Four sheets of 48 cut-out word cards, one page each on A4 or US Letter: kids, classroom, family and Christmas. Print a sheet, cut along the dashed lines and draw from a bowl — or play the same words on a phone.
How to play charades with paper cards
Print and cut. Each sheet prints on one page and gives 48 cards. Cut along the dashed lines, fold each card in half and put them in a bowl or hat.
Make two teams. Any size works; for a big room, split it down the middle.
Act it out. A player from the first team draws a card, reads it in secret and acts it out without speaking. Their own team calls out guesses until someone says the word or time runs out.
Keep score. One point per word guessed. Teams take turns; put guessed cards aside and passed cards back in the bowl.
Agree on the house rules before the first card: no talking or mouthing words, no pointing at the thing if it is in the room, and how long a turn lasts. A one-minute turn is lively; younger players may like two. Any phone timer will do, or let the charades game keep time and score. The full charades rules list more variations.
Kids charades cards
Sixteen animals, sixteen everyday actions and sixteen playground classics, all things children can act out with their whole body. For children who cannot read yet, an adult or older child whispers the word.
Kids charades cardsCut along the dashed lines, fold, draw from a bowl
AnimalsPenguin
AnimalsKangaroo
AnimalsElephant
AnimalsGiraffe
AnimalsMonkey
AnimalsLion
AnimalsFrog
AnimalsRabbit
AnimalsSnake
AnimalsCrab
AnimalsTurtle
AnimalsSnail
AnimalsOwl
AnimalsFlamingo
AnimalsDolphin
AnimalsHorse
ActionsBrushing teeth
ActionsTying shoelaces
ActionsYawning
ActionsSneezing
ActionsClapping
ActionsWaving goodbye
ActionsTiptoeing
ActionsCrawling
ActionsHopping on one foot
ActionsRiding a bike
ActionsJuggling
ActionsHigh five
ActionsTaking a nap
ActionsSnoring
ActionsBlowing your nose
ActionsGetting dressed
Kids' ClassicsHopscotch
Kids' ClassicsHide and seek
Kids' ClassicsJump rope
Kids' ClassicsSwing set
Kids' ClassicsSeesaw
Kids' ClassicsTeddy bear
Kids' ClassicsRocking horse
Kids' ClassicsBuilding blocks
Kids' ClassicsYo-yo
Kids' ClassicsBlowing bubbles
Kids' ClassicsSandcastle
Kids' ClassicsPiggyback ride
Kids' ClassicsTug of war
Kids' ClassicsPeekaboo
Kids' ClassicsSnow angel
Kids' ClassicsTea party
PartyDeck — timer, scores and all 820 words free at party.mazepad.cc/charades
Classroom charades cards
Twelve jobs, twelve places, twelve feelings and twelve kinds of weather and landscape: familiar vocabulary that can be acted at the front of a room without props. The feelings cards also work as an emotions warm-up — once the class has guessed the feeling, ask for a time someone felt it.
Classroom charades cardsCut along the dashed lines, fold, draw from a bowl
JobsDoctor
JobsFirefighter
JobsPolice officer
JobsChef
JobsPilot
JobsAstronaut
JobsFarmer
JobsMail carrier
JobsScientist
JobsLibrarian
JobsZookeeper
JobsDetective
PlacesLibrary
PlacesAirport
PlacesBeach
PlacesZoo
PlacesMuseum
PlacesSupermarket
PlacesPlayground
PlacesSwimming pool
PlacesCastle
PlacesLighthouse
PlacesCampsite
PlacesScience lab
Feelings & FacesHappy
Feelings & FacesSurprised
Feelings & FacesScared
Feelings & FacesBored
Feelings & FacesConfused
Feelings & FacesExcited
Feelings & FacesNervous
Feelings & FacesProud
Feelings & FacesCurious
Feelings & FacesBrain freeze
Feelings & FacesStage fright
Feelings & FacesShrugging
Nature & WeatherRainbow
Nature & WeatherThunderstorm
Nature & WeatherTornado
Nature & WeatherSnowflake
Nature & WeatherVolcano
Nature & WeatherEarthquake
Nature & WeatherWaterfall
Nature & WeatherOcean waves
Nature & WeatherMountain
Nature & WeatherCave
Nature & WeatherDesert
Nature & WeatherGlacier
PartyDeck — timer, scores and all 820 words free at party.mazepad.cc/charades
Family charades cards
Food, household chores, sports, party games and hobbies: everyday words that no one needs to know a particular show or game to guess, so grandparents and grandchildren play on equal terms.
Family charades cardsCut along the dashed lines, fold, draw from a bowl
FoodPizza
FoodSpaghetti
FoodHamburger
FoodPancakes
FoodPopcorn
FoodIce cream cone
FoodWatermelon
FoodCorn on the cob
FoodCotton candy
FoodChili pepper
Household ChoresVacuuming
Household ChoresWashing dishes
Household ChoresFolding laundry
Household ChoresMaking the bed
Household ChoresTaking out the trash
Household ChoresMowing the lawn
Household ChoresWalking the dog
Household ChoresShoveling snow
Household ChoresMatching socks
Household ChoresChopping onions
Sports & GamesSoccer
Sports & GamesBasketball
Sports & GamesTennis
Sports & GamesBowling
Sports & GamesSwimming
Sports & GamesSkiing
Sports & GamesSurfing
Sports & GamesGolf
Sports & GamesKarate
Sports & GamesTrampoline
Party TimeBlowing out candles
Party TimePiñata
Party TimeMusical chairs
Party TimeLimbo
Party TimeConga line
Party TimeKaraoke
Party TimePillow fight
Party TimeSleepover
Party TimeOpening presents
HobbiesKnitting
HobbiesGardening
HobbiesFishing
HobbiesCamping
HobbiesPhotography
HobbiesJigsaw puzzle
HobbiesMagic tricks
HobbiesYoga
HobbiesBird watching
PartyDeck — timer, scores and all 820 words free at party.mazepad.cc/charades
Christmas charades cards
The whole Christmas category: decorating, winter fun and holiday traditions, written as actions so they can be mimed rather than just named. Christmas party games has a plan for a full evening with these cards, Imposter and Who's most likely to.
Christmas charades cardsCut along the dashed lines, fold, draw from a bowl
Decorating the tree
Hanging a stocking
Tying a ribbon bow
Rolling a giant snowball
Snowball fight
Hanging the wreath
Skating on a frozen pond
Sledding down a hill
Singing carols
Baking cookies
Drinking hot cocoa
Roasting chestnuts
Opening an advent door
Writing a wish list
Reindeer
Santa's sleigh
Sleigh bells
Elf at work
Nutcracker
Toy soldier
Gingerbread man
Candy cane
Hanging mistletoe
Untangling lights
Climbing a chimney
Shaking a present
Knitting a sweater
Switching on the tree lights
Christmas lights
Star on top
Cracking a nut
Stringing a popcorn garland
Catching snowflakes
Scraping a frosty windshield
Wearing mittens
Fireplace
Hot water bottle
Turkey dinner
Pulling a cracker
Carving the roast
Secret Santa
Writing a letter to Santa
Opening a toy
Falling on the ice
Dancing to carols
Wrapping paper mess
Reading by the fire
Waiting for Santa
PartyDeck — timer, scores and all 820 words free at party.mazepad.cc/charades
Printing tips
One sheet or all four. Print this sheet prints only that sheet. Print all four sheets (or your browser's own Print command) prints the four sheets on four pages, without the rest of this page.
Paper size. The sheets are laid out for portrait A4 and US Letter at 100% scale with 10 mm margins. If a sheet spills onto a second page, check that the print dialog is not set to a larger scale or to "fit to page".
Cleaner pages. Turn off the browser's headers and footers in the print dialog to hide the date and web address it adds.
Reuse. Thicker paper or card stock survives more rounds of folding; the cards are black on white, so a black-and-white printer is enough.
Make it easier or harder
Easier: allow sound effects, let two players act a card together, or give a category hint — each card shows its category in small print above the word.
Harder: shorten the turn to 30 seconds, or play "one hand behind the back".
Silent relay: one card per team; the first player acts it to the second, who acts what they understood to the third, and the last player guesses.
Charades bingo: each player picks five cards from the sheet before the game and scores when someone else acts one of them.
Prefer a phone? Same words, no paper
The charades game deals these words on one phone: hold it to your forehead, nod down for correct and tip back to pass, with 60, 90 or 120-second rounds and a score for each team. The Play on a phone links above open it on the matching category. For a single random word, use the charades generator; to print 48 words from any other category, choose it on the charades page and press Print word cards.
Where the words come from
Every card is taken from PartyDeck's 820 charades words in 17 categories; the sheets add no words of their own. The lists avoid brand names, film titles and real people, so nobody needs to know a particular show to act or guess. Running a class or club session? Classroom icebreaker and team games explains how to run charades and two other games for a whole room.
Questions
How many cards are on each sheet?
48 cards per sheet, 192 across the four sheets (kids, classroom, family and Christmas).
Do the sheets fit on A4 and US Letter paper?
Yes. Each sheet is laid out to print on one portrait page of either size at 100% scale.
Can I print the cards for my class or club?
Yes. Print as many copies as you need for home, school, club or event use. There is no sign-up.
What are good charades words for kids?
Animals, everyday actions and playground games: the kids sheet has 48, such as Penguin, Kangaroo, Elephant. Children who cannot read yet can play with an adult or older child whispering the word.
Can I make cards with my own words?
Yes. Make a list on the My words page and use it in the charades game, or choose any built-in category on the charades page and press Print word cards for up to 48 of its words.
Do we need a phone to play?
No. The printed cards and a watch or kitchen timer are enough. A phone only adds the forehead game, automatic timing and team scores.