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Charades Ideas: 180+ Words to Act Out at Your Next Game Night

Running out of charades ideas halfway through game night is the worst. Here is a list I actually use with family and friends, sorted from easy kid-friendly words to tricky ones for grown-ups, plus movies, TV shows and holiday picks. Grab a bowl, tear up some paper, and you are ready to play.

How to Play Charades

Classic charades takes about thirty seconds to explain. Here are the basics, plus the phone-on-your-forehead version that a lot of families play now.

  1. Split into two teams and write charades words on slips of paper in a bowl.
  2. One player draws a slip and acts it out for their team with no talking, no mouthing words and no pointing at objects.
  3. Use the classic signals: fingers for number of words, tap your forearm for syllables, cup your ear for sounds like.
  4. The team gets one minute to guess; a correct guess scores a point, then the other team goes.
  5. Forehead version: one person holds the card or phone on their forehead without looking, and everyone else acts or gives clues until they guess it.
  6. Play until the bowl is empty; the team with the most points wins.

Easy Charades Ideas for Kids

Simple actions, animals and characters that little ones can act out and guess without any help. Great for ages 5 and up.

Medium Charades Words for Family Game Night

Everyday American moments that take a little more acting. These work great when teens, parents and grandparents are all playing together.

Hard Charades Ideas for Adults

Abstract ideas and grown-up situations that make you get creative. Still totally clean, just a lot harder to act out.

Movie and TV Show Charades Ideas

Titles are a charades classic. Start with the movie or TV signal (crank an old camera or draw a box in the air), then show the number of words.

Movies

TV Shows

Halloween and Christmas Charades Ideas

Holiday parties are made for charades. Print these out for a Halloween costume party or the family Christmas get-together.

Halloween

Christmas

Tips for a Better Charades Game

Play Charades With Just Your Phone

I built Party Guess because I got tired of hunting for pens and paper every game night. You hold the iPhone on your forehead, your friends give you clues, tilt up when you get it and tilt down to pass. Rounds can be anywhere from 30 seconds to 5 minutes.

There are 70+ themed decks (movies, TV, music, sports, food and more), seasonal decks for Halloween and Christmas, and a local deck for the US, the UK and a few other countries. Team mode handles 2 to 4 teams, and you can make your own decks and share them with a link.

My favorite part is the Reaction Cam: it films your friends while they give clues and turns it into a vertical video you can post. The free decks are always free, and Premium unlocks more if you want it.

Get Party Guess on the App Store

Charades FAQ

How many people do you need to play charades?

You can play with as few as three people, one acting and two guessing, but it is most fun with 6 to 12 split into two teams. Big groups can play with three or four teams.

What are the basic rules of charades?

One player acts out a word or title without talking while their team guesses before the timer runs out. No mouthing words, no spelling with your fingers and no pointing at objects in the room.

What are good charades ideas for kids?

Stick to animals, simple actions and characters they know, like a penguin, brushing teeth, a robot or a superhero. Short words they can see in their head work much better than abstract ideas.

How do you make charades harder?

Use abstract words like procrastination or deja vu, shorten the timer to 30 seconds, or ban all gestures that point at body parts. You can also make the guessing team name the exact title, word for word.

What is the difference between charades and the forehead version?

In classic charades one person acts and their team guesses. In the forehead version the guesser holds a card or phone on their forehead and everyone else gives clues, by acting, describing or singing, so the whole group is involved at once. Apps like Party Guess run the forehead version on an iPhone.

How do you signal a movie or TV show in charades?

For a movie, crank an old-fashioned film camera next to your face. For a TV show, draw a rectangle in the air, then hold up fingers for the number of words.