How to Play the Thanksgiving Game Shake Your Tail Feathers

Thanksgiving is a time for family and friends to gather around the table – the game table that is! And we have the perfect Thanksgiving dice game for you: Shake Your Tail Feathers! (No AI didn’t write that. I did I just like to use fun punctuation: )

Shake your Tail Feathers is an easy to learn and play game where players have to decide if they’re going to risk it and keep going or play it safe. It adds to our growing number of Thanksgiving games like Gobble the card game, the Big List of Thanksgiving Games, and Who Burnt the Turkey mystery game. Not to mention the big list of games to play with a group.

Why so many games? Because we know that connecting and making memories is what the holidays are all about. And playing games is the best way to do that!

Back to Shake Your Tail Feathers. In this post we’ll cover how to play, the rules, how to win and where you can get your copy. Let’s get into it.

This post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small commission at no cost to you when you make a purchase using my link.

What Do I Need for the Thanksgiving Game Shake Your Tail Feathers?

You will need one dice, a game board, and “feathers” for each player. If you need more dice, and who doesn’t?, you can shop dice here. Canadians here.

How Do I Play the Shake Your Tail Feathers Game?

To start, each player gets 10 tail feathers. Next, each player rolls the dice to see who will play first. The high roll gets to start.

The game Shake your Tail Feathers with the mat, dice, feathers and rules

On your turn, roll the dice. If the number on the mat is uncovered, you can place a feather on it. You may now choose to stop and your turn is over or you can roll again. Again, if you roll a number that doesn’t have a feather on it, place one and deicde if you’re going to roll again or stop.

A Shake Your Tail Feathers player rolling a two

If you roll a 6 then you get to place one of your tail feathers into the discard spot. You get to decide to roll again or stop.

A player rolling a 6 — This player has rolled a 6 and places a feather in the discard pile.

If you roll a number that already has a feather on it, you must pick up all the feathers on the turkey. The feathers in the discard remain as they are on longer in play. Your turn is over and it’s the next player’s turn.

A Shake your tail feathers player rolling a number that already has a feather on it. — This player has rolled 4 that already has a feather on it. They will have to pick up all the feathers from the mat numbers.

Each player’s turn goes the same. They roll place a feather or have to pick up feathers. If you placed a feather you can chose to stop or roll again.

How Do I Win Shake Your Tail Feathers?

The first player who Shakes (or places) all of their feathers is the winner.

You can now reset the game and play again.

All Shook Out

The Thanksgiving Dice Game Shake Your Tail Feathers is great for players of all ages—from the preschooler all the way to Grandma. As it is a push your luck kind of game, it is more than a luck-based game as you have to know “when to hold them and know when to walk away” but isn’t so complicated that you take an hour to pick your next move. It’s also a perfect waiting game for when you’re expecting guests, and an after-dinner game when your stuffed like a teddy bear.

Where Can You Get Shake Your Tail Feathers?

I’m glad you asked! You can get your copy in our very own Family Game Shelf Shop. You can get it right here. And while you’re there check out our other Thanksgiving games like our Pass the Prize party game, Turkey Trot race game, Who Burnt the Turkey, Don’t Be Last and more!

Don’t forget to c check out our big list of Thanksgiving Games and our virial card game Gobble (this one will have you laughing so hard you’ll cry!) And if you’re really into competition check out Don’t Be Last—the game with just one rule: don’t be last!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Be the first to reply