions by our estimate. Use all five rounds only if guests are settled and want a longer contest. Reading each question twice and allowing 30 seconds per answer keeps a steady pace without rushing younger players.
How do you make Thanksgiving trivia printable?
To make Thanksgiving trivia printable, print this page and fold the answer column under, then give each team blank paper for its answers. For a slideshow or online quiz, copy the question column into your own slides. Keep one full copy with answers for the host, and check the football records again after the 2026 games.
