Charades for Kids: 170+ Ideas

Charades for kids are a source of endless entertainment. But they can be educational too. Here’s how to play—and a cheat sheet of ideas for when you do. Anybody who has got their heart rate up trying to guess the three-word title of a movie in a high-stakes game of charades knows how fun this game can be.

But charades for kids goes beyond its status as a wildly entertaining party game.

According to Unicef Kid Power, this fun activity has developmental advantages too.

Whatever side of the game they’re on, kids learn to think outside the box, stretch those creative muscles, and improve both their verbal and their non-verbal communication.

It also has all sorts of other advantages, like helping them work as part of a team, boosting their confidence, and helping them practice listening and turn-taking.

It can be a great addition to a classroom, a picnic, or a birthday party.

Use it as an icebreaker, a party favorite, or a way to pass the time when it’s raining outside.

You can even play it online, involving friends and relatives from faraway places.

And if at this point you’re like Eek, I think I need a quick recap on how the game works, don’t worry.

We’ll take you through it.

In this article 📝

How to play charades

When it’s your turn, you act out a concept (a movie, a book, an idea, an activity, a place—to name a few possibilities).

The catch? You have to do so in total silence.

The person who is “on” can give their audience some ideas about the category of charades they’re acting out.

(Open your hands in the shape of a book to show that it’s a book. Pretend you’re operating a film camera to show it’s a movie.)

You can also give clues about how many words and syllables you’re tackling.

The rest of the group has to guess. Whoever does, goes next.

You can do it in teams and tally up points for the number of correct answers.

Or you can do it as a group, and everyone wins. (More on this below.)

How do you do charades for kids?

The rules of how to play charades for kids are similar to those for adults.

Also, this is your game—full permission to adapt the rules as you see fit.

It can help to create a stack of cards, each with a suggestion on them.

Anything from a store-bought index card to a piece of scrap newsprint will work.

If the kids are old enough, you can write down the word.

Pictures work just as well.

And we’ll give you ideas on what to put on those cards below.

Then, you have options:

Teams

Divide the players into two groups.

For every correct answer, a point.

One player at a time

Someone is on.

They get to act out their card.

Whoever guesses is on next.

As a group

This may work best for younger kids or as an icebreaker for older kids.

You can use this as a fun interlude between other games or activities, or as a warm-up to a grander charades marathon.

Offer a suggestion that everyone acts out at once.

Everyone acts like a gorilla peeling a banana. Everyone shows us a rockstar.

Or even everyone shows us what an angry face looks like.

The possibilities are really endless.

The key is to get them moving and having fun.

You can use a timer if you like, particularly for older kids. This can add a fun sense of urgency to the task.

And if you don’t have time to make cards, we have a hot tip: you don’t have to.

You know what works well? Whispering in ears.

This can also add a fun air of secrecy. 😉

(And remember, if you’re in need of suggestions, your cheat sheet is below.)

Can a 5-year-old play charades?

This is the best part about charades—you can adapt kids’ charades for even the youngest players.

Some ideas for easy charades for kids include acting out animals, activities like brushing your teeth or driving a car, or emotions such as excitement.

What are some good charades ideas?

Our charades categories for kids include:

• Animals
• Activities
• Food
• Sports
• Movies
• Books
• Fairy tales
• Professions
• Places
• Emotions

Choose whatever works best for the age group that you have.

➡️ You might also like: 98 Never Have I Ever Questions for Kids

170 charades ideas for kids

Animals

1. Chicken
2. Dog
3. Bunny
4. Cat
5. Bee
6. Penguin
7. Alligator
8. Pig
9. Horse
10. Giraffe
11. Cow
12. Bird
13. Monkey
14. Owl
15. Tiger
16. Lion
17. Fish
18. Eel
19. Elephant
20. Squirrel

Activities

21. Brushing teeth
22. Reading a book
23. Writing a book
24. Having a picnic
25. Cleaning your room
26. Catching a fish
27. Tying your shoe
28. Waking up in the morning
29. Robbing a bank
30. Gardening
31. Hiking
32. Riding in a spaceship
33. Playing the piano
34. Flying a kite
35. Camping
36. Putting makeup on
37. Mopping the floor
38. Cooking
39. Driving a car
40. Getting dressed in the morning

Food

41. Spaghetti
42. Apple
43. Banana
44. Soup
45. Hamburger
46. Hot dog
47. Taco
48. Broccoli
49. Cupcake
50. Fries
51. Noodles
52. Corn on the cob
53. Banana
54. Bubblegum
55. Ice-cream
56. Jello
57. Donut
58. Sushi
59. Pizza
60. Carrot

Sports

61. Baseball
62. Hockey
63. Basketball
64. Gymnastics
65. Swimming
66. Cycling
67. Karate
68. Volleyball
69. Soccer
70. Football
71. Skiing
72. Tennis
73. Track and field
74. Horse riding
75. Golf
76. Formula One
77. Badminton
78. Ice skating
79. Roller skating
80. Fencing

Movies

81. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
82. How to Train Your Dragon
83. Pirates of the Caribbean
84. Toy Story
85. Encanto
86. The Incredibles
87. Wall-E
88. Monsters, Inc.
89. Shrek
90. Ghostbusters
91. Cars
92. Frozen
93. Ice Age
94. Inside Out
95. A Bug’s Life
96. Treasure Planet
97. Finding Nemo
98. Ice Age
99. The Princess and the Frog
100. High School Musical
101. Up
102. Happy Feet
103. Big Hero 6
104. The Muppets
105. Madagascar
106. Spiderman
107. Beauty and the Beast
108. The Little Mermaid
109. Aladdin
110. The Aristocats

Books

111. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
112. Diary of a Wimpy Kid
113. The Little Prince
114. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
115. The Gruffalo
116. The Cat in the Hat
117. Charlotte’s Web
118. The Tale of Peter Rabbit
119. The Twits
120. Winnie the Pooh
121. Elephant and Piggie
122. Peter Pan
123. The Very Hungry Caterpillar
124. Where the Wild Things Are
125. Captain Underpants
126. Angelina Ballerina
127. Fairy tales
128. Little Red Riding Hood
129. The Three Little Pigs
130. Goldilocks and the Three Bears
131. Cinderella
132. The Emperor’s New Clothes
133. Sleeping Beauty
134. Rapunzel
135. The Ugly Duckling
136. The Princess and the Pea
137. The Elves and the Shoemaker

Professions

138. Letter carrier
139. Teacher
140. Doctor
141. Nurse
142. Grocery store worker
143. Scientist
144. Accountant
145. Diver
146. Pilot
147. Writer
148. Singer
149. Explorer
150. Construction worker
151. Plumber
152. Factory worker
153. Chef
154. Photographer
155. Artist
156. President
157. Hairdresser
158. Pirate

Places

159. Park
160. School
161. Amusement park
162. Zoo
163. Shopping mall
164. Restaurant

Emotions

165. Happy
166. Sad
167. Angry
168. Worried
169. Excited
170. Surprised
171. Nervous
     We wish you hours of endless entertainment!

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