Charades Ideas
One word on the card, no talking allowed, and a room full of people calling out guesses.
- Time
- 10–30 min
- Players
- Three or more players
- Best for
- Family nights, rainy days and parties
- Deck
- 150 words in 6 categories
How to use these charades ideas
- Pick a category from the menu under the card, or keep “All categories”.
- The actor looks at the top card alone, then acts it out with no words or sounds while the others guess.
- When someone guesses it, or time runs out, swipe the card away or tap “Next word” for the next one.
- Tap the heart to save a word on this device, or tap “Make a 10-word list” for a list to write on slips of paper.
When to play charades
Charades needs no board, no paper and no reading aloud, so it works when a group spans every age at the table. One person stands up, everyone else watches, and the room gets loud even though the actor never says a word.
A family night in
The youngest act Easy and Animals cards, the grown-ups take Jobs, and every age can guess every card.
A rainy day indoors
When nobody can go outside, Sports and hobbies gets everyone up and moving: surfing, skiing and bowling across the living room rug.
A team night or office party
Hand the phone to one player at a time. Actions and Jobs are quick to act and quick to guess, so five minutes fits several turns.
Ways to play charades with these words
One-minute speed round
The actor holds the phone where only they can see it and has one minute to get through as many cards as possible. Each time the team calls out the right answer, swipe to the next word. When the minute is up, the phone passes to the next actor.
Whoever guesses acts next
No teams and no timer: one player acts, everyone calls out guesses, and the person who gets it right takes the phone and acts the next card. It keeps every player in the game and suits a small family circle.
Pass it down the line
Stand in a line facing one way. The first player reads a card, taps the second on the shoulder and acts it for them alone. The second acts what they saw for the third, and so on, until the last player guesses aloud and everyone sees how far the word drifted.
Tips for a good round
- Match the category to the crowd: Easy and Animals to warm up, Actions and Jobs for a mixed family, Hard once everyone has had a turn.
- Act the big picture first, like the whole walk of an animal or the setting of a scene, then add the small details once the guesses get close.
- If a word has the group stuck for a minute, swipe it away and draw another. A skipped card is no loss, and the round keeps moving.
All 150 charades ideas by category
The complete list, grouped by category. The cards above draw from the same list, so you can read ahead here and play there.
Easy
Quick warm-up words anyone can act out, like brushing teeth or flying a kite.
- Brushing your teeth
- Blowing bubbles
- Sneezing
- Eating spaghetti
- Licking an ice cream cone
- Robot
- Snowman
- Flying a kite
Show all 25 in EasyShow fewer
- Opening a present
- Blowing out birthday candles
- Tying your shoes
- Washing your hands
- Riding a bike
- Yawning
- Climbing a tree
- Rocket ship
- Drinking through a straw
- Going down a slide
- Swinging on a swing
- Building a sandcastle
- Putting on a coat
- Taking a bath
- Hiccups
- Popcorn popping
- Waving goodbye
Actions
Everyday chores and tasks, from ironing a shirt to opening a stuck jar.
- Ironing a shirt
- Vacuuming the stairs
- Peeling a banana
- Hammering a nail
- Carrying a tall stack of plates
- Opening a stuck jar
- Mopping the floor
- Raking leaves
Show all 25 in ActionsShow fewer
- Shoveling snow
- Folding a fitted sheet
- Threading a needle
- Watering the plants
- Walking on ice
- Making the bed
- Chopping onions
- Typing on a phone
- Taking a selfie
- Changing a light bulb
- Waiting for the bus
- Juggling
- Painting a wall
- Hanging a picture frame
- Eating hot soup
- Hailing a taxi
- Packing a suitcase
Animals
Creatures to copy with your arms, face and walk, from penguins to octopuses.
- Penguin
- Kangaroo
- Elephant
- Snake
- Monkey
- Giraffe
- Crab
- Flamingo
Show all 25 in AnimalsShow fewer
- Octopus
- Frog
- Gorilla
- Butterfly
- Chicken laying an egg
- Owl
- Turtle
- Dolphin
- Horse
- Rabbit
- Shark
- Peacock
- Sloth
- Crocodile
- Squirrel
- Spider
- Dog chasing its tail
Jobs
People at work, shown by the tools they hold and the moves they make all day.
- Firefighter
- Chef
- Dentist
- Mail carrier
- Airplane pilot
- Teacher
- Hairdresser
- Lifeguard
Show all 25 in JobsShow fewer
- Farmer
- Photographer
- Magician
- Waiter
- Astronaut
- Police officer directing traffic
- Construction worker
- Librarian
- Car mechanic
- Orchestra conductor
- Scientist
- Plumber
- Window washer
- Zookeeper
- Cashier
- Bus driver
- Referee
Sports and hobbies
Games, sports and pastimes to play out without a ball, a board or a racket.
- Bowling
- Surfing
- Skiing
- Fishing
- Basketball
- Golf
- Tennis
- Swimming
Show all 25 in Sports and hobbiesShow fewer
- Ice skating
- Skateboarding
- Rock climbing
- Yoga
- Knitting
- Doing a jigsaw puzzle
- Baseball
- Volleyball
- Weightlifting
- Ballet dancing
- Gymnastics
- Playing the drums
- Playing the violin
- Bird watching
- Horseback riding
- Hula hooping
- Kayaking
Hard
Little scenes with several steps, and common sayings acted out word by word.
- Changing a flat tire
- Stepping on a toy in the dark
- Getting stuck in a revolving door
- Looking for the glasses on your head
- Trying to catch a fly
- Putting together furniture from a box
- Setting up a tent in the wind
- Untangling a long string of lights
Show all 25 in HardShow fewer
- Walking into a spiderweb
- Getting a brain freeze
- Sitting on a wet bench
- Burning toast and waving away the smoke
- Raining cats and dogs
- Break the ice
- Spill the beans
- Hit the hay
- Let the cat out of the bag
- Walking on eggshells
- Head in the clouds
- Crying over spilled milk
- Piece of cake
- Couch potato
- Bite off more than you can chew
- Hold your horses
- Barking up the wrong tree
Frequently asked questions
How many charades ideas are there?
There are 150 words and phrases, 25 in each of six categories: easy, actions, animals, jobs, sports and hobbies, and hard. The cards and the list on this page use the same set.
How do you play charades?
Split into two teams and set a timer for about a minute. One player draws a word and acts it out for their own team with no talking and no sounds, then the other team takes a turn. Common hand signals help: hold up fingers to show how many words there are, then to show which word you are acting, and tug an earlobe to mean “sounds like”.
Is charades good for a team or a big party?
Yes. Split a big group into two teams and keep the one-minute timer, so nobody waits long for a turn. Easy and Animals are quick wins to start with. For a turn with talking instead of acting, the same group can play truth or dare questions, which are written clean for friends, family and coworkers.
What should we play after charades?
Try things to draw, a set of drawing prompts for the same kind of group. You can also keep this deck and draw the words instead of acting them: one player sketches on paper while the others guess.