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.)

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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

Chicken
Dog
Bunny
Cat
Bee
Penguin
Alligator
Pig
Horse
Giraffe
Cow
Bird
Monkey
Owl
Tiger
Lion
Fish
Eel
Elephant
Squirrel

Activities

Brushing teeth
Reading a book
Writing a book
Having a picnic
Cleaning your room
Catching a fish
Tying your shoe
Waking up in the morning
Robbing a bank
Gardening
Hiking
Riding in a spaceship
Playing the piano
Flying a kite
Camping
Putting makeup on
Mopping the floor
Cooking
Driving a car
Getting dressed in the morning

Food

Spaghetti
Apple
Banana
Soup
Hamburger
Hot dog
Taco
Broccoli
Cupcake
Fries
Noodles
Corn on the cob
Banana
Bubblegum
Ice-cream
Jello
Donut
Sushi
Pizza
Carrot

Sports

Baseball
Hockey
Basketball
Gymnastics
Swimming
Cycling
Karate
Volleyball
Soccer
Football
Skiing
Tennis
Track and field
Horse riding
Golf
Formula One
Badminton
Ice skating
Roller skating
Fencing

Movies

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
How to Train Your Dragon
Pirates of the Caribbean
Toy Story
Encanto
The Incredibles
Wall-E
Monsters, Inc.
Shrek
Ghostbusters
Cars
Frozen
Ice Age
Inside Out
A Bug’s Life
Treasure Planet
Finding Nemo
Ice Age
The Princess and the Frog
High School Musical
Up
Happy Feet
Big Hero 6
The Muppets
Madagascar
Spiderman
Beauty and the Beast
The Little Mermaid
Aladdin
The Aristocats

Books

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Diary of a Wimpy Kid
The Little Prince
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
The Gruffalo
The Cat in the Hat
Charlotte’s Web
The Tale of Peter Rabbit
The Twits
Winnie the Pooh
Elephant and Piggie
Peter Pan
The Very Hungry Caterpillar
Where the Wild Things Are
Captain Underpants
Angelina Ballerina
Fairy tales
Little Red Riding Hood
The Three Little Pigs
Goldilocks and the Three Bears
Cinderella
The Emperor’s New Clothes
Sleeping Beauty
Rapunzel
The Ugly Duckling
The Princess and the Pea
The Elves and the Shoemaker

Professions

Letter carrier
Teacher
Doctor
Nurse
Grocery store worker
Scientist
Accountant
Diver
Pilot
Writer
Singer
Explorer
Construction worker
Plumber
Factory worker
Chef
Photographer
Artist
President
Hairdresser
Pirate

Places

Park
School
Amusement park
Zoo
Shopping mall
Restaurant

Emotions

Happy
Sad
Angry
Worried
Excited
Surprised
Nervous

We wish you hours of endless entertainment!