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28 Thanksgiving riddles with answers

Thanksgiving riddles about the turkey, the table and the harvest to pass around at dinner. Easy ones for kids come first; the last section is for teens and adults.

28 riddles · Thanksgiving riddles with answers · answers included

Thanksgiving riddles with answers

Choose a score button to add a point. Scores last for this page visit.

Space shows the answer, then the next card. Arrow keys move. With scores on, keys 1 to 6 add a team point. F fills the screen. Escape closes play.

Easy riddles for kids

  1. 1

    I'm a bone that everybody wants to break. What am I?

    easy

    Answer

    The wishbone.

    Two people pull on the wishbone, and whoever ends up with the bigger piece gets to make a wish.

  2. 2

    I'm poured from a boat, but I've never been to sea. What am I?

    easy

    Answer

    Gravy.

    Gravy is served from a small jug called a gravy boat.

  3. 3

    I'm shaped like a horn, but nobody ever plays me. Fruit and vegetables spill out of me onto the table. What am I?

    easy

    Answer

    A cornucopia.

    A cornucopia is a horn-shaped basket filled with food from the harvest.

  4. 4

    I'm stuffed, but not with food. I stand in the field with my arms out, and birds are supposed to be scared of me. What am I?

    easy

    Answer

    A scarecrow.

    A scarecrow is stuffed with straw and put in a field to keep birds away from the crops.

  5. 5

    I'm as tall as a building and I float down the street, but people have to hold me down with ropes. What am I?

    easy

    Answer

    A parade balloon.

    Giant balloons in Thanksgiving parades are held down by teams pulling on ropes.

  6. 6

    After the big dinner, everybody suddenly has somewhere else to be when it's time to do us. What are we?

    easy

    Answer

    The dishes.

    Washing the dishes after a big meal is the job everyone tries to dodge.

  7. 7

    I'm a drumstick, but I've never played a drum. What am I?

    easy

    Answer

    A turkey leg.

    A turkey's lower leg is called a drumstick.

  8. 8

    On Thanksgiving afternoon I get kicked and thrown around, and nobody feels sorry for me. What am I?

    easy

    Answer

    A football.

    Watching or playing football on Thanksgiving afternoon is a tradition in many American families.

  9. 9

    In November we fall, but nobody trips. What are we?

    easy

    Answer

    Leaves.

    In the season called fall, leaves drop from the trees.

  10. 10

    I'm a vegetable on the Thanksgiving table, and I'm also a sport played with a racket. What am I?

    easy

    Answer

    Squash.

    Squash is a vegetable, and squash is also a racket game played indoors.

Harder riddles for kids

  1. 11

    Some families say me before the meal, and a ballet dancer moves with me. What am I?

    medium

    Answer

    Grace.

    Saying grace means giving thanks before eating, and grace is also the smooth, easy way a dancer moves.

  2. 12

    My name is a month and a flower put together, but I'm a ship that carried the Pilgrims. What am I?

    medium

    Answer

    The Mayflower.

    MAY and FLOWER make MAYFLOWER, the ship that sailed to America in 1620.

  3. 13

    Which thing that opens a lock is hiding in the word TURKEY?

    medium

    Answer

    A KEY.

    TUR-KEY: the last three letters spell KEY.

  4. 14

    Put one letter in front of CORN, and you get a nut that squirrels bury. What is it?

    medium

    Answer

    ACORN.

    A plus CORN makes ACORN.

  5. 15

    Add one letter to the end of PIE, and you get a dock where boats tie up. What is it?

    medium

    Answer

    PIER.

    PIE plus R makes PIER.

  6. 16

    Which short sleep is hiding in the word NAPKIN?

    medium

    Answer

    A NAP.

    NAP-KIN: the first three letters spell NAP.

  7. 17

    Rearrange the letters of PLATE to get part of a flower.

    medium

    Answer

    PETAL.

    PLATE and PETAL use the same five letters.

  8. 18

    Which small hotel is hiding in the word DINNER?

    medium

    Answer

    An INN.

    D-INN-ER: the middle letters spell INN.

  9. 19

    Which word for what you did at dinner is hiding in GRATEFUL?

    medium

    Answer

    ATE.

    GR-ATE-FUL: the middle letters spell ATE.

  10. 20

    Which part of your foot is hiding inside the word POTATOES?

    medium

    Answer

    A TOE.

    POTA-TOE-S: the letters T, O and E sit side by side.

  11. 21

    Add one letter to the front of a compass direction, and you get a big holiday meal. What is it?

    medium

    Answer

    FEAST.

    F plus EAST makes FEAST.

  12. 22

    Dinner is at 5:00. The turkey needs 4 hours in the oven and 30 more minutes to rest on the counter. When should it go into the oven?

    medium

    Answer

    12:30.

    Counting back 30 minutes from 5:00 gives 4:30, and 4 hours before that is 12:30.

Riddles for teens and adults

  1. 23

    Rearrange the letters of CARVE, what the host does to the turkey, to get what you do when you really want another slice.

    hard

    Answer

    CRAVE.

    CARVE and CRAVE use the same five letters.

  2. 24

    Rearrange the letters of BASTE, what a cook does to keep a turkey juicy, to get a big wild animal.

    hard

    Answer

    BEAST.

    BASTE and BEAST use the same five letters.

  3. 25

    Rearrange the letters of TABLE to get the sound a sheep makes.

    hard

    Answer

    BLEAT.

    TABLE and BLEAT use the same five letters.

  4. 26

    I'm the bird on the table, and in bowling I'm three strikes in a row. What am I?

    hard

    Answer

    A turkey.

    Bowlers call three strikes in a row a turkey.

  5. 27

    Put the same letter in front of ARVEST, AM and OLIDAY to make three words you might hear at Thanksgiving. Which letter is it?

    hard

    Answer

    H.

    H makes HARVEST, HAM and HOLIDAY.

  6. 28

    Which word for very serious and gloomy is hiding at the end of PILGRIM?

    hard

    Answer

    GRIM.

    PIL-GRIM: the last four letters spell GRIM.

Timer and team scores

8 turns × 60 seconds = 8 minutes of play, plus instructions and breaks.

60

Pause whenever the group needs more time.

Team Lime's turn

Team Lime: 0

Team Violet: 0

Use this set with a group

Read a prompt, allow thinking time, then invite an answer or a pass. For a timed round, choose a turn length before starting. A host can keep the printed answers out of view until the round ends.