Charades is one of the best games for kids because it requires zero equipment, works for any group size, and scales perfectly to different ages. A five-year-old can act out a jumping frog, while a twelve-year-old can tackle Disney characters and movie titles. Use this list to find the right words for your group — and skip the guesswork of choosing what's too easy or too hard.
Easy charades for toddlers and kids ages 5–7
🏃 Actions (20)
- Sleeping
- Jumping
- Swimming
- Brushing Teeth
- Eating
- Running
- Dancing
- Crying
- Laughing
- Sneezing
- Drinking
- Reading a Book
- Riding a Bike
- Flying a Kite
- Building a Sandcastle
- Washing Hands
- Climbing a Tree
- Blowing Bubbles
- Throwing a Ball
- Waving Goodbye
🐾 Animals (20)
- Dog
- Cat
- Elephant
- Duck
- Frog
- Snake
- Monkey
- Lion
- Rabbit
- Horse
- Cow
- Bee
- Fish
- Bird
- Tiger
- Bear
- Penguin
- Giraffe
- Pig
- Sheep
🌟 Simple Objects (10)
- Ball
- Book
- Apple
- Chair
- Sun
- Rainbow
- Star
- Car
- Shoe
- Hat
Charades ideas for kids ages 8–12
✨ Disney Characters (20)
- Elsa
- Simba
- Buzz Lightyear
- Mickey Mouse
- Moana
- Ariel
- Woody
- Olaf
- Belle
- Mulan
- Aladdin
- Rapunzel
- Tinker Bell
- Goofy
- Stitch
- Nemo
- Pumba
- Genie
- Cinderella
- Snow White
🎬 Movies (15)
- Frozen
- The Lion King
- Toy Story
- Finding Nemo
- Moana
- Inside Out
- Coco
- Shrek
- Minions
- Despicable Me
- Spider-Man
- The Incredibles
- Cars
- Up
- Encanto
😄 Funny Actions (15)
- Eating Spaghetti
- Doing the Robot
- Eating a Lemon
- Riding an Invisible Horse
- Walking on Ice
- Chasing a Butterfly
- Snoring
- Hiccuping
- Skipping
- Ballet Dancing
- Playing Air Guitar
- Texting
- Taking a Selfie
- Hula Hooping
- Yodeling
Charades ideas for teens and middle schoolers
🎥 Movies & TV (15)
- Avengers
- Spider-Man
- Harry Potter
- The Hunger Games
- Stranger Things
- Wednesday
- Squid Game
- Avatar
- Black Panther
- Interstellar
- Titanic
- Mean Girls
- Jurassic Park
- The Matrix
- Guardians of the Galaxy
💪 Hard Actions (10)
- Parallel Parking
- Giving a Speech
- Playing Chess
- Rock Climbing
- Conducting an Orchestra
- Skydiving
- Scuba Diving
- Tightrope Walking
- Bungee Jumping
- Performing Surgery
Funny charades ideas for kids
SneezingDoing the WormEating a LemonRiding an Invisible Horse
Walking Like a RobotActing Like a ZombieHula HoopingPlaying Air Drums
Milking a CowBelly LaughingEating Corn on the CobChasing Butterflies
Falling Asleep Standing UpSurfingDisco DancingMoonwalking
Flapping Like a BirdConducting an OrchestraTalking to a ParrotBeing Tickled
Charades ideas for kids – animals special
Animals are the most reliable category for kids of all ages. For an extended animal-only game session, visit our dedicated Animal Charades Game with 200+ prompts sorted by habitat.
KangarooFlamingoChimpanzeePeacockCrocodile
OctopusParrotKoalaDolphinPanda
ChameleonJellyfishToucanGorillaSeahorse
MeerkatPlatypusSlothArmadilloNarwhal
WombatCapybaraAxolotlPangolinQuokka
Charades ideas for family game night
Mixed-difficulty words that work for players of all ages around the same table. Use our free charades generator to randomise from this list automatically.
Pizza DeliveryFamily Road TripBedtime RoutineBirthday Cake
Grocery ShoppingPlaying CardsWashing the DogBuilding a Fort
Board Game NightMovie MarathonBarbecueCamping
HomeworkTaking a NapPlaying CatchMaking Pancakes
VacuumingWalking the DogPlaying Video GamesTelling a Bedtime Story
How to choose the right charades words for kids
- Match the category to what they know. Young children do best with animals and simple everyday actions. Older kids enjoy characters from their favourite films and shows. When in doubt, ask what they're watching or playing right now.
- Adjust the time limit, not the word. Rather than giving easier words to younger kids, give them more time. A 3-minute timer removes pressure and lets them work through the performance at their own pace.
- Mix difficulty across a family game. Give younger players shorter, simpler words and older players the harder ones. Using our kids charades generator, you can switch categories between turns to keep every age group engaged.