Thanksgiving Bible games and trivia for kids
Six Thanksgiving games that point kids to the Giver, 15 free trivia questions with answers, and ready-made games for church parties.
Updated 1 November 2026 · How we pick resources
Thanksgiving is a natural week to talk about gratitude, and games make the Bible stories stick. Everything below runs with little or no prep. For a full lesson plan, see our Thanksgiving Bible lesson by age.
No-prep Thanksgiving Bible games
| Game | Ages | Time | You need |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ten lepers tag | 4–9 | 10 min | Open space |
| Thankful hot potato | 4–12 | 10 min | A soft ball, music |
| Psalm 136 echo | 3–12 | 5 min | Nothing |
| Manna hunt | 3–8 | 10 min | Paper "manna" circles |
| Thankful ABCs | 6–14 | 10 min | A whiteboard |
| Thanksgiving Bible trivia | 6–18 | 15–30 min | This page or a screen |
Ten lepers tag (ages 4–9)
One child is "Jesus". Everyone else is a leper, walking with a hand over one eye. When "Jesus" tags you, you're healed: take your hand down and run to the "priest" corner. The twist: anyone who runs back to "Jesus" first and shouts "Thank you!" gets to be Jesus next round. Then read Luke 17:15–17.
Thankful hot potato (ages 4–12)
Pass a ball while music plays. When it stops, the child holding it names something they're thankful for, without repeating anything already said. Older kids must also give a reason ("…because…").
Psalm 136 echo (ages 3–12)
Psalm 136 repeats "His love endures forever" in all 26 verses. You read the first half of a verse ("Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good…") and the children shout the refrain. Then let them make up their own first halves: "Give thanks for my grandma…" "His love endures forever!"
Manna hunt (ages 3–8)
Scatter white paper circles around the room before class. Read Exodus 16:13–15, then let children gather "manna" into cups. Ask: who sent the manna? What did the Israelites need to remember every morning?
Thankful ABCs (ages 6–14)
Teams race to write one thing to thank God for, beginning with each letter of the alphabet. Bonus point for every answer that's in the Bible (A: Abraham's promise, B: bread, C: creation…).
15 Thanksgiving Bible trivia questions (with answers)
Read them aloud, use them as a team quiz, or tape them inside a pass-the-parcel.
- How many men with leprosy did Jesus heal in Luke 17? Ten (Luke 17:12)
- How many came back to thank him? One (Luke 17:15)
- Where was the thankful man from? Samaria (Luke 17:16)
- Psalm 100 says to enter God's gates with what? Thanksgiving (Psalm 100:4)
- Which psalm says "His love endures forever" in every verse? Psalm 136
- What did Jesus do with the loaves before feeding the 5,000? He gave thanks (John 6:11)
- How many times a day did Daniel pray and give thanks? Three (Daniel 6:10)
- What did Noah build when he came out of the ark? An altar (Genesis 8:20)
- What did God send the Israelites to eat each morning in the desert? Manna (Exodus 16:14–15)
- Who led the women in singing and dancing after crossing the Red Sea? Miriam (Exodus 15:20–21)
- Hannah prayed a song of thanks after giving God which son? Samuel (1 Samuel 1:27–2:1)
- In which festival did Israel live in shelters to remember God's care? The Festival of Tabernacles (Booths) (Leviticus 23:42–43)
- Paul says to give thanks in how many circumstances? All (1 Thessalonians 5:18)
- Philippians 4:6 says to bring our requests to God with prayer, petition and what? Thanksgiving
- What did Jonah promise to do from inside the fish? Sacrifice with shouts of grateful praise (Jonah 2:9)
Wording varies between Bible translations, so check answers against the one your church uses.
Ready-made Thanksgiving Bible game show
If you have a screen, a game show gets the whole class involved. Ours has three question sets (ages 5–11, 11–14 and 14–18), automatic scoring and a Final Round. Try the free 10-question version first.
Bible Showdown: Thanksgiving
A click-to-play Bible game show on gratitude in the Bible: the ten lepers, Psalm 100, manna in the desert and more. Kids, preteens and teens each get their own questions plus a Final Round, all with Bible references. Plays in any web browser with automatic scoring, or as a PowerPoint, with printable cards.
Free: Bible Showdown Thanksgiving Sampler
Try the game show format free: 10 questions at each of three age levels, automatic scoring for 2–4 teams, a timer and a Final Round. No sign-up needed.
For a church Thanksgiving party
Families love a survey game: guess the most popular answers to questions like "Name a food on the Thanksgiving table." Nobody needs Bible knowledge, so visitors can join in.
Crowd Says: Thanksgiving (family survey game)
A survey game in the style of Friendly Feud with 45 Thanksgiving rounds. Two teams guess the most popular answers; the web game keeps score and you can edit every round. A fun, non-Bible mixer for a church Thanksgiving party.
More free Thanksgiving ideas
Children's Ministry Deals Holidays
Why we picked it: Free holiday games and a Thanksgiving series for when you want more than one Sunday on gratitude.
Seasonal curriculum series for Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter, plus free holiday games and minute-to-win-it packs.
Bible Games Central
Why we picked it: Free printable Bible games you can adapt to a thankfulness theme.
Library of free printable Bible games for church and home, organized for Sunday school, youth group and adults, plus print-and-play games you can use immediately.
Next up: Advent activities, week by week starts on 29 November.