Charades Generator

Press the button for a random charades idea. Hit 'Hide word' before you turn the screen around, start the timer, and act it out. Pick a category for kids, movies, or a holiday party.

395 words ready

Press the button to get your first word.

1:00

Tip: press the space bar for the next one.

The full list: 395 words

Prefer to read them all? Every word in the generator is below.

Easy / kids (50)

Brushing your teeth
Riding a bike
Swimming
Sleeping
Eating spaghetti
Jumping rope
Flying a kite
Playing the drums
Monkey
Elephant
Snake
Kangaroo
Penguin
Frog
Chicken
Dog
Cat
Fish
Bird
Bunny
Crying baby
Robot
Superhero
Ballerina
Pirate
Kicking a ball
Building a sandcastle
Washing your hands
Blowing bubbles
Climbing a ladder
Throwing a snowball
Opening a present
Eating ice cream
Taking a photo
Reading a book
Playing guitar
Driving a car
Baking a cake
Painting a picture
Hula hooping
Butterfly
Dinosaur
Lion
Bear
Duck
Brushing hair
Putting on shoes
Yawning
Sneezing
Tickling

Actions (40)

Bowling
Skiing
Surfing
Ice skating
Rowing a boat
Fishing
Juggling
Changing a tire
Walking a dog
Mowing the lawn
Vacuuming
Ironing clothes
Doing yoga
Lifting weights
Rock climbing
Getting a haircut
Proposing
Taking a selfie
Texting
Sneaking past someone
Chopping onions
Flipping pancakes
Opening a stuck jar
Walking on ice
Stepping on a Lego
Waiting for a bus
Playing tennis
Shooting a basketball
Giving a speech
Conducting an orchestra
Trying on clothes
Shoveling snow
Hitchhiking
Carrying groceries
Milking a cow
Playing video games
Putting on makeup
Walking a tightrope
Riding a roller coaster
Swatting a fly

Movies (60)

Titanic
Jaws
Frozen
The Lion King
Finding Nemo
Star Wars
Jurassic Park
Toy Story
Home Alone
The Wizard of Oz
Harry Potter
Spider-Man
Shrek
Ghostbusters
Back to the Future
The Little Mermaid
Rocky
Top Gun
Mary Poppins
Cinderella
Beauty and the Beast
Aladdin
Up
Cars
Kung Fu Panda
The Incredibles
Moana
Encanto
Despicable Me
Pirates of the Caribbean
Indiana Jones
E.T.
The Karate Kid
Grease
Jumanji
The Matrix
King Kong
Godzilla
Batman
Superman
Snow White
Peter Pan
101 Dalmatians
The Jungle Book
Ratatouille
Inside Out
Coco
Madagascar
Ice Age
Night at the Museum
Mrs. Doubtfire
Paddington
Elf
Barbie
Avatar
Black Panther
Minions
Zootopia
Tangled
Wall-E

Animals (35)

Giraffe
Octopus
Gorilla
Flamingo
Crab
Shark
Owl
Horse
Pig
Cow
Turtle
Squirrel
Bat
Peacock
Sloth
Seal
Dolphin
Spider
Bee
Worm
Crocodile
Ostrich
Koala
Hedgehog
Chameleon
Woodpecker
Kangaroo
Polar bear
Jellyfish
Rooster
Camel
Zebra
Moose
Lobster
Parrot

Jobs (30)

Firefighter
Chef
Dentist
Teacher
Police officer
Doctor
Astronaut
Pilot
Magician
Lifeguard
Mail carrier
Hairdresser
Photographer
Waiter
Construction worker
Farmer
Plumber
Scientist
Detective
Mime
Painter
Referee
Clown
Taxi driver
DJ
Personal trainer
Librarian
Zookeeper
News reporter
Surgeon

Famous characters (30)

Santa Claus
Spider-Man
Darth Vader
Mickey Mouse
Batman
Elsa
SpongeBob
Mario
Pikachu
Shrek
Cinderella
Captain Hook
Frankenstein
Dracula
The Hulk
Tarzan
Peter Pan
Wonder Woman
Yoda
Elvis Presley
Sherlock Holmes
Robin Hood
The Easter Bunny
Cupid
Charlie Chaplin
Winnie the Pooh
Buzz Lightyear
The Tooth Fairy
A zombie
A mermaid

Hard (50)

Jealousy
Déjà vu
Procrastination
Gravity
Daylight saving time
Writer's block
Stage fright
Brain freeze
Butterflies in your stomach
Walking on eggshells
Raining cats and dogs
Break a leg
Spill the beans
Under the weather
Once in a blue moon
Cold feet
The elephant in the room
Head over heels
Hit the sack
Bite the bullet
Midlife crisis
Jet lag
Peer pressure
Global warming
Social media
Online dating
Reply all
Buffering
Autocorrect
A software update
Stuck in traffic
Losing your keys
First day at a new job
A blind date
Assembling flat-pack furniture
A job interview
Tax season
Reality TV
Rush hour
A power outage
The Mona Lisa
The Statue of Liberty
The Olympics
The Big Bang
Time travel
Hide and seek champion
Sleepwalking
Hiccups
A wedding speech
Recycling

Christmas (60)

Decorating the tree
Wrapping presents
Building a snowman
Making a snow angel
Hanging stockings
Kissing under the mistletoe
Singing carols
Opening presents
Baking cookies
Drinking hot cocoa
Ice skating
Sledding
Having a snowball fight
Writing a letter to Santa
Leaving cookies for Santa
Santa Claus
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Frosty the Snowman
The Grinch
An elf
Mrs. Claus
A nutcracker
A gingerbread man
An angel
Ebenezer Scrooge
Home Alone
Elf
The Polar Express
A Christmas Story
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
The Nightmare Before Christmas
Jingle Bell Rock
Jingle Bells
Deck the Halls
Silent Night
Twelve Days of Christmas
Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree
Santa Claus Is Coming to Town
Let It Snow
Feliz Navidad
Candy cane
Christmas lights
A reindeer
A sleigh
A chimney
Christmas tree
Snowflake
Fruitcake
Eggnog
Ugly Christmas sweater
Untangling Christmas lights
Carving the ham
Shopping on Christmas Eve
Falling asleep on the couch
Regifting
A White Elephant gift swap
Elf on the Shelf
A Christmas parade
Stuffing a stocking
Unwrapping socks

Thanksgiving (40)

Carving the turkey
Mashing potatoes
Saying grace
Watching football
Taking a nap after dinner
Baking a pumpkin pie
Setting the table
Washing the dishes
Unbuttoning your pants after dinner
Pulling the wishbone
A turkey
A pilgrim
The Mayflower
A cornucopia
A scarecrow
Raking leaves
Jumping in a leaf pile
Picking apples
A hayride
A pumpkin patch
Black Friday shopping
The Thanksgiving parade
A giant parade balloon
Stuffing the turkey
Eating corn on the cob
Passing the gravy
Making a hand turkey
Saying what you're thankful for
Driving to grandma's house
Stuck in holiday traffic
Eating leftovers
Second helpings
Cranberry sauce
The kids' table
Football tackle
A turkey running away
A food coma
Making a toast
Arm wrestling for the last roll
Burning the rolls

How to play charades

Split into two teams. One player from the first team takes the phone.
Press the button, then 'Hide word' so only the actor sees it.
Start the 60-second timer. The actor acts the word out without speaking, pointing at letters or mouthing words.
Use the standard signs: hold up fingers for the number of words, tap your arm for syllables, cup your ear for 'sounds like'.
If the team guesses before the timer ends, they score a point. Then the other team takes a turn.

Playing offline? Card games we like

Charades card game for kids
Picture cards for kids who can't read yet, so the little ones can play too.
See it on Amazon
Heads Up style party game
The forehead-guessing cousin of charades. Great for big groups.
See it on Amazon
Sand timers for games
If you'd rather not hand round a phone, a one-minute sand timer does the job.
See it on Amazon

These are Amazon links. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you.

Questions people ask

What are the rules of charades?

One person acts out a word or phrase without speaking while their team guesses. No talking, no pointing at objects in the room, and no mouthing words. The team scores if they guess within the time limit, usually one minute.

What are good charades ideas for kids?

Animals and everyday actions work best for young kids: brushing teeth, swimming, a monkey, a robot. Pick the 'Easy / kids' category in the generator.

What are the hand signals in charades?

Hold up fingers to show the number of words. Then hold up fingers again for which word you are acting. Lay fingers on your forearm to show the number of syllables. Cup your ear for 'sounds like'. Crank an imaginary camera for a movie, open your palms like a book for a book title, and pretend to sing for a song.

How long should each charades turn be?

One minute is standard. Use 90 seconds for hard words and phrases, and skip the timer entirely for very young kids.