Charades Generator

528+ hand-picked charades words with a built-in round timer. Filter by category and difficulty, deal a word, act it out — no repeats until the deck runs dry.

Category

Difficulty

Round timer

Pick your filters, then deal the first word 🎭

528 words in this deck · 528 left before reshuffle · no repeats until the deck is done

🗂️
9 categories
⏱️
Built-in timer
🔁
No repeats
🖨️
Printable cards

🧸 Easy Charades Words for Kids

Act-along words young kids can perform and guess — perfect for family game night.

SnowmanTooth fairyDinosaurSuperman flyingBlowing bubblesPillow fightTeddy bearUnicornFreeze dancePeekabooFlying a kiteIce cream coneTickle monsterNap timeRobot

🏃 Funny Actions to Act Out

Everyday situations that get funnier the more accurately you mime them.

Trying to fold a fitted sheetStepping on a LegoWalking into a spider webUntangling headphonesParallel parkingWaking up late for workAssembling flat-pack furnitureCarrying all the groceries in one tripLooking for your glasses while wearing themPretending to listen on a video call

🎬 Movie Charades

Titles everyone knows — act the scene, not the poster.

TitanicJawsThe Lion KingFrozenSpider-ManRockyHarry PotterJurassic ParkHome AloneFinding NemoKing KongThe Wizard of OzPirates of the CaribbeanToy StoryGhostbusters

🐘 Animal Charades

The all-ages classic — from easy elephants to hard-mode chameleons.

ElephantPenguinKangarooT-RexMonkeyFlamingoCrabOwlSlothOctopusWoodpeckerWolf howling at the moonDeer in headlightsSeal balancing a ballChameleon

💬 Hard Charades: Idioms & Phrases

The expert deck — multi-word expressions that demand creative acting.

Break a legRaining cats and dogsThe elephant in the roomBarking up the wrong treeOnce in a blue moonSpill the beansButterflies in your stomachKill two birds with one stoneNeedle in a haystackWhen pigs flyWalking on eggshellsCouch potato

How to Play Charades (Quick Rules)

  1. Split into two teams and decide a time limit per round — 60 seconds is the classic.
  2. Deal a word with the generator above and hand the screen to the actor only.
  3. Act it out silently — no talking, no mouthing, no pointing at real objects, no spelling in the air.
  4. Team guesses until the timer runs out. A correct guess scores a point.
  5. Alternate teams; first to an agreed score (usually 10) wins.

The Standard Charades Gestures

  • Number of words: hold up that many fingers, then show which word you're acting first.
  • Syllables: lay fingers on your forearm for the count.
  • Sounds like: cup a hand behind your ear.
  • Short / long word: pinch fingers together, or stretch hands apart.
  • Movie: crank an old-fashioned camera. Book: open your palms. TV show: draw a rectangle.
  • Keep guessing / closer: wave both hands toward yourself.
  • Whole idea: sweep your arms in a big circle to act the entire concept at once.

Make It a Full Game Night

Charades pairs perfectly with our other party tools — run Truth or Dare between rounds, warm up with Would You Rather or Never Have I Ever, spin the wheel to pick who acts first, and cool down with This or That. Hosting a bigger crowd? Grab openers from questions to ask at a party.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you play charades?

Split into two teams. One player draws a word and acts it out silently — no talking, no mouthing words, no pointing at objects in the room — while their team guesses within the time limit (60 seconds is standard). Score a point for each correct guess, then the other team takes a turn. This generator replaces the paper hat: deal a word, hand the phone to the actor, and the built-in timer runs the round for you.

What are good words for charades?

Good charades words are concrete enough to act and familiar enough to guess: actions (brushing teeth), animals (penguin), movie titles (Titanic), and jobs (firefighter) are classics. For harder rounds, idioms like 'break a leg' or 'raining cats and dogs' force multi-part acting. Every word in this generator was picked to be actable — no abstract terms nobody can mime — and each is tagged easy, medium, or hard so you can match the deck to the room.

Does this charades generator work for kids?

Yes — select the Kids & Family category for extra-easy, act-along words (snowman, tooth fairy, blowing bubbles), or set difficulty to Easy in any category. Every word in the entire deck is family-safe, so mixed-age game nights can play on any setting.

How does the charades timer work?

Choose 30, 60, 90, or 120 seconds and the timer starts automatically each time you deal a word — the bar counts down, turns red for the final ten seconds, and flashes Time's Up when the round ends. Sixty seconds is the classic default; use 30 for lightning rounds and 120 for hard idioms or younger players. You can also switch it off entirely.

What are the rules for gestures in charades?

The universal signals: hold up fingers for the number of words, then for which word you're acting; tap your forearm with fingers for syllables; cup your ear for 'sounds like'; pinch fingers together for a short word; stretch hands apart for a long word; wave toward yourself for 'closer / keep guessing'; and make a movie-camera crank for films, open palms like a book for books, and draw a TV square for shows. No speaking, no mouthing, no spelling in the air.

Can I print charades words to play offline?

Yes — set your category and difficulty filters, then hit 'Print this deck' to get a print-ready sheet of every word in the current deck. Cut them into cards, fold them into a bowl, and play the classic way at parties, classrooms, or anywhere without a phone.