Game Description
This is the classic fruit basket turnover game modified for a Thanksgiving theme

Game Materials

• As many chairs as you have youths. Sturdy chairs work best as there might be some wild dashes for chairs and I have seen a flimsy chair collapse before in the wild chaos that ensues when two people are rushing for the same chair.

Game Preparation

1. Set chairs in circle with the chairs facing towards the center of the circle.
2. Have the youths sit in the chairs close enough to close all of the gaps.
3. Select one to stand in the middle of the circle and then remove his or her chair and the circle close the gap.
4. The person in the center of the circle points to each of the other players and gives them a name, such as “Corn,” “Cranberries,” “Pumpkin,” “Squash,” “Turkey,” or any other food related to thanksgiving. Limit the items so that the youth are divided into 3 or 4 groups and everyone is assigned a label, including the youth in the middle.

Game Play

• The person in the center will call out a food item related to Thanksgiving.
• When that food is called, all youths with that label must get up and find an empty set vacated by another youth. The youth in the middle must do the same. Youths cannot sit in the same chair they vacated.
• The one who ends up without a seat is the now in the middle and call out the name of a food items and attempt to get into a chair.
• On occasion the youth in the middle can call out “Thanksgiving FEAST.” At this point everyone must get up and find a different seat.
• As a variation you might also allow the person in the center to call TWO food items.

Variations

• Place the food items labels on pieces of paper taped to the bottom of the chairs.
• You can play it so that if you a youth ends up in the center of the circle three times, he or she must perform some kind of “forfeit” such as sing a song, do a dance, tell a joke, pretend they are popcorn popping, sing “I’m a Little Teapot” with actions, etc. You can also wait until the end of the game and bring everyone that has been IT times to the center of the circle to do the forfeit as a group.

Take it the the Next Level
Each time a person ends up in the center they must share something they are thankful for.

Holiday Collection

Creative Holiday Ideas has over 300 pages of ideas to help you plan your next Thanksgiving celebration and games and activities for other familiar holidays. If you’ve ever wondered what you’re going to do for the various holidays and how you’re going to do it, this resource is for you.

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