Thanksgiving football squares
Holiday games run all afternoon, which makes a squares board the easiest way to get everyone, from cousins to grandparents, rooting for something.
Why it works at the family table
You do not need to follow the teams. A name in a square is enough to care about a field goal. Set the square price low, or play for dessert picks and dish-washing instead of money, and the board still works.
A simple plan for the day
- Pick the 25-square board if fewer than a dozen people are playing; two squares each fills it fast.
- Paste the guest list and use “Squares per person” so everyone gets the same number.
- Draw the numbers when everyone is there and read the draw code aloud.
- Fill in the scores at each break. The winning name appears with the prize beside it.
Prizes that are not cash
Set the square price to $0 and the board still finds winners; the prize table simply stays empty. Give the first quarter the first slice of pie, the half the choice of leftovers to take home, and the final the last word on the day’s movie.
Keep going
Questions
How many squares for a family gathering?
Use the 25-square board for up to about twelve people and the 50 or 100 for bigger groups. The auto-fill can give each guest the same number of squares.
Can we play without money?
Yes. Set the price to 0 and agree small prizes among yourselves. Winners are still found for every quarter.
Do we need to know the teams?
No. Type any labels for the two sides. The board only needs the scores.
How do I know the numbers were not rigged?
Each draw has a draw code, such as K7QX-92MD, and a time stamp. The code is the seed of the shuffle, so entering it again gives exactly the same numbers. Post the code in your group chat before the game; anyone can check it with the “Check a draw code” box.
How does the share link work?
The whole board is packed into the part of the web address after the “#”. Whoever opens it sees the same board, read-only. Change a name and you must copy a new link, because the old link keeps the old board.