It’s almost here- that single glorious day of the year that revolves completely around a giant pile of stuffing. Ahh, all’s right with the world when I’m devouring that giant bready-buttery confection. It’s the best Thanksgiving side dish. I will accept no other challengers at this time. My independent review board…me…and slightly older me…have concluded this as absolute fact in the early 2000s. Plain and simple.
Okay, okay it’s also a day all about gathering together with loved ones and sharing a wonderful meal. It’s one of the best days of the year. The food, the family, the parade, the games… Don’t you just love it all?
What’s not to love? Well, some may say the conversation. Right? When we gather with distant relatives, even close relatives, or acquaintances we may be unsure of what to talk about. That rings especially true in our current climate. Well, worry no more we are here to help.
Below we have generated some of the top non-argument-inducing topics for a fun and stress-free day. Not only can you find interesting new conversation topics, but we also included some of our favorite methods to keep the interaction interesting. You won’t want to miss this.
Start by choosing a method of interaction and then look through our topic list below. Finally, get ready for the most fun Thanksgiving your crew has seen in years.
How to Keep Table Topics Interesting
Before you look over the list of topics consider how you want to do this. Will it be a casual set of questions asked around the table, a formal affair where everyone takes a turn or an interactive game after the meal? There are lots of great options and one is sure to fit the bill for your unique guest list this year. Once you have chosen a method for participating, you can move on to the topics section below.
Have Your Guests Vote
Create a large poster (or grab one of those tri-fold boards everyone used for the science fair back in the day) with either or questions only. Ask guests to put a tally mark under their preferred answer. For example, cooking or doing dishes. Finally, after the meal, bring the board in and let everyone take a look at the answers. This is a fun way to get people involved the moment they walk in the door and get them talking again during dessert.
After Meal Game
Make it an after-meal game. Get started by choosing questions that are only either or, with only two possible answers. For example, you can include football or parade, stuffing or mashed potatoes, etc. Next, have everyone gather in a room with some space to move around. Ask one reader to announce each question. Finally, have guests move to one side of the room for each answer. For example, guests who prefer football move to the left side of the room, and guests who prefer the parade move to the right side of the room. This will allow guests to get moving and mix and mingle with those they may not have sat next to at dinner.
Questions in a Bowl
Start by printing or writing topics of your choice on small pieces of paper. Fold them and mix them in a festive basket or bowl. Next, pass the bowl around during dinner or dessert and have each guest take a piece of paper. Finally, go around in a circle until everyone has a chance to answer or share.
Keep the Bowl-Add Some Pizzazz
This version is the same as the one immediately above, except a guest can choose to have another player answer instead of sharing themself. For example, your aunt can draw a paper that asks about a favorite tv series but instead of answering herself, she may ask your cousin to answer. This way no one really knows which question they will end up answering.
Thanksgiving Table Topics
If you don’t want to do anything formal like the ideas above consider memorizing or writing down a few questions from this next list. You can use it during the Thanksgiving meal or dessert. Follow up by having everyone answer the same question or offer a few options and let people choose.
Top Thanksgiving Table Topics 2023
Here are some of our favorite options for this year:
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Say something nice about the person sitting to your left.
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Pick one; shopping and preparing the Thanksgiving meal or doing the dishes?
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Football or parade?
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If you could be in the Thanksgiving Day parade what would you want to do? (I.e. be on a float, in a marching band, dancing, riding on a float, etc.)
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What’s your favorite Thanksgiving Day parade balloon?
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If turkey didn’t exist, what would you pick as the new Thanksgiving meal?
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Have everyone share their favorite or least favorite Thanksgiving side dish.
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What are you most grateful for this year?
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What is your favorite new movie or tv series?
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What is one major achievement or accomplishment from the year you want to share?
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If money was no object where would you go for a week-long vacation?
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If you were an animal, what would you be and why?
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What is something you do or want to do to stay focused on gratitude throughout the year?
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What’s your favorite holiday?
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What fictional character would you invite to our Thanksgiving table?
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Have everyone choose their Thanksgiving turkey name and use a chart similar to this or make your own.
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Black Friday or Cyber Monday?
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What’s the best part of your day?
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What’s your favorite dessert?
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Do you prefer salty or sweet treats?
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What was something unexpected and nice someone did for you this year?
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What is something new you learned this year?
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What is something new you learned this year that surprised you?
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Instant pot or crock pot?
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Activity-based vacations or relaxed vacations?
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Hot weather or cold weather?
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If you could relocate to a new location for one year, where would you go?
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What’s your favorite act of self-care?
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If you could have one superpower for a day what would it be and why?
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If you could meet a historical figure, who would you choose?
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What’s been your most useful purchase this year?
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What was your favorite book this year?
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What was your favorite podcast this year?
Finally, get ready for a fun Thanksgiving Day when you try one of these new conversation ideas this year. Who knows, maybe your crew will start a new tradition. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
