Thanksgiving Joke Fortune Tellers
Fold a paper square, tuck your fingers into the pockets and let the next flap choose a Thanksgiving joke. The joke pack above has 28 setup-and-punchline pairs: enough for three tellers with eight jokes each, plus four extras. Below are the folding steps, instructions for labelling the flaps and rules for playing with a reading buddy.
The print control prints the jokes. You’ll need to prepare the paper squares yourself; there is no square-template download on this page.
What you need for the joke tellers
Have paper, scissors, a pencil and colored pencils or markers ready. The source suggests 90 gsm paper for folding. Fold one example before preparing the rest so you can check the pocket size and how much writing fits beneath a flap.
For a 5.9-inch square, draw and cut one square from an 8.5-by-11-inch sheet. Two squares of that size do not fit on one letter sheet. If you want two per sheet, use smaller squares that fit your printer’s margins and test one before making the whole batch. Borderless printing does not make the paper larger.
Prepare one teller per pair of players and at least one spare. For a larger group, you could add another spare for each six children. Keep the printed joke list as the host’s key; you can also write the eight chosen jokes on an unfolded copy before folding it.
The dinner-table, turkey and pie sets each contain eight joke pairs. Use one set per teller. The bonus set contains four: replace four jokes on a teller and keep four favorites for another round.
If younger guests would prefer a picture game, have Thanksgiving picture bingo ready as another way to join. Readers who want puzzles afterward can try the Thanksgiving word-game pack.
How to fold the fortune teller
Start with an unlabelled square. If you are using printed paper, lay the printed side down.
- Make two diagonal creases. Fold one corner to its opposite corner, press the fold and open the paper. Repeat with the other two corners. Open the square flat; the creases cross at the center.
- Fold the corners into the center. Bring each of the four corners to that crossing and press them flat. This folded square is called a blintz base.
- Turn it over and repeat. Flip the square, then fold each of the four new corners into the center.
- Fold it in half both ways. Fold the square in half, open it, then fold it in half the other way and open it again. The four outside pockets are where your fingers will go.
- Open the pockets. Slide your thumbs and index fingers beneath the four pockets. Bring the fingers together and gently work the teller open. Practice opening it in one direction, then the other.
Keep this first teller as the example. Photograph each of the five positions as you fold it, then print or arrange the pictures as a strip beside the children’s workspace. The strip is something you prepare; fold photographs are not included here.
If folding is part of the activity, show one step at a time. The craft party activities guide has suggestions for arranging supplies and helping guests who need different amounts of assistance.
Write the words, numbers and jokes
Write turkey, pie, parade and wishbone on the four outside pockets, one word per pocket. Add a different color to each pocket so a child can point to a color instead of reading the word.
Open the teller to find the eight inner triangles and number them 1–8. Lift each numbered flap and copy one complete joke pair beneath it. Put the setup first and the punchline below it so the reader can pause before revealing the answer.
For example, one flap could read:
Setup: Why did the turkey cross the road twice?
Punchline: To prove it was no chicken.
Unfold the teller temporarily if that makes writing easier, then refold along the creases. Check that the words and numbers are visible during play and that the reader can lift each flap without tearing it. If a pair of lines will not fit legibly, use a larger square or keep the punchlines on a separate numbered key.
How to play with a reading buddy
One person operates the teller and reads; the other chooses and guesses. Show a complete turn before passing it around.
- The player chooses an outside word or its color. The reader spells the word, opening the teller once for each letter and alternating directions.
- The player chooses a number they can see. The reader counts aloud and opens the teller that many times, again alternating directions.
- The player chooses a final visible number. The reader lifts that flap and reads the setup, keeping the punchline hidden.
- Allow up to three guesses, then read the punchline. If a guess was wrong and the player wants to hear the joke again, repeat it before the next turn.
- Swap readers after four turns. A younger player can keep choosing while their buddy handles the spelling and reading.
A flap may come up more than once. If you want to hear all eight jokes, mark the numbers already read on the host key and choose an unread one when a repeat appears.
For a player who would rather look for pictures than tell jokes, the Thanksgiving picture-search pack describes a visual activity. Thanksgiving matching cards are another option for pairs who want a card game instead.
An example six-minute table round
Try this short round between courses or while the turkey rests before carving, if it fits your meal. It totals six minutes. The pace is illustrative: pause or finish early when food is ready, and save unread jokes for later.
- 0:00–0:01 · Get the pairs started. Give each pair a teller, name the first reader and show the word-and-number choices.
- 0:01–0:03 · Play the first turns. Read the setups and allow up to three guesses. Swap readers after four turns if you reach that point.
- 0:03–0:05 · Continue with the other reader. Keep going at the children’s pace. A grown-up can join a wishbone turn and try answering with a straight face.
- 0:05–0:06 · Finish the current joke. Put the tellers and key back in the basket before serving resumes.
Keep the basket beside the place cards so supplies are easy to find. If plates leave little table space, players can operate the tellers in their laps.
For games at other points in the meal, see Thanksgiving games for the family. If guests arrive much earlier, activities while the turkey cooks can help you arrange crafts and familiar games, with someone available to help the children.
Get the tellers ready before dinner
You can spread these jobs over the week or prepare everything together before guests arrive.
- Print the joke list and cut the paper squares.
- Fold one example and photograph the five folding positions if you want a picture strip.
- Write the outside words and colors, then number the eight inner triangles.
- Copy one eight-joke set beneath each teller’s flaps and check every setup against its punchline.
- Prepare one teller per pair, plus spares; keep an unfolded copy or the printed joke list as the key.
- Put the tellers, key and pencil in a basket beside the place cards.
- Agree who will read with children who need a buddy.
- Bring out the basket during a pause in serving and put it away when the next course arrives.
If you are preparing several activities, the printable party games guide suggests keeping game materials and helper notes together. Label the joke key clearly so it does not get mixed into another game’s answers.
Your checkmarks won’t be saved when you leave this page.
More Thanksgiving games for the same table
Choose another activity for a different moment rather than putting every printable out at once.
- For something each child can work on: Thanksgiving activity placemats combine coloring and puzzles with a joke strip.
- For a performance after plates are cleared: Thanksgiving acting cards offer short prompts, with players choosing the kind of scene they want to act.
- For a longer craft before dinner: Disguise a turkey gives children costume ideas to draw or make. Prepare the turkey outlines and chosen materials separately.
- For another seated game: Quiet party games includes options with ordinary conversation and turn-taking. Seated jokes still involve voices and laughter.
If you are planning a separate holiday gathering as well as dinner, seasonal party ideas can help you think through the activity, food and space before shopping.
Thanksgiving joke fortune teller questions
How do you fold a Thanksgiving joke fortune teller?
Make two diagonal creases, fold the four corners into the center, turn the paper over and fold the new corners into the center. Fold it in half both ways, then open the four finger pockets.
What goes on the outside pockets?
Write turkey, pie, parade and wishbone, one word on each pocket. Add a different color to each so children who are not reading yet can point to a color.
How many tellers do I need for eight children?
Prepare five: four for the pairs and one spare. Give different pairs different joke sets if you want them to hear new punchlines when they exchange tellers.
Can a four-year-old play?
Yes, with a reading buddy who operates the teller, spells the chosen word and reads the joke. The younger player can choose a color or point to a number and guess the punchline aloud.
Does the print button produce fortune-teller squares?
No. It prints the 28 jokes. Prepare your own paper squares and copy the jokes onto the folded flaps; this page does not include a square-template download.
When should we play the six-minute round?
Try it between courses or while the turkey rests before carving, if that fits your meal. Six minutes is an example game length, not a guarantee that every joke will be read. Stop when serving begins and save unfinished jokes for later.