How Do You Play a Thanksgiving Describe-and-Draw Game?

In a Thanksgiving describe-and-draw game, one partner looks at a simple autumn picture while the other draws it without seeing the original. The describer explains the objects, shapes, and positions. When both are ready, they uncover the pictures and compare what happened.

You only need paper, pencils, and a hidden reference picture. The Smithsonian American Art Museum includes describe-and-draw among its family activities. This Thanksgiving version uses an original pumpkin scene and keeps the round relaxed, with questions welcome and no drawing contest required.

Set up a comfortable pair

Choose a describer and a drawer, letting each person pick a role they are happy to try. Place the reference where only the describer can see it. Sit back-to-back if comfortable, or face each other with an upright folder hiding the picture and drawing.

Face-to-face seating can be useful for people who need to see their partner’s face. Check that the folder actually blocks the papers without making conversation awkward. There is no need for blindfolds or closed eyes.

Give the drawer a blank sheet in landscape orientation. Tell both partners that the top, bottom, left, and right refer to the page as the drawer sees it. Invite them to spend about five minutes on a first attempt, with extra time whenever wanted.

Make a reference picture worth describing

Draw this uncomplicated scene on a separate landscape sheet:

• A large, wide pumpkin sits near the lower center. It has three curved vertical lines and a short stem.
• A small leaf floats above and to the left of the pumpkin. Its pointed oval outline contains one central vein.
• A tall mug stands to the right of the pumpkin, with its handle on the right.
• One horizontal line runs beneath the pumpkin and mug as the tabletop edge.

Keep space between the objects and leave the background blank. The pumpkin, leaf, and mug should not overlap. Color is optional; shapes and placement provide plenty to describe.

Make the card before the drawer arrives. If both players have already studied this example, use a fresh arrangement so the drawer is responding to the description rather than remembering the picture.

Describe the big shapes first

Start with the overall layout, then work through one object at a time. Getty’s partner drawing activity suggests describing features such as shape, size, lines, and decoration. For this scene, a describer might say:

1. “The paper is wider than it is tall.”
2. “Put a wide oval pumpkin near the bottom center. Leave space beneath it.”
3. “Add a short stem at the top and three curved lines from top to bottom.”
4. “Above the pumpkin, a little to the left, draw a small pointed oval leaf.”
5. “Give the leaf one line down its middle.”
6. “To the pumpkin’s right, draw a tall mug with a curved handle on its right side.”
7. “Draw a horizontal line beneath the pumpkin and mug.”

Pause after each instruction. Words such as “small” become clearer with a comparison: “The leaf is much smaller than the pumpkin.” Naming objects is allowed in this version; nobody needs to turn the description into a riddle.

Let the drawer ask questions

The drawer can ask, “Is the mug taller than the pumpkin?” or “Does the leaf touch the stem?” The describer answers from the reference without peeking at the drawing or taking over the pencil.

This question-friendly approach also appears in the North Carolina Museum of Art’s back-to-back drawing instructions. For a casual holiday round, repeating or rephrasing a direction is part of playing together.

Reveal, compare, and choose what comes next

When the pair is ready, place the original and drawing together. Notice a detail that came through clearly, then ask which instruction could have used more information. Differences are conversation starters, not reasons to criticize someone’s art or listening.

Switch roles only if both people want another turn. Use a new picture, such as the same objects in different positions, rather than passing the completed drawing around a group.

Offer larger paper, a thick marker, typed directions, or signed descriptions while keeping the reference hidden. Someone who prefers arranging large paper shapes can recreate the layout that way. Players may also watch, work together on a visible picture, or skip the activity. A short, enjoyable round is enough.