Charades Ideas: Easy to Hard Words to Act Out

Animals: a penguin, a snake, a monkey, a kangaroo, a chicken. Everyday actions: brushing your teeth, tying your shoes, eating spaghetti, walking a dog, blowing out candles. Young children do best with things they’ve seen or done themselves.

Jobs: a firefighter, a chef, a dentist, a bus driver, a teacher. Sports: surfing, bowling, ice skating, archery, tennis. Things to do: flying a kite, building a sandcastle, washing a car, taking a selfie, changing a light bulb.

Movies and books work well once people know the signals: hold up fingers for the number of words, and tap your arm for syllables. Add ideas such as a lost tourist, an alien at a supermarket, assembling a bookshelf without the instructions, or a very slow race.

For a holiday party: building a snowman, wrapping a gift badly, untangling lights, a reindeer on the roof, ice skating for the first time, or singing carols in the cold.

Split into two teams. One person spins or draws a word and acts it out with no talking, and their team has one minute to guess. Take turns, and the team with the most right answers wins.

A wheel on a phone or a TV means nobody has to write slips of paper, and you can type in your own words, such as names from your family or your class.