Charades for Kids: 170+ Ideas

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
  • How do you do charades for kids?
  • Can a 5-year-old play charades?
  • What are some good charades ideas?
  • 170 charades ideas for kids

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

  1. Brushing teeth
  2. Reading a book
  3. Writing a book
  4. Having a picnic
  5. Cleaning your room
  6. Catching a fish
  7. Tying your shoe
  8. Waking up in the morning
  9. Robbing a bank
  10. Gardening
  11. Hiking
  12. Riding in a spaceship
  13. Playing the piano
  14. Flying a kite
  15. Camping
  16. Putting makeup on
  17. Mopping the floor
  18. Cooking
  19. Driving a car
  20. Getting dressed in the morning

Food

  1. Spaghetti
  2. Apple
  3. Banana
  4. Soup
  5. Hamburger
  6. Hot dog
  7. Taco
  8. Broccoli
  9. Cupcake
  10. Fries
  11. Noodles
  12. Corn on the cob
  13. Banana
  14. Bubblegum
  15. Ice-cream
  16. Jello
  17. Donut
  18. Sushi
  19. Pizza
  20. Carrot

Sports

  1. Baseball
  2. Hockey
  3. Basketball
  4. Gymnastics
  5. Swimming
  6. Cycling
  7. Karate
  8. Volleyball
  9. Soccer
  10. Football
  11. Skiing
  12. Tennis
  13. Track and field
  14. Horse riding
  15. Golf
  16. Formula One
  17. Badminton
  18. Ice skating
  19. Roller skating
  20. Fencing

Movies

  1. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
  2. How to Train Your Dragon
  3. Pirates of the Caribbean
  4. Toy Story
  5. Encanto
  6. The Incredibles
  7. Wall-E
  8. Monsters, Inc.
  9. Shrek
  10. Ghostbusters
  11. Cars
  12. Frozen
  13. Ice Age
  14. Inside Out
  15. A Bug’s Life
  16. Treasure Planet
  17. Finding Nemo
  18. Ice Age
  19. The Princess and the Frog
  20. High School Musical
  21. Up
  22. Happy Feet
  23. Big Hero 6
  24. The Muppets
  25. Madagascar
  26. Spiderman
  27. Beauty and the Beast
  28. The Little Mermaid
  29. Aladdin
  30. The Aristocats

Books

  1. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
  2. Diary of a Wimpy Kid
  3. The Little Prince
  4. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
  5. The Gruffalo
  6. The Cat in the Hat
  7. Charlotte’s Web
  8. The Tale of Peter Rabbit
  9. The Twits
  10. Winnie the Pooh
  11. Elephant and Piggie
  12. Peter Pan
  13. The Very Hungry Caterpillar
  14. Where the Wild Things Are
  15. Captain Underpants
  16. Angelina Ballerina
  17. Fairy tales
  18. Little Red Riding Hood
  19. The Three Little Pigs
  20. Goldilocks and the Three Bears
  21. Cinderella
  22. The Emperor’s New Clothes
  23. Sleeping Beauty
  24. Rapunzel
  25. The Ugly Duckling
  26. The Princess and the Pea
  27. The Elves and the Shoemaker

Professions

  1. Letter carrier
  2. Teacher
  3. Doctor
  4. Nurse
  5. Grocery store worker
  6. Scientist
  7. Accountant
  8. Diver
  9. Pilot
  10. Writer
  11. Singer
  12. Explorer
  13. Construction worker
  14. Plumber
  15. Factory worker
  16. Chef
  17. Photographer
  18. Artist
  19. President
  20. Hairdresser
  21. Pirate

Places

  1. Park
  2. School
  3. Amusement park
  4. Zoo
  5. Shopping mall
  6. Restaurant

Emotions

  1. Happy
  2. Sad
  3. Angry
  4. Worried
  5. Excited
  6. Surprised
  7. Nervous

We wish you hours of endless entertainment!

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