180 charades words
Actions, animals, objects, jobs, places and harder concepts. A word list for family games, parties and classroom rounds.
Download the word list (PDF)Read all 180 words onlineCharades Generator
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Random Mix
Penguin
Play away from the screen
Free printable charades words and cards
Print a complete set before your game. These ready-made lists are free to download, with no signup or daily draw limit. Keep the answer sheet away from the guessers.
60 charades cards for kids
Cut-out cards grouped for ages 4-6, 7-9 and 10-12. Pick words your children know and read them privately to younger actors.
Download the kids cards (PDF)Browse the kids word listBoth PDFs use US Letter pages. For A4 paper, select Fit in your printer settings. Need rules, blank cards or a score sheet? Get the four-page host kit below.
Ready for the whole group
A host kit you can print and use
Four pages: a quick rules and gesture sheet, a ten-round score sheet for four teams, twelve blank prompt cards, and a 15-minute classroom plan with seated and partner options. Choose the paper size your printer uses.
Free to print for your game night, class or community group. CardYard's suggested session plan has not been classroom-tested. Adjust the words and pace for your players.
Need ready-made prompts? Browse 180 classic words or print the 60-card kids pack. To use your own vocabulary, open the generator, then Custom Theme → Use my own words.
Charades generator
Free Charades Generator: Play, Print or Bring Your Own Words
Play charades online on one shared phone. Open the generator and start acting. The English classic deck has 180 words across actions, animals, objects, jobs, places and harder concepts, plus a separate 60-card kids deck. Web play includes two free draws per day shared across games; each new classic or AI prompt uses one draw. Your own word lists have no daily play limit. A timer, team scores and private handoff are built in. No signup is needed.
Random Charades Word Generator: Pick Your Word Source
Use this charade generator for instant English words: choose Random Mix, Actions, Animals, Objects or Kids, then tap Next word. Within one theme and difficulty, the deck uses every word before reshuffling. Changing either starts a new deck. For movies, books, songs, funny prompts or a custom theme, use AI ideas with the existing generation allowance.
Teaching vocabulary or hosting an inside-joke round? Choose My word list below the game, or open Settings and choose Use my own words, then paste a list. Your words stay in the current tab, are never sent to the AI generator, and clear when you reload. Open Settings to copy or print your current prompts. Premium and your own word lists support batches of five or ten; free CardYard draws deliver one new prompt at a time.
How the Game Works
- Choose a classic category for instant English words, paste your own list, or select AI ideas for generated themes. Settings contains the word source and difficulty controls.
- Let only the actor read the prompt. Tap Hide word before passing the phone; you can draw the next word while it stays hidden. The next actor taps Show word when ready.
- Open the round timer, choose 30, 60, 90, or 120 seconds, and start it when the actor is ready. Act without speaking while the group guesses.
- For team play, open the scoring controls, add your teams, and award one point to the team that guesses correctly. Rotate actors and teams after each turn.
- Tap Next word to continue. Settings lets you copy or print the current batch. Classic batches can be shorter at the end of a deck so that the same word is not printed twice.
Charades Words by Category
Use categories to make the charades word generator easier, harder, cleaner, funnier, or more specific to your group.
- Random mix: The classic mix shuffles actions, animals, objects, jobs, places and concepts. Choose AI ideas for a broader generated mix.
- Movie charades: Act out film titles, famous scenes, and characters.
- Action charades: Use everyday motions like brushing teeth, cooking, or opening a stuck jar.
- Animal charades: Use simple animal prompts for kids, family rounds, and warmups.
- Object charades: Use everyday objects, tools, foods, and classroom items when the group needs easy visual clues.
- Easy charades: Use food, school, objects, and simple verbs when kids or new players are joining.
- Hard charades: Use idioms, famous people, abstract ideas, and multi-word phrases for stronger groups.
- Funny charades: Use awkward actions, tiny disasters, and dramatic everyday moments when the room wants bigger performances.
- Holiday charades: Generate prompts around Christmas, Halloween, birthdays, vacations, or family traditions.
Example Round
Category: Animals. Prompt: Penguin.
The actor can waddle, flap their arms, and pretend to slide on ice.
For a harder round, switch to a movie, idiom, or custom theme before drawing the next card.
Sample cards by category
Random charades generator examples
- Penguin
- Opening a stuck jar
- The Matrix
- Vacuum cleaner
- Losing your keys
- Birthday cake
Movie charades words
- Jurassic Park
- Frozen
- Home Alone
- The Lion King
- Spider-Man
- Finding Nemo
Animal charades words
- Kangaroo
- Octopus
- Giraffe
- Turtle
- Chicken
- Sloth
Action charades words
- Brushing teeth
- Walking through mud
- Taking a selfie
- Blowing up balloons
- Building a tent
- Folding laundry
Object charades words
- Umbrella
- Backpack
- Remote control
- Toaster
- Sunglasses
- Water bottle
Kids charades words
- Flying a kite
- Eating soup
- Riding a bike
- Building blocks
- Jumping rope
- Robot dance
Easy charades prompts
- Sleeping
- Swimming
- Reading a book
- Eating pizza
- Playing guitar
- Washing dishes
Hard charades prompts
- Parallel parking
- Forgetting a password
- Avoiding spoilers
- Winning an argument
- Trying to look busy
- Explaining Wi-Fi
Funny charades ideas
- Stepping on a toy
- Sneezing during a speech
- Carrying too many groceries
- Pretending to be a statue
- Dancing in an elevator
- Chasing a rolling lemon
Instant actions
- Untangling headphones
- Chasing a rolling suitcase
- Folding a giant map
- Dodging a water balloon
- Opening a stubborn window
- Learning a dance move
- Catching falling groceries
- Walking through deep snow
- Fixing a squeaky chair
- Carrying too many plates
People and jobs
- A nervous news anchor
- A sleepy train conductor
- A chef tasting soup
- A detective finding a clue
- A referee making a call
- A photographer at a wedding
- A lifeguard spotting danger
- A magician losing the rabbit
- A pilot in turbulence
- A barber giving a haircut
Animals in trouble
- A cat stuck in a box
- A dog chasing bubbles
- A flamingo losing balance
- A crab crossing hot sand
- A monkey stealing lunch
- A turtle winning a race
- A dolphin jumping through a hoop
- A squirrel hiding food
- A penguin on roller skates
- An owl waking up
Places and travel
- Missing an airport gate
- Getting lost in a museum
- Camping in heavy rain
- Waiting for a subway
- Climbing a lighthouse
- Ordering at a drive-through
- Exploring an aquarium
- Crossing a busy street
- Checking into a hotel
- Finding a seat at the cinema
Objects come alive
- An alarm clock refusing to stop
- A vacuum cleaner eating a sock
- A kite caught in a tree
- A blender without a lid
- A phone with one percent battery
- An umbrella turning inside out
- A shopping cart with one bad wheel
- A toaster launching bread
- A flashlight flickering in the dark
- A robot vacuum escaping
Big reactions
- Winning a mystery prize
- Forgetting an important name
- Hearing a noise downstairs
- Discovering a secret passage
- Realizing today is Monday
- Seeing snow for the first time
- Dropping a birthday cake
- Finding money in an old coat
- Meeting your future self
- Trying not to laugh
Tips for Hosts
Set clue rules first
Decide whether sounds, pointing, or props are allowed before the round starts.
Start easy
Use animals or actions first, then move to movies or custom themes.
Plan enough words
A new generated prompt uses a draw, even when you skip the previous one. For a full free game, print a word list or bring your own prompts before the group starts.
Related guides
Who Am I? forehead game
The phone goes on your forehead and friends give clues. Tap or tilt for correct or pass, with 15 decks and a recap.
Free Charades host kit
Printable rules, score sheets, blank cards and a classroom session plan in A4 and US Letter sizes.
Try Fishbowl
Describe, act, then give one-word clues using the same bowl of words.
Taboo online
Describe words without the forbidden ones, in teams on one phone or a video call.
Charades ideas by category
Browse charades ideas for kids, adults, movies, funny rounds, holidays, and classrooms.
Charades generator for kids
60 easy prompts covering animals, playground games, school, and snacks.
Movie charades ideas
60 film titles, famous scenes, and characters to act out.
Funny charades generator for adults
60 comedy prompts built on everyday disasters and awkward moments.
Charades words
180 words across 6 categories to copy, print, or prepare for a round.
How to play charades
Full rules, every standard hand signal, timing, and scoring.
Halloween charades
60 costume, monster, trick-or-treat, and haunted-house prompts.
Thanksgiving charades
60 food, hosting, travel, autumn, and Friendsgiving prompts.
Christmas charades
200 festive family, office, film, song, gift, and winter prompts.
New Year's Eve charades
60 countdown, midnight, resolution, fireworks, and party prompts.
From the blog
Rules & tips
Built for real game nights
CardYard is independently built and maintained for groups who want a clear, playable round without a long setup. We review game flows and generated prompts for fit, readability, and obvious safety problems, then use player feedback to improve them.
Charades Prompt Generator FAQ
Is the charades prompt generator free?
Yes. Web play includes two free draws per day shared across games, with one new classic or AI prompt per draw. Your own word lists and the printable lists on this site have no daily play limit. No account is needed to start. Premium provides more generation access and paid categories.
Can I make charades prompts for kids?
Yes. Choose kid-friendly categories like animals, actions, or simple objects for easier rounds.
Can I create custom charades prompts?
Yes. Paste 2 to 300 of your own words in Use my own words; separate them with commas or line breaks. They stay in this tab and are not saved or sent to the generator. Alternatively, enter a custom theme to request AI-created ideas using your generation allowance.
Can I use this as a random charades generator?
Yes. Choose Random Mix to draw from a variety of categories. Keep each prompt private until the actor has finished, and skip unfamiliar references so the round keeps moving. Free CardYard draws deliver one new prompt at a time. For prepared rounds, Premium or your own word list supports a five- or ten-prompt batch that you can copy or print.
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