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Charades ideas

Hold the phone so only you can see it, start the timer, and act out the card without a word. Tap Got it when your team guesses and the next card comes up.

When the timer ends, the game shows the round's score.

Random team generator

Charades lists

By group

By holiday

How to play Charades

1. Split into two or more teams and pick a round length.
2. The actor starts the timer and acts out each card silently: no talking, no mouthing words, no pointing at objects in the room.
3. Tap Got it for each correct guess, or Skip to pass. When time runs out, hand the phone to the next team.

Updated November 2026.

1. Decorating the Christmas tree
2. Building a snowman
3. Snowball fight
4. Making a snow angel
5. Santa stuck in the chimney
6. Reindeer taking off
7. Elf wrapping presents
8. Hanging a stocking
9. Sledding down a hill
10. Baking gingerbread cookies
11. Putting the star on top
12. Shaking a present to guess
13. Sneaking downstairs on Christmas morning
14. Santa eating the cookies
15. Toy soldier marching
16. Ringing sleigh bells
17. Writing a letter to Santa
18. Cat climbing the Christmas tree
19. Dog wearing reindeer antlers
20. Penguin sliding on ice
21. Catching snowflakes on your tongue
22. Reindeer eating a carrot
23. Ice skating for the first time
24. Nutcracker ballet dancer
25. Little drummer boy
26. Burning your tongue on hot cocoa
27. Peeking at hidden presents
28. Untangling Christmas lights
29. Wrapping a very awkward gift
30. Pretending to love a gift
31. Kissing under the mistletoe
32. Carolers at the front door
33. Shoveling the driveway
34. Gingerbread house collapsing
35. Scrooge counting his coins
36. Assembling a toy at midnight
37. Carrying the tree through the door
38. Ugly sweater contest
39. Regifting last year's present
40. Hanging lights on the roof
41. Slow dancing by the tree
42. Pulling a Christmas cracker
43. Last-minute gift shopping
44. Standing in the gift return line
45. Scraping ice off the windshield
46. Slipping on an icy sidewalk
47. Matching pajamas family photo
48. Conducting a Christmas choir
49. Office party karaoke
50. Falling asleep after Christmas dinner
51. Carving a pumpkin
52. Bobbing for apples
53. Witch stirring a cauldron
54. Mummy coming unwrapped
55. Bat hanging upside down
56. Trick-or-treating
57. Zombie walk
58. Vampire hiding from the sun
59. Werewolf howling at the moon
60. Black cat arching its back
61. Spider spinning a web
62. Ghost floating through a wall
63. Flying on a broomstick
64. Scarecrow
65. Dancing skeleton
66. Owl turning its head
67. Sorting your candy
68. Chewing sticky taffy
69. Putting on face paint
70. Lost in a corn maze
71. Scooping out pumpkin guts
72. Frankenstein's monster waking up
73. Wizard casting a spell
74. Pirate with a wooden leg
75. Opening a creaky door
76. Bumpy hayride
77. Monster under the bed
78. Walking into a spider web
79. Mad scientist
80. Walking through a haunted house
81. Watching a scary movie alone
82. Tripping while being chased
83. Hiding in a closet
84. Checking behind the shower curtain
85. Fortune teller with a crystal ball
86. Grave digger
87. Ghost hunter
88. Costume too tight to sit
89. Handing out candy
90. Sneaking candy from your kid
91. Fangs that keep falling out
92. Headless horseman
93. Stuck in a mask
94. Car that won't start
95. Flashlight dying in the dark
96. Judging a costume contest
97. Dancing in a bulky costume
98. Two people in a horse costume
99. Stuck in the middle seat
100. Opening a shaken soda can
101. Untangling headphones
102. Karaoke
103. Passing a note in class
104. Working from home in pajamas
105. Laptop dying during a presentation
106. Chicken
107. Opening a stubborn jar
108. Shoving everything under the bed
109. Hunting a mosquito at night
110. Scrolling in bed past midnight
111. Building a sandcastle
112. Helicopter
113. Backseat driver
114. Bowling
115. Asking someone to dance
116. Bartender
117. Flamingo
118. Mirror
119. Hitting a piñata
120. Zookeeper
121. Hopscotch
122. Butterfly
123. Stepping on a toy brick
124. Reading under the covers
125. Gorilla
126. Skunk
127. First time using chopsticks
128. Locked out of the house
129. Asking for a raise
130. Chainsaw
131. Hitchhiking
132. Doing a cannonball
133. Skipping a stone on water
134. Seesaw
135. Lighthouse
136. Air guitar
137. Wasp loose in the car
138. Pitching a tent in the wind
139. Sunburn
140. Losing an hour of unsaved work
141. Frog
142. Moonwalk
143. Librarian
144. Dropping a stack of books
145. Sword fight
146. On hold with customer service
147. Presenting with the wrong slides
148. Moving a couch up the stairs
149. Sloth
150. Surfing
151. Yawning
152. Going through airport security
153. Blowing a bubblegum bubble
154. Photobomb
155. Pinball
156. Tug-of-war
157. Waiting for a text back
158. Catching bugs with a net
159. Squeezing out the last toothpaste
160. Windmill
161. Waving goodbye on a video call
162. Pushing a door that says pull
163. Giving a cat a bath
164. Networking
165. Hammock
166. Stepping in chewing gum
167. Rollercoaster
168. Microwave
169. Counting sheep to fall asleep
170. Applying sunscreen to your own back
171. Key card that will not scan
172. Wizard
173. Throwing out your back
174. Finding the coffee pot empty
175. Elevator ride with your boss
176. Slingshot
177. Flipping burgers on the grill
178. Checking for monsters under the bed
179. Assembling flat-pack furniture
180. Hammering your thumb
181. Escalator
182. Carrying a heavy backpack
183. Doing the whole group project
184. Snoring
185. Blinking in every photo
186. Intern
187. Changing a flat tire
188. Laughing at the boss's joke
189. Kite
190. Sitting next to a loud chewer
191. Sneaking in past curfew
192. Eating corn on the cob
193. Hiccups
194. Squeezing onto a crowded train
195. Monkey
196. Gossiping at the water cooler
197. Quitting your job dramatically
198. Cowboy
199. Tiptoeing
200. Doing your taxes
201. Climbing the rope in gym class
202. Slam dunk
203. Banging the ceiling with a broom
204. Jumping in puddles
205. Penguin
206. Painting yourself into a corner
207. Owl
208. Hitting snooze again
209. Blowing bubbles
210. Spinning in an office chair
211. Hatching from an egg
212. Arm wrestling
213. Digging for buried treasure
214. Surprise pop quiz
215. Bodybuilder
216. Catching popcorn in your mouth
217. Curling
218. Skydiving
219. Handshake that turns into a hug
220. Brainstorming
221. Drummer
222. Stuck in a revolving door
223. Sprinkler
224. Losing one earbud
225. Hairdresser
226. Lifeguard
227. Scissors
228. Learning to ride a bike
229. Hiding your phone from the teacher
230. Dodgeball
231. Crocodile
232. Cat walking across your keyboard
233. Pulling an all-nighter
234. Mime
235. Dropping your lunch tray
236. Shivering
237. Sneaking out early on Friday
238. Musical chairs
239. Promotion
240. Hunting for the TV remote
241. Cramming for an exam
242. Pillow fight
243. Waving back at the wrong person
244. Farmer
245. Shopping cart with a wobbly wheel
246. Driving a bumper car
247. Pirate
248. Delivering pizza on a bike
249. Looking for a phone signal
250. Limbo
251. Cutting the office birthday cake
252. Clicking a pen nervously
253. Egg and spoon race
254. Adjusting a sinking office chair
255. Turning it off and on again
256. Blender
257. Tourist
258. Eating a melting ice cream cone
259. Giraffe
260. Tying a necktie
261. Stage fright
262. Chasing the ice cream truck
263. Chef
264. Clown
265. Eating something way too spicy
266. Goalkeeper
267. Livestreaming to zero viewers
268. Deadline
269. Blowing up a balloon
270. Tossing pizza dough
271. Politely eating terrible food
272. Tornado
273. Taking a driving test
274. Bagpipes
275. Ballerina
276. Knitting
277. Forgetting why you entered a room
278. Fighting over the blanket
279. Popping bubble wrap
280. Parallel parking with an audience
281. Playing hide and seek
282. Burning popcorn at the office
283. Tying your shoelaces
284. Chiropractor
285. Milking a cow
286. Scoring the winning goal
287. Trampoline
288. Biting into a lemon
289. Synchronized swimming
290. Walking into a pole while texting
291. Violin
292. Job interview
293. Snake
294. Rocket
295. High five left hanging
296. Stuck in an elevator
297. Plunging a clogged toilet
298. Superhero
299. Missing an easy golf putt
300. Forgetting where you parked
301. Bear waking up from hibernation
302. Science experiment gone wrong
303. Unicorn
304. Dinosaur
305. Gymnast
306. Recording a dance video
307. Spaghetti
308. Sneaking out of a baby's room
309. Weather forecaster
310. Watching the clock until five
311. Stepping on your partner's toes
312. Toaster
313. Chopping onions
314. Tightrope
315. Hurdles
316. Carrying all the groceries at once
317. Climbing a tree
318. Tripping then pretending to jog
319. Being the third wheel
320. Rage quitting a video game
321. Umbrella flipping inside out
322. Mail carrier chased by a dog
323. Duck
324. Changing a diaper
325. Replying all by mistake
326. Singing in the shower
327. Spilling coffee on your keyboard
328. Accordion
329. Firefighter
330. Crying at a sad movie
331. Kangaroo
332. Shuffling cards and dropping them
333. Shark
334. Opera singer
335. Snorkeling
336. Caterpillar
337. Card declined at checkout
338. Eavesdropping
339. Surgeon
340. Rabbit
341. Sharing the wrong screen
342. Turtle
343. Ping-pong
344. Influencer
345. Tie caught in the shredder
346. Squirrel
347. Marching
348. Looking for a lost sock
349. Caught in a sudden downpour
350. Opening your first paycheck
351. Reading a map upside down
352. Peacock
353. Ninja
354. Brushing your teeth
355. Cat chasing a laser dot
356. Falling asleep on a stranger
357. Puppet
358. Elephant
359. Typewriter
360. Jackhammer
361. Rowing
362. Chasing your hat in the wind
363. Crab
364. Lawnmower
365. Getting up from a low couch
366. Walking in on the wrong meeting
367. Yoga
368. Magician
369. Taking the last pizza slice
370. Treadmill
371. Conducting an orchestra
372. Opening a present
373. Getting dizzy from spinning
374. Lighting a campfire in the rain
375. Printer jam
376. Three-legged race
377. Paparazzi
378. Magnet
379. Squeezing into tight jeans
380. Getting dressed in the dark
381. Missing the last puzzle piece
382. Skateboarding
383. Tapping a dead microphone
384. Turbulence on a plane
385. Flying a paper airplane
386. Carrying coffee for the whole team
387. Volcano
388. Mermaid
389. Clay collapsing on a pottery wheel
390. Daydreaming
391. Cringing at your old photos
392. Crossing a wobbly rope bridge
393. Juggler
394. Archery
395. Missing the school bus
396. Pancake stuck to the ceiling
397. Octopus
398. Wiggling a loose tooth
399. Brain freeze
400. Stapler
401. Jumping at thunder
402. Pretending to look busy
403. Paperwork
404. Hiding your screen from the boss
405. Lion
406. First day at a new school
407. Trombone
408. Lumberjack
409. Paper cut
410. Pretending to be asleep
411. Dad dancing at a wedding
412. Locker that will not open
413. Dodging a stranger on the sidewalk
414. Raising your hand in class
415. Reading a bedtime story
416. Falling asleep in class
417. Nervous on a first date
418. Someone stole your office lunch
419. Dentist
420. Spider
421. Building a pillow fort
422. Walking a very strong dog
423. Hula-hoop
424. Sore loser at a board game
425. Karate
426. Forgetting your password
427. Fighting the self-checkout machine
428. Phone ringing in a silent meeting
429. Monday morning
430. Stuck in traffic
431. Jack-in-the-box
432. Reeling in a huge fish
433. Walking in shoes too big
434. Fire drill
435. Blowing up an air mattress
436. Frozen on a video call
437. Proposing on one knee
438. Astronaut
439. Yo-yo
440. Unmuting too late
441. Earthquake
442. Quicksand
443. Walking on hot sand
444. Trying not to laugh
445. Typing with two fingers
446. Arriving at school in pajamas
447. Selfie
448. Licking the mixing spoon
449. Babysitting a wild toddler
450. Phone battery at one percent
451. Folding a fitted sheet
452. Leapfrog
453. Desperate for a rest stop
454. Toddler crashing a video call
455. Opening a scary bill
456. Snail
457. Walking in heels on cobblestones
458. Pilot
459. Dog shaking off water
460. Sneezing
461. Eating a messy taco
462. Staying awake in a long meeting
463. Pretending to like a gift
464. Detective
465. Vacuuming
466. Dropping your phone on your face
467. Popping a champagne cork
468. Overtime
469. Winning the lottery
470. Mechanic
471. Reading a menu without glasses
472. Sleepwalker
473. Sweating through a performance review
474. Boomerang
475. Statue
476. Waking up with a hangover
477. Bee
478. Procrastinating
479. Woodpecker
480. Eating soup that is too hot
481. Forgetting someone's name
482. Catching the wedding bouquet
483. Meerkat
484. Vending machine stealing your coins
485. Jet lag
486. Closing an overstuffed suitcase
487. Multitasking
488. Robot
489. Splitting the dinner bill
490. Lobster
491. Sneaking cookies from the jar
492. Making coffee half asleep
493. Referee
494. Telescope
495. Bull
496. Wind-up toy
497. Plumber
498. Horse
499. Breakdancing
500. Setting off the smoke alarm
501. Ostrich
502. Nodding along without listening
503. Roasting a marshmallow
504. Waiter
505. Glasses lost on your own head
506. Dragon
507. Jellyfish
508. Opening a bag of chips quietly
509. Head stuck in a sweater
510. Cheerleader
511. Blowing out birthday candles
512. Blowing a party horn
513. Watching fireworks
514. Throwing confetti
515. Counting down from ten
516. Falling asleep before midnight
517. Popping a balloon
518. Putting on a party hat
519. A clock striking midnight
520. Banging pots and pans
521. Sweeping up confetti
522. Waving a sparkler
523. Turning a calendar page
524. Yawning and fighting sleep
525. Dancing in pajamas
526. Hanging streamers
527. A firework exploding
528. Hugging everyone at midnight
529. Taking a group selfie
530. Writing a list of resolutions
531. Singing Auld Lang Syne
532. Running on a treadmill
533. Karaoke star
534. Eating twelve grapes at midnight
535. Firing a confetti cannon
536. DJ at the party
537. Opening a time capsule
538. Posing in a photo booth
539. Watching the ball drop
540. Giving a toast
541. Midnight kiss
542. Hailing a taxi at midnight
543. Designated driver
544. Signing up for a gym
545. Clinking glasses
546. Mixing a cocktail
547. Dancing in high heels
548. Waiting in the bathroom line
549. Slow dancing
550. Starting a diet
551. Cleaning up after the party
552. Sneaking out of a party
553. Babysitter on New Year's Eve
554. Stuck in traffic at midnight
555. Carving the turkey
556. Turkey
557. Mashing potatoes
558. Breaking the wishbone
559. Falling asleep on the couch
560. Parade balloon handler
561. Marching band drummer
562. Football quarterback
563. Touchdown dance
564. Peeling potatoes
565. Rolling out pie dough
566. Raking leaves
567. Jumping in a leaf pile
568. Setting the table
569. Washing a mountain of dishes
570. Basting the turkey
571. Burning the dinner rolls
572. Smoke alarm going off
573. Stuck in holiday traffic
574. Running through the airport
575. Unbuttoning your pants after dinner
576. Sneaking a bite before dinner
577. Passing the gravy boat
578. Squirrel hiding acorns
579. Sailing on the Mayflower
580. Picking a pumpkin
581. Dog begging under the table
582. Too full to move
583. Fighting over the last slice
584. Black Friday shopper
585. Football referee
586. Opening a can of cranberry sauce
587. Wrestling a frozen turkey
588. Giving a long toast
589. Sitting at the kids' table
590. Making a leftover sandwich
591. Waving from a parade float
592. Farmer harvesting corn
593. Baby in a high chair
594. Kicking a field goal
595. Grandpa telling a long story
596. Dropping the pie
597. Taking a family photo
598. Tracing a hand turkey
599. Deep-frying a turkey

Tips for a better game

• Agree on the classic signals first: fingers for the number of words, a tug on the ear for "sounds like".
• Limit skips to two per round, or the hard cards never get acted.
• With young kids, drop the timer and let everyone guess together.

What is charades?

Charades is an acting game in which one player silently acts out a word or phrase while their team tries to guess it before the time runs out. Speaking, mouthing words and pointing at objects are not allowed.

Questions people ask

How do you play charades?

One player acts out a word or phrase without speaking while their team guesses. Teams take turns, and the team with the most correct guesses wins.

What makes a good charades idea?

Something you can act and someone can guess: an action, an animal, a job or a small scene such as untangling Christmas lights. This list leaves out film and book titles, so nobody needs to know a particular movie.

Can I use these words for a drawing game?

Yes. The same cards work for draw-and-guess games. The single-word cards are the easiest to draw.

What are some good charades ideas?

Five from this list: Locked out of the house; Spinning in an office chair; Job interview; Lighting a campfire in the rain; Walking in heels on cobblestones.

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