Give guests an easy invitation.
Place a few word searches and pencils at a side table rather than making an activity compulsory. A seasonal vocabulary list can include harvest, gratitude, pumpkin, orchard, and gather. Keep food and drinks away from the papers, and leave enough table space for everyone to use them comfortably.
Make it a group moment.
For a mixed group, invite pairs to find words together. If you would rather talk than search, make gratitude bingo using short prompts your guests are comfortable sharing. Agree that anyone can pass on a prompt. Personal or sensitive questions are unnecessary; familiar traditions and small everyday joys are enough.
Prepare before the kitchen gets busy.
Print the activities and their answer keys the day before. Count pencils and decide where the sheets will go. If you are hosting a bingo round, keep the caller list with the cards so it does not get mixed into the table settings. Put a few extras aside for late arrivals. Once the meal is ready, let the activity end naturally.