Thanksgiving Left Right Game: 7 Stories to Read Aloud

Last Thanksgiving, we hit the wall at 4:15. Dinner was an hour out, my four-year-old announced she was bored in the tone of voice that means trouble, and my sister pulled up a left right story on her phone. She handed my two-year-old a wrapped cookie cutter and started reading. By the third cue, the whole table was passing the wrong way on purpose. By the end, my toddler had decided the prize was hers, and nobody argued.

That is the whole magic: one story, one thing to pass, and a room full of people who suddenly cannot tell their left from their right. No board, no pieces, no setup. Below are seven original read-aloud stories, one for every moment of the day: the parade morning, the dead hour before dinner, the kids’ table, the dessert line, and the quiet minute before everyone eats. Pick your crowd’s story and pass whatever you have wrapped.

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How To Play

Supplies: one printed story (or a phone), one small wrapped prize per circle, one reader with a loud voice.

The setup: everyone sits in a circle, or stays where they are. Each circle needs one prize. Over about fifteen players, run two circles with two readers.

The trigger: the reader reads aloud. Every bold LEFT moves the prize one seat left; every bold RIGHT moves it one seat right. Only the bold cues move the prize.

The end: when the story ends, passing stops. Whoever holds the prize keeps it. Open it right away.

The reader: pick a strong voice who can ham it up. The reader can play too. With little kids in the circle, a grown-up should read.

Big-group fairness: a prize can circle all the way back to the person who brought it. Fix: the reader adds one bonus pass when the story ends, before the winner is declared.

What to wrap: small, light, fun to hold. Ideas with links in the prize section.

How to Read a Cue Story Out Loud

Hit the cues hard. Say the bold words louder, and a beat slower, than the rest of the sentence.

Find a steady pace. Too fast and the passing piles up; too slow and the energy dies. Read it aloud to yourself once first.

No re-reads mid-game. If laughter drowns a cue, repeat that one sentence and keep going.

Let a kid read the gentle one. Story 7 has short sentences and slow cues on purpose. A confident eight-year-old with a grown-up beside them is a Thanksgiving memory.

The 7 Stories

Every passing cue is in bold. Cue counts sit under each title so you can match the story to your crowd’s energy. All seven are original, written for this guide.

1. The Turkey That Almost Wasn’t

Cues: L 9 · R 10 · Total 19

On Thanksgiving morning, Mom slid the turkey from the oven and stared. It was far too big for the platter RIGHT beside her. “We need the big platter,” she said, and sent Noah LEFT to the dining room. Noah ran LEFT, and came RIGHT back with the wrong platter. “The BIG one,” Mom said, pointing RIGHT at the good-platter cabinet.

Meanwhile Grandpa waved the whisk LEFT at Uncle Ray. “Stir it,” he said. Uncle Ray stirred RIGHT around the pot, then LEFT, and declared it perfect. The rolls came out RIGHT on time. Dad carved LEFT through the breast and RIGHT through the leg, and the first slice went RIGHT onto Grandma’s plate, because Grandma always eats first.

“Who forgot the cranberry sauce?” Mom asked. Everyone looked LEFT. Everyone looked RIGHT. It was still sitting LEFT of the sink, where Mom had LEFT it that morning. Noah dashed LEFT to grab it. The platter went RIGHT to the table, the turkey went RIGHT with it, and dinner was saved.

2. The Great Gravy Boat Rescue

Cues: L 6 · R 7 · Total 13

At the kids’ table, the gravy boat was the most important thing in the room. It sat RIGHT in the middle, shiny and important. “Whatever you do,” whispered Mia, “don’t knock it LEFT.” Instantly her elbow went RIGHT into her milk, and the milk slid LEFT.

“The gravy boat is going to sail RIGHT off the table!” shouted Noah. Everyone reached RIGHT to catch it. Lily grabbed it LEFT-handed and held it up like a trophy. “Saved!”

They passed the boat LEFT so everyone could see it, then smell it. “It smells like Thanksgiving,” said Lily, and she was RIGHT. The gravy boat went LEFT back to the middle, where it belonged. From then on, everyone was careful. No more elbows LEFT. No more milk RIGHT. Just a perfect gravy boat, RIGHT where it belonged.

3. The Parade Balloon That Got Away

Cues: L 8 · R 10 · Total 18

The parade was on, and the biggest balloon was a giant turkey. “Look LEFT,” Dad said. “There it is!” The balloon floated RIGHT across the screen. “It’s going RIGHT past the buildings,” said Noah. “No,” said Mia, “it’s going LEFT!”

Then the wind caught it: the balloon drifted LEFT and the helpers ran RIGHT for the ropes. It dipped RIGHT, then swerved LEFT, then went RIGHT over the crowd. “Someone grab it LEFT!” Dad yelled at the television, as if they could hear him.

The balloon came RIGHT back into the middle of the parade, and everyone cheered. “We helped,” said Mia. “We yelled RIGHT when it needed to go RIGHT, and LEFT when it needed to go LEFT.” Dad nodded. “That’s RIGHT. The balloon heard us.” For the rest of the morning, every balloon was watched carefully, LEFT and RIGHT, until the parade ended.

4. The Leftover Sandwich Standoff

Cues: L 7 · R 9 · Total 16

The day after Thanksgiving, the fridge held the most important treasure in the house: LEFTovers. Noah opened the door: someone had built the perfect sandwich. It was gone. “Who took the sandwich?” he demanded. Everyone looked LEFT. Everyone looked RIGHT. Nobody answered.

“The last roll is RIGHT there in the bread box,” said Mia. “Whoever gets the roll that’s LEFT in the box builds the next sandwich.” Noah dove LEFT. Lily dove RIGHT. They met in the middle; the roll went LEFT, then RIGHT, then LEFT again before Noah caught it.

He built his sandwich carefully. Turkey RIGHT on the bottom. Stuffing LEFT on top. Cranberry sauce RIGHT in the middle. “This is the best sandwich,” he said, “and I built it RIGHT.” He cut it in half and handed the other half RIGHT to Lily. “Truce,” he said. And that was RIGHT. The best sandwiches are the ones you share.

5. Grandpa’s Wishbone Bargain

Cues: L 5 · R 7 · Total 12

After dinner, Grandpa pulled the wishbone from the turkey and held it up. “Here’s the deal,” he said. “Whoever breaks it clean picks the movie tonight.” Everyone leaned LEFT for a closer look. “That’s not fair,” said Uncle Ray. “You always pick RIGHT.”

“Fine,” said Grandpa. “If I win, I pick the movie. If you win, you pick it, but you sit LEFT of me while we watch.” “Deal,” said Uncle Ray. Grandpa pulled LEFT. Uncle Ray pulled RIGHT. The wishbone snapped.

Uncle Ray held the bigger piece. “I won!” “That’s RIGHT,” said Grandpa, “but which movie?” Uncle Ray thought LEFT, then RIGHT, and said, “The one with the turkey.” Everyone laughed. “Then we’ll watch the parade replay,” said Uncle Ray, “and sit RIGHT here until it’s over.” So they did: Grandpa LEFT, Uncle Ray RIGHT, and the wishbone went RIGHT into the memory box.

6. The Pie Line

Cues: L 7 · R 9 · Total 16

Dessert: the pie was RIGHT there on the counter, golden and perfect. “Who gets the first slice?” asked Noah. “The person LEFT of Grandma,” said Grandpa. “New rule.” Everyone shuffled LEFT to be closer to Grandma. “Nice try,” she laughed. “The first slice goes RIGHT to the cook.”

Mom cut the first slice and set it RIGHT in front of Grandma anyway. “Moms know,” she said. Then the slices started moving. One went LEFT to Uncle Ray. One went RIGHT to Aunt Lily. One went LEFT to Noah, waiting RIGHT by the counter. “I was RIGHT here,” he said. “I never LEFT.”

“True,” said Mom. “You get the big slice.” The whipped cream went LEFT around the table. The forks went RIGHT. When the tin was empty, everyone had exactly RIGHT what they wanted: a full plate and no regrets. “Same time next year,” said Grandpa, and everyone nodded LEFT and RIGHT.

7. A Very Thankful Table

Cues: L 8 · R 8 · Total 16

Before anyone took a bite, Grandma asked everyone to hold hands. “Let’s go around the table,” she said, “and say one thing we’re thankful for. The person on my LEFT starts.” Noah was on her LEFT. “I’m thankful for pie,” he said. Everyone laughed, and the laughter went RIGHT around the table and LEFT back.

“I’m thankful for my dog,” said Lily. “He’s RIGHT here under the table, hoping for turkey.” Everyone looked RIGHT under the table, and the dog thumped his tail. Uncle Ray was thankful for naps, especially the ones LEFT over from last Thanksgiving. Aunt Lily was thankful for second chances and second slices. Dad was thankful for this table, with everyone sitting RIGHT where they belonged, LEFT and RIGHT.

When it came back to Grandma, she squeezed the hands on her LEFT and her RIGHT and said, “I’m thankful for every single person holding hands RIGHT now.” Nobody moved. Nobody reached LEFT for a roll. Nobody passed anything RIGHT or LEFT. For one whole minute, the table was perfectly still. Then Grandma said, “Now eat,” and the whole table cheered.

Which Story Should You Read?

Pick by crowd and moment; cue load is how much passing you get.

New to hosting? Start with Story 1.

Print All Seven Stories

A printed reader copy beats a phone: the cues stay bold and you get a spare for the kids’ table. Print at 100 percent, one spare copy. Outside the US, these print fine on A4. If your house prints as much as mine does in November, a refillable ink-tank printer earns its shelf space.

Epson EcoTank ET-2800 Printer

The one upgrade that changes the math on a print-heavy week: a refillable ink-tank printer with no cartridges at all. Epson rates a single ink set at up to 4,500 black and 7,500 color pages, and says up to 2 years of ink comes in the box. Seven stories plus reader copies and kids’ table spares, for pennies of ink per page.

Check Price on Amazon

What to Wrap as the Prize

Keep prizes small, light, and cheap:

• A mini pumpkin. The Thanksgiving-native prize. Travels well, photographs well.
• A bundle of glow sticks. Glow-stick bracelets for the winner, wrapped in tissue. Crack them after the game and the walk to the car becomes a glow-stick parade. A grown-up cracks and activates the sticks. The inside liquid is not for chewing.

Glow Sticks — 100 Pack

The winner prize that doubles as a party favor. Wrap a few sticks per bundle and pass them as the prize; whoever holds the bundle at the end keeps it. A grown-up cracks and activates the sticks; little hands don’t do the bending.

Check Price on Amazon

• A cookie cutter. Turkey-shaped, obviously. Doubles as a favor.
• A five-dollar gift card. The teen-table prize.
• A gratitude journal. The grown-up who wins the Story 7 round gets the thematically correct prize.
• A bag of wrapped treats. Only wrapped candy, only for kids over three. Small hard candy is a choking hazard for under-threes; the littlest players pass a soft toy instead.
• Flameless tea lights for the evening round. Flameless LED tea lights in jars down the table: dim the overheads and read the last story by their glow. No open flame near a dry centerpiece or little hands. A grown-up handles the battery covers.

Flameless LED Tea Lights

The glow for the evening reading round. Set these in jars down the table, dim the overheads, and read the last story by their light. Warm flicker with no open flame near a dry centerpiece or little hands. A grown-up handles the battery covers.

Check Price on Amazon

4 Ways to Twist the Game

1. The Gratitude Pass. Whoever holds the prize at the end shares one thing they are thankful for before opening it.

2. Pass the Mini Pumpkin. Skip individual prizes. One mini pumpkin travels the circle; whoever holds it at the end wins the single wrapped prize.

3. The Unwrap Layer. Wrap one prize in layers of tissue; each cue unwraps one layer instead of passing. Match the layer count to the story’s cues.

4. The Kids’ Table Relay. A second circle at the kids’ table with Story 2 and a grown-up reader. Same game, smaller chaos.

The Under-5 Version

Toddlers can play with three adjustments. Slowest story, slowest reader: use Story 7; the reader pauses a beat between cues. A grown-up partner passes with them. Everyone keeps something: hand every little player their own glow stick, cracked and activated by a grown-up. No losers, no tears.

Shop This Post

Everything used in this guide, in one place:

Product	Used For	Price
Glow Sticks — 100 Pack	Pass-along prizes: winner keeps the bundle, then the glow parade	Check Price
Flameless LED Tea Lights	Evening reading ambiance down the table	Check Price
Epson EcoTank ET-2800 Printer	Printing all 7 stories plus reader copies and spares	Check Price

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Thanksgiving Left Right Game?

A read-aloud passing game: one person reads, every LEFT moves the prize one seat left, every RIGHT one seat right. Story ends, holder keeps the prize.

How many people can play?

Four to fifteen in one circle; more than that, run two circles with two readers.

What ages is it good for?

Age four and up for the standard stories. Under-fives play the adjusted version above: slowest story, a grown-up partner, a prize for every little player.

Do I need to print the stories, or can I read from my phone?

A phone works. Printing is better: the bold cues stay readable and you get a spare for the kids’ table. Print at 100 percent.

What should I wrap as the prize?

Small, light, cheap: a mini pumpkin, glow sticks, a cookie cutter, a five-dollar gift card, a gratitude journal, or wrapped candy. One prize per circle.

A Quick Word on Keeping It Kind

• Match the story to the ages. The wishbone story waits until the kids migrate.
• A grown-up reads when little kids play.
• Laugh with the mix-ups, never at a frozen kid. If a little one will not pass, the partner helps, no commentary.
• No food shaming. Somebody cooked the dish being named.
• Keep the gratitude real, or keep it silly. “Pie” and “my dog” are perfectly good answers.

Light the Candles and Read

Wrap one prize, pick the story that fits your table, and read it like you mean it. Start with the turkey story and save the thankful one for the quiet minute. Happy Thanksgiving, mama.