Charades is one of the few games that works for a four year old and a grandparent at the same table. No board, no batteries, no setup. The hardest part is usually thinking of ideas on the spot, while a room full of kids waits for you to say something.
So here are more than 150 charades ideas for kids, grouped by theme and sorted roughly from easy to tricky. Pick from the lists, cut them into slips for a jar, or let the charades generator draw a random one for you.
How to play charades with kids
The rules fit on a sticky note:
- Pick an actor. They take a charade from a jar, a list or a phone, without showing anyone.
- Act it out without talking. Gestures, faces and pointing are all allowed. Words are not.
- Everyone else guesses out loud. The first correct guess wins the round.
- Swap. The guesser acts next, or the turn moves around the circle.
With teams, the actor only acts for their own team and has a set time, usually about a minute. Count correct guesses and you have a score. With small children, forget the score entirely. The game is the acting, not the winning.
Charades tips by age
Ages 3 to 5
Little ones can act surprisingly well, but they cannot read the slip. Whisper the charade into their ear, or show them a picture instead. That is the idea behind Guessy Kids, a free picture guessing game for iOS and Android: the phone shows a picture rather than a word, the others act it out, and the guesser tilts the phone down for a correct answer or up to pass.
At this age, let them make noises. A cow that moos is still a great charade. Keep rounds short, skip the timer and let everyone guess together.
Ages 6 to 8
Now you can bring in the silent rule, teams and a relaxed timer of 90 seconds. Jobs, sports and school scenes work well, because there is an obvious action to copy. Kids this age also love writing their own slips for the jar, which is half the fun.
Ages 9 to 12
Older kids enjoy the classic signals. Hold up fingers to show how many words the charade has, then fingers again to show which word you are acting. Tap your forearm for the number of syllables, and cup a hand to your ear for "sounds like". A strict 60 second timer and feelings or silly scenes keep it challenging.
What makes a good charade for kids
Not every idea works for every child. A few things to look for when you pick or write your own:
- One clear action. "Brushing teeth" has an obvious movement. "Being polite" does not. The best charades for kids have something you can do with your hands or your whole body.
- Things they have seen. A five year old can act a firefighter because they have seen one on a fire truck. A tax advisor is harder.
- Room to be silly. Kids remember the round where Dad was a flamingo. Do not be afraid of ideas that make the actor look a bit ridiculous.
- Short names. One to three words is plenty. Long phrases turn charades into a memory test.
If a child gets stuck, let them swap the charade for another one. Nobody should be left standing in the middle of the room not knowing what to do.
Animal charades
Animals are the easiest way in, especially for preschoolers. If you want even more, the Animals category in Guessy Kids has 96 animal pictures.
- Elephant
- Monkey
- Kangaroo
- Penguin
- Snake
- Frog
- Rabbit
- Giraffe
- Lion
- Cat
- Dog
- Duck
- Chicken
- Horse
- Fish
- Butterfly
- Crab
- Bear
- Owl
- Cow
- Pig
- Sheep
Action and sports charades
Sports charades are a good way to burn off energy, and most kids already know the moves from the playground or PE class.
- Swimming
- Jumping Rope
- Riding a Bike
- Playing Soccer
- Shooting Hoops
- Skiing
- Ice Skating
- Surfing
- Bowling
- Playing Tennis
- Swinging a Bat
- Doing a Cartwheel
- Climbing a Ladder
- Skateboarding
- Rowing a Boat
- Fishing
- Hula Hoop
- Playing Golf
- Running a Race
- Hopscotch
Jobs charades
Think about what the person does with their hands: the chef stirs, the hairdresser snips, the pilot steers.
- Firefighter
- Chef
- Doctor
- Teacher
- Police Officer
- Astronaut
- Dentist
- Hairdresser
- Farmer
- Pilot
- Mail Carrier
- Painter
- Builder
- Waiter
- Bus Driver
- Photographer
- Vet
- Nurse
- Lifeguard
- Mechanic
Everyday activity charades
These are great for younger players, because they act them out every single day.
- Brushing Teeth
- Taking a Shower
- Eating Spaghetti
- Making the Bed
- Washing Dishes
- Vacuuming
- Getting Dressed
- Tying Shoes
- Combing Hair
- Reading a Book
- Talking on the Phone
- Taking a Selfie
- Watering Plants
- Walking the Dog
- Folding Laundry
- Blowing Bubbles
- Opening a Present
- Eating Ice Cream
- Drinking From a Straw
- Sneezing
Feelings charades
Feelings are harder than they look, since there is no object to hold. They are also a lovely way to talk about emotions without it feeling like a lesson.
- Happy
- Sad
- Angry
- Surprised
- Scared
- Sleepy
- Excited
- Bored
- Proud
- Shy
- Confused
- Silly
- Grumpy
- Nervous
- Grossed Out
- Brave
- Worried
- Tired
- Hungry
- Thirsty
Character charades
Keep characters generic, like a pirate or a wizard, so everyone in the room knows them no matter which shows they watch.
- Pirate
- Robot
- Superhero
- Princess
- Wizard
- Knight
- King
- Queen
- Fairy
- Mermaid
- Dragon
- Cowboy
- Unicorn
- Giant
- Elf
- Clown
- Ballerina
- Detective
School charades
Kids find these funny because they get to act out their own day, and sometimes their teacher.
- Raising Your Hand
- Writing on the Board
- Sharpening a Pencil
- Taking a Test
- Reading Aloud
- Lining Up
- Eating Lunch
- Going Down the Slide
- Playing on the Swings
- Packing a Backpack
- Gluing Paper
- Cutting With Scissors
- Painting a Picture
- Doing Math
- Spelling Bee
Silly charades
Save these for when everyone is warmed up. They get the biggest laughs.
- Walking on the Moon
- Chicken Dance
- Popcorn Popping
- Balloon Losing Air
- Washing Machine
- Toaster Popping Toast
- Walking in Wet Socks
- Dog Chasing Its Tail
- Slipping on a Banana
- The Floor Is Lava
- Wet Dog Shaking
- Catching a Fly
- Bubble Bath
- Stuck in a Box
- Swatting a Mosquito
- Ants in Your Pants
- Hiccups
- Brain Freeze
- Walking a Cat
- Whoopee Cushion
Fun charades variations
Once the basic game is running, a small twist keeps it fresh:
- Reverse charades. The whole team acts and one player guesses. Shy kids love it, because nobody performs alone.
- Pair charades. Two kids act one charade together, like a dog walker and the dog.
- Slow motion charades. Everything has to be acted at half speed. Sports charades become hilarious.
- Sound only charades. For the youngest players: no acting, just the noise an animal or machine makes.
- Charades relay. The first actor passes the same charade silently down a line, and the last player guesses. Like telephone, but with arms.
Make a charades jar
Write the ideas on slips of paper, fold them and drop them in a jar. Use one color of paper for easy charades and another for hard ones, so younger and older kids can pull from different piles in the same game. If the jar runs out, or you are on the road without paper, the charades generator has 280 ideas ready to go.
A good round of charades costs nothing and needs nothing. It just needs someone brave enough to be a kangaroo first. Usually that should be you.
