A Giant List Of Charades Ideas To Get This Family-Friendly Game Going

If you’re looking for a cheap, versatile way to keep kids busy at home, look no further. We’ve got your fix! Charades is a game that appeals to all ages, so everyone from younger siblings to Grandma and Grandpa can join in all the fun. Plus, it’s cost-effective. Sure, you can buy the board game in just about any store (and in several different versions, too). But you can also play at home for free using a handy-dandy list of charades ideas. All you need to do is print out (or write down) a list of ideas to choose from, cut them into strips, put them in a bowl, and let each person draw one when it’s their turn. And, wouldn’t ya know, we just so happen to have a list for you.

Charades is fantastic because it gets kids up and moving — and they’ve got more than enough energy to spare, amirite? — and the ideas to choose from are endless. Meaning, the game never gets old. You can always change it up by picking a new theme: Disney movies, sports, animals, and famous landmarks, to rattle off a few. Another reason charades should be on your radar? It makes an excellent socially-distant game to play with family and friends on Zoom.

Below, check out our giant list of charades ideas perfect for playing at home or online with loved ones.

Charades Ideas for Kids

Animals

When children are first studying animals, the sounds they make are key to the learning process. However, since charades is a silent game, it will be especially difficult to act out famously loud creatures, like elephants or frogs.

• Frog
• Cow
• Cat
• Fish
• Dog
• Tiger
• Squirrel
• Wolf
• Lizard
• Rabbit
• Snake
• Kangaroo
• Alligator
• Elephant
• Giraffe
• Bird
• Monkey
• Penguin
• Pig
• Chicken
• Bear
• Shark

Books

Not only is this a great way to get your kids to think about the books they’ve read, but this could inspire other children to pick up a book on the list and find out what it’s about.

• Chicka Chicka Boom Boom
• Goodnight Moon
• The Giving Tree
• Where the Wild Things Are
• Stone Soup
• Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
• Charlotte’s Web
• Winnie the Pooh
• The Tale of Peter Rabbit
• Little Women
• Anne of Green Gables
• Corduroy
• The Secret Garden
• Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
• The Snowy Day
• Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?
• The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
• The Jungle Book
• Diary of a Wimpy Kid
• The Little Engine That Could
• Stuart Little
• Matilda
• The Very Hungry Caterpillar
• Curious George
• Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer
• Fahrenheit 451
• The Haunting of Hill House
• Pet Cemetery
• The Silent Patient
• The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
• The Very Hungry Caterpillar
• Where the Wild Things Are
• Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
• The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
• Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
• The BFG
• A Series of Unfortunate Events
• The Tale of Peter Rabbit
• Winnie the Pooh
• Goodnight Moon
• The Lord of the Rings
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Food

• Pizza
• Jello
• French fries
• Ice cream
• Popcorn
• Banana
• Spaghetti
• Orange
• Bubblegum
• Hotdog
• Taco
• Milk and cookies
• Cupcake

Movies

• Frozen (1 and 2)
• Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
• Cars (1, 2, and 3)
• Babe
• Bambi
• Home
• Finding Nemo (and Finding Dory)
• Boss Baby
• Planes (and Planes: Fire and Rescue)
• Sing
• The Lego Movie (and The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part)
• The Princess Diaries (and The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement)
• Moana
• Soul
• The Spongebob Movie: Sponge on the Run
• Onward
• The Croods (and The Croods: A New Age)
• Scoob
• The Lion King (plus The Lion King 2: Simba’s Pride and The Lion King 1 1/2 )
• Zootopia
• Zombies (and Zombies 2)
• High School Musical (plus High School Musical 2, High School Musical 3: Senior Year)
• Inside Out
• Chicken Little
• Monsters Inc. (and Monsters University)
• Coco
• Trolls (and Trolls World Tour)
• Wreck-It Ralph (and Ralph Breaks the Internet)

Famous Landmarks

• Eiffel Tower
• Statue of Liberty
• Leaning Tower of Pisa
• Golden Gate Bridge
• Stonehenge
• Great Wall of China
• Taj Mahal
• Buckingham Palace
• Big Ben
• Empire State Building

Sports

• Baseball
• Football
• Basketball
• Dance
• Gymnastics
• Cheerleading
• Volleyball
• Hockey
• Soccer
• Lacrosse
• Swimming
• Tennis
• Golf
• Archery
• Skiing
• Snowboarding
• Surfing

Musical Instruments

• Guitar
• Piano
• Drums
• Clarinet
• Ukulele
• Trombone
• Maracas
• Saxophone
• Violin
• Tamborine
• Trumpet
• French horn
• Tuba
• Bass
• Cello

Jobs

• Teacher
• Police officer
• Doctor
• Pro wrestler
• Beauty queen
• Hairstylist
• President
• Firefighter
• Waiter/server
• Santa Claus
• Diva
• Music conductor

Activities

• Brushing teeth
• Building a sandcastle
• Dancing
• Driving a car
• Opening a gift
• Playing baseball
• Shoveling snow
• Swimming
• Skateboarding
• Tying a shoe
• Walking a dog
• Yoga
• Ballet dancing
• Tap dancing
• Salsa dancing
• Playing croquet
• Playing horseshoes
• Playing corn hole
• Surfing
• Water skiing
• Snow skiing
• Riding a motorcycle
• Playing hacky sack
• Playing pool
• Bowling
• Fishing
• Shooting a bow and arrow

Songs

• “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”
• “The Wheels on the Bus”
• “Baby Shark” (sorry, Moms)
• “Who Took the Cookie?”
• “The Ants Go Marching”
• “Jingle Bells”
• “Happy Birthday”
• “Old MacDonald”
• “If You’re Happy”
• “The Boo Boo Song”
• “Head and Shoulders”
• “The Itsy Bitsy Spider”
• “Alice the Camel”
• “After a While, Crocodile”

Keep in mind that this is an expansive list. Young kids won’t necessarily recognize much of what we’ve got here — certain books, movies, famous landmarks, etc. And grandparents may not get the pop culture references. That’s okay. Take what works for your family and leave the rest. Let this be your starting point. If you find book charades is a theme your kids enjoy, build on that. Same with movies, animals, etc. Also, consider reading ability. It’s probably best to pair little ones with an older sibling, parent, or grandparent if they need a bit of extra help. And running out of ideas doesn’t mean the fun has to stop. There are plenty of free charades idea generators online, like this one.

Charades is incredibly adaptable, and there are many ways to make it work for your family. Whatever way you choose to play — enjoy!