How to play charades
Form two teams. The actor taps "New word", reads it secretly and starts the timer. No talking, no mouthing words and no pointing at things in the room. If the team guesses in time, they get a point. Then it is the other team's turn.
All 230 charades ideas
Actions
easy
- Brushing teeth
- Swimming
- Sleeping
- Clapping
- Jumping rope
- Eating spaghetti
- Reading a book
- Walking a dog
- Taking a selfie
- Riding a bike
- Washing hands
- Waving goodbye
medium
- Changing a flat tire
- Walking on ice
- Building a sandcastle
- Making a pizza
- Doing yoga
- Ironing a shirt
- Blowing up a balloon
- Folding laundry
- Climbing a ladder
- Juggling
- Planting a tree
- Paddling a canoe
hard
- Assembling furniture without instructions
- Chasing a runaway hat
- Parallel parking
- Untangling headphones
- Stepping on a Lego
- Sneaking into the house late
- Trying to open a stuck jar
- Losing your phone in the couch
- Defusing a bomb
- Catching a fly with chopsticks
Animals
easy
- Dog
- Cat
- Elephant
- Monkey
- Snake
- Bird
- Fish
- Frog
- Kangaroo
- Penguin
- Rabbit
- Horse
medium
- Giraffe
- Crab
- Octopus
- Owl
- Gorilla
- Flamingo
- Turtle
- Bat
- Peacock
- Squirrel
- Seal
- Spider
hard
- Sloth
- Chameleon
- Jellyfish
- Hedgehog
- Platypus
- Woodpecker
- Armadillo
- Hummingbird
- Starfish
- Llama
Jobs
easy
- Doctor
- Teacher
- Firefighter
- Chef
- Police officer
- Pilot
- Singer
- Farmer
- Dentist
- Photographer
medium
- Lifeguard
- Magician
- Plumber
- Astronaut
- Hairdresser
- Waiter
- Mail carrier
- Painter
- DJ
- Referee
hard
- Mime
- Air traffic controller
- Beekeeper
- Lumberjack
- Fortune teller
- Orchestra conductor
- Personal trainer
- Zookeeper
- Tour guide
- Weather presenter
Sports
easy
- Soccer
- Basketball
- Tennis
- Running
- Boxing
- Bowling
- Skiing
- Golf
- Baseball
- Swimming race
medium
- Surfing
- Archery
- Ice skating
- Volleyball
- Karate
- Skateboarding
- Fencing
- Rowing
- Weightlifting
- Diving
hard
- Curling
- Synchronized swimming
- Pole vault
- Water polo
- Rock climbing
- Figure skating
- Bobsled
- Hurdles
- Sumo wrestling
- Javelin throw
Objects
easy
- Umbrella
- Phone
- Scissors
- Guitar
- Ball
- Camera
- Hammer
- Toothbrush
- Book
- Key
medium
- Vacuum cleaner
- Telescope
- Hair dryer
- Trampoline
- Microscope
- Lawn mower
- Typewriter
- Wheelbarrow
- Stapler
- Hourglass
hard
- Revolving door
- Escalator
- Slot machine
- Fire extinguisher
- Paper airplane
- Swiss army knife
- Rubik's cube
- Lava lamp
- Metronome
- Snow globe
Places
easy
- Beach
- School
- Zoo
- Kitchen
- Park
- Airport
- Library
- Hospital
- Farm
- Supermarket
medium
- Haunted house
- Car wash
- Bowling alley
- Movie theater
- Desert island
- Gym
- Campsite
- Theme park
- Museum
- Hair salon
hard
- Submarine
- Space station
- Igloo
- Lighthouse
- Laundromat
- Haunted elevator
- Ski lift
- Recording studio
- Escape room
- Volcano
Feelings
easy
- Happy
- Sad
- Angry
- Scared
- Tired
- Surprised
- Excited
- Bored
medium
- Nervous
- Proud
- Confused
- Jealous
- Embarrassed
- Disgusted
- Relieved
- Shy
hard
- Nostalgic
- Suspicious
- Overwhelmed
- Guilty
- Grateful
- Impatient
- Hopeful
- Starstruck
Phrases
easy
- Piece of cake
- Cold feet
- Break a leg
- Hit the road
- Over the moon
- On cloud nine
medium
- Raining cats and dogs
- Spill the beans
- Under the weather
- Let the cat out of the bag
- Cost an arm and a leg
- Bite the bullet
hard
- Barking up the wrong tree
- The elephant in the room
- Once in a blue moon
- When pigs fly
- Burning the midnight oil
- A storm in a teacup
More ideas
More free party games
- Imposter GameOne phone, secret words, one liar. Find the imposter.
- Would You RatherOver 100 questions from silly to impossible.
- Truth or DareTruths and dares for kids, teens, friends and couples.
- Never Have I EverFind out who has done what. Clean, funny or for adults.
- Pictionary GeneratorRandom things to draw, easy to hard.
- Imposter word lists33 categories with hints for the imposter.
FAQ
How do you play charades?
Split into two teams. One player gets a word and acts it out without speaking or pointing at objects, while their team guesses before the timer runs out. Then the other team takes a turn. A correct guess scores a point.
What are the standard charades gestures?
Hold up fingers to show the number of words, tap your forearm with fingers to show syllables, cup your ear for "sounds like", and make a T with your hands for "the". Pulling your hands apart means a longer word, pushing them together a shorter one.
How long should each charades turn be?
One minute is the classic length. Give kids 90 seconds, and try 30 seconds for a fast, chaotic round with experienced players.
What are good charades words for kids?
Pick the Easy level and categories like Animals, Actions or Jobs. Words like Penguin, Brushing teeth or Firefighter are easy to act out and fun to guess.
The app
More game night: the imposter game
Hoot is a talking game for one phone: everyone gets a secret word except the imposter, who has to bluff. 3 to 20 players, no internet needed.
- 33 case files with over 1,300 secret words and imposter hints
- AI case generator: type any topic and get a fresh category
- Odd Question mode: everyone answers the same question except one
- Imposter teams, random imposter count, timer and scoreboard