Thanksgiving Party Ideas - Looking Back

Thanksgiving Party Ideas -
Looking Back
www.CreativeYouthIdeas.com
www.CreativeHolidayIdeas.com

Thanksgiving is an American Holiday where people set aside a day to
remember what God has done for them over the past one year and praise
Him and give Him thanks for the works He has done in heir lives. This
game plays on the idea of looking forward yet being able to recognize and
picture what is behind. It serves as a metaphor for us, also looking
forward to the future, but taking some time to picture and recognize what
God has done in the past.

What You Need
• A variety of simple images related to the Thanksgiving. Some
possibilities include a turkey, a pumpkin, a pie, an Indian, fall
leaves, the Mayflower ship, pilgrims, etc. You can also use
simple greeting cards for the design or images from a
Children’s coloring book.
• Paper and something for youth to write with.

What to do – Game
• Form teams of six people.
• Instruct each team to sit in a line, one person behind another,
and take a vow of silence for the duration of the game.
• Give the first person in each line a pencil and a piece of paper.
• Then show the last person in each line a simple image of
a Thanksgiving outline or drawing

• That person must use his or her finger to draw the object
on the back of the person in front of him or her.
• This continues until the drawing reaches the first person in
line. He or she must draw it on the piece of paper.
• Have judges determine which team’s picture closest
resembles the original picture.
• If time permits, play more rounds, letting team members
change positions if they wish.

TAKE IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL
MAKE IT SPIRITUAL
In this game, we looked forward but had to recognize things that were
behind us. Sometimes it is difficult to look back and recognize God’s
handiwork when we are focused only on what is in front of us.
Thanksgiving is an opportunity to look back, and recognize what God
has done for us and praise Him and Thank Him for his work in our lives.

In Deuteronomy 8: 10-18 the Israelites were also reminded to look back at
what God had done for them.
“When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God for the
good land he has given you. Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your
God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am
giving you this day. Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you
build fine houses and settle down, and when your herds and flocks grow
large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, then
your heart will become proud and you will forget the Lord your God,

who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. He led you through
the vast and dreadful wilderness, that thirsty and waterless land, with its
venomous snakes and scorpions. He brought you water out of hard rock. He
gave you manna to eat in the wilderness, something your ancestors had never
known, to humble and test you so that in the end it might go well with you.
You may say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have
produced this wealth for me.” But remember the Lord your God, for it is he
who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant,
which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today.”

• List some of the things mentioned in the
passage that the Israelites were to praise
God for? Were they all pleasant things?
• What lessons can we learn from this
passage?

What to do – An optional Illustration
1. Ask the youth to look around the room and take notice of
everything in the room that is red. (You can use any color
here as long as there are things in the room of that color)
2. Then ask the youths to close their eyes and name something
in the room that is yellow. (Again pick any color that can be
found in the room)

3. Most will be unable to name something unless they are wearing that color.
4. It doesn’t mean that the color did not exist when they were looking
around, but the way our minds work, when we focus on something
specific, we have a hard time recognizing anything else.
The lesson is that if we are always looking at all the negative things in our lives
and all of our problems (the red color) we will probably miss all the things to be
thankful for (the yellow color).

MAKE IT PRACTICAL
• Why is it important to Thank God and Praise Him
for what he has done for us in the past?
• What does the passage in Deuteronomy 8 says
about why it is important?

MAKE IT PERSONAL
• Ask God to help you to examine your life – help you to see all the
times He’s worked in your life.
• What has God done in your life today and then what has He done
this week? This month? Write down a list of everything God’s done
in your life during the past year.
• Ask the youth to share some things they have received from God or
that God has done for them during the past year?

• What event(s) in your life do you look back on as special evidence
of God's love and care for you?
• Spend some moments in prayer, praising and thanking God for
working in your life.
• Ask the youth to keep the list of blessings made during the lesson,
take it home, and place it in a drawer or on a mirror where it will
be seen often and add to it from time to time.

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE
“Give praise to the LORD, proclaim his name; make known among the
nations what he has done. Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his
wonderful acts. Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek
the LORD rejoice. Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face
always. Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the
judgments he pronounced”
- 1 Chronicles 16:8-12

Holiday Collection
Games and Activities in Celebration
of common Holidays.
Creative Holiday Ideas has over 300 pages of
ideas to help you plan your next New Year’s
Day, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s
Day, Halloween or Fall Festival, and
Thanksgiving event. If you’ve ever wondered
what you’re going to do for all these holidays
and how you’re going to do it, this resource is
for you.
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Thanksgiving Party Ideas - Looking Back

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