There are plenty of ways to bring a little gratitude and fun to your team’s Thanksgiving plans! Whether you’re celebrating in the office or catching up over a video call, these five Thanksgiving activities give everyone something to join in on. A strong opinion about mashed potatoes might come in handy, too. 🦃

1. 🎉 Kick Things Off With CrowdParty’s Thanksgiving Party

Give your team something to gather around before anyone reaches for a second slice of pie!

CrowdParty’s Thanksgiving Party brings a holiday game break to your celebration. Make it the main event at your office gathering or get remote teammates together on a video call for some friendly competition.

Set aside time during the workday, invite everyone to bring their favorite snack, and let the games take over. That quiet coworker might turn out to be the most competitive person in the room!

Pro tip: Invite everyone to pick a Thanksgiving nickname before you begin. “Gravy Expectations” sounds like someone who came to win.

2. 🥧 Build a Team Recipe Swap

Every team has someone with a recipe they swear by. This is their moment.

Invite coworkers to contribute a favorite holiday dish, comfort food, or go-to snack to a shared document. Thanksgiving classics are welcome, but so is the five-minute noodle recipe that gets someone through a busy week!

Ask everyone to include:

  • The name of their dish.
  • The ingredients and instructions, or a link to the recipe.
  • A sentence about why they love it.
  • Their best serving tip or shortcut.

Give your collection a name, like “The Out-of-Office Cookbook,” and share it before the holiday break. You might discover that your next favorite recipe belongs to someone you’ve only ever discussed spreadsheets with.

Pro tip: Store-bought favorites count, too! Knowing which frozen pie deserves a spot at dinner is valuable team knowledge.

An open recipe book on a kitchen counter beside jars of ingredients

3. 🔎 Go on a Thanksgiving Scavenger Hunt

Your team has two minutes to find something that could serve as a tiny turkey’s hat. Go!

Turn your Thanksgiving celebration into a photo challenge with CrowdParty’s Scavenger Hunt! Customize your tiles with festive prompts, then have teammates snap and submit photos of their finds from home or around the office.

Try these prompts:

  • Something you’re thankful you keep within reach.
  • An object that could double as a Thanksgiving centerpiece.
  • Something that belongs in your ideal cozy afternoon.
  • The strangest thing you could use to serve mashed potatoes.
  • Something a turkey might pack for a holiday getaway.

Players join by scanning a QR code or entering the game PIN, and a live leaderboard keeps the friendly competition going!

Once the hunt wraps up, review the photo submissions together and let people explain their choices. A paperclip might need a convincing backstory!

Need help getting started? Follow our guide to hosting an office scavenger hunt.

Pro tip: Give a bonus shout-out for the most imaginative interpretation. Finding a pumpkin is easy. Explaining why your stapler belongs at Thanksgiving dinner takes commitment!

4. 💛 Send a Gratitude Note

Some thank-yous deserve more than a quick reaction in the group chat.

Set aside ten minutes for teammates to write a note to someone who made their workday better. It could be the person who helped untangle a problem, covered a meeting, or always remembers to include them in the lunch order.

Give everyone a few starting points:

  • “You saved my day when you…”
  • “Something you do that I really appreciate is…”
  • “I’m still grateful for the time you…”

Use postcards in the office or send messages directly to remote coworkers. Let each person decide whether they want to share publicly or keep their note between colleagues.

Pro tip: Think beyond the biggest projects. The small, everyday things people do often make the best thank-you notes!

A hand holding a thank-you card

5. 🍽️ Host a Leftover Recipe Pitch!

The fridge is full. The containers don’t match. Your team has a business opportunity...

Split everyone into small groups and challenge them to invent a dish using three Thanksgiving leftovers. Give each group five minutes to come up with:

  • A name for their creation.
  • A quick explanation of how they’d make it.
  • A slogan that would convince someone to try it.

Then give each group one minute to pitch. Turkey-and-stuffing waffles? Mashed potato croquettes? A slice of pie blended into a milkshake? We’re listening.

Vote for “Most Likely to Order,” “Best Name,” and “Most Unexpected Combination.” Remote teams can brainstorm in breakout rooms before returning for their big reveal.

Pro tip: Keep this a pitch-only challenge so everyone can participate without cooking or buying ingredients. The sales pitch is half the fun!

Thanksgiving leftovers packed in labeled food containers

Photo: Andrew Nash / CC BY-SA 2.0

Make Room for a Little Thanksgiving Fun

Pick an activity that fits your team, put it on the calendar, and give everyone a chance to take a break together. Leave room for coworkers who celebrate differently to join in however they’re comfortable.

Quick Answers for Busy Planners 💬

What are some fun Thanksgiving activities for work?

Play CrowdParty’s Thanksgiving Party, swap favorite recipes, host a scavenger hunt, write thank-you notes, or pitch creative dishes made from leftovers. Pick one for a quick team break or combine a few for your office celebration!

How can we make a workplace Thanksgiving celebration inclusive?

Keep participation optional and make room for teammates who celebrate differently or don’t observe Thanksgiving. Choose activities that don’t require cooking, purchases, or personal sharing, and let people send thank-you notes privately if they prefer.

Can remote teams join these Thanksgiving activities?

Absolutely! Gather on a video call for a game, have teammates submit photos through CrowdParty’s Scavenger Hunt, or share recipes in a team document. For coworkers across time zones, leave the recipe swap open throughout the week so everyone can contribute when it suits them!

Ready to get the festivities started? Bring your team together with CrowdParty’s Thanksgiving Party and see who earns the holiday bragging rights! 🎉