Charades Words by Difficulty
Pick a difficulty, hit the button, and get a word your team can actually act out. Below are the full lists we use — easy, medium, hard, movies and Christmas.
Tip: keep this page open on a phone and pass it around.
Charades Words by Difficulty — full list (175 words)
Easy (40)
- brushing teeth
- sneezing
- sleeping
- eating pizza
- swimming
- dancing
- crying
- laughing
- driving a car
- taking a photo
- reading a book
- riding a bike
- blowing a kiss
- playing guitar
- tying shoes
- washing dishes
- opening a gift
- flying a kite
- walking a dog
- brushing hair
- toothbrush
- umbrella
- guitar
- camera
- ladder
- mirror
- scissors
- hammer
- backpack
- smartphone
- microwave
- vacuum cleaner
- a penguin
- a monkey
- an elephant
- a kangaroo
- a snake
- a butterfly
- an octopus
- a chicken
Medium (76)
- milking a cow
- painting a wall
- riding a horse
- playing chess
- catching a fish
- planting a tree
- making a sandwich
- shoveling snow
- flying an airplane
- conducting an orchestra
- surfing
- skateboarding
- boxing
- playing tennis
- climbing a ladder
- cutting hair
- baking a cake
- wrapping a present
- juggling
- hula hooping
- lighthouse
- telescope
- volcano
- windmill
- scarecrow
- hourglass
- compass
- anchor
- mermaid
- wizard
- dragon
- castle
- waterfall
- campfire
- binoculars
- snowman
- decorating a tree
- wrapping presents
- sledding
- building a snowman
- roasting chestnuts
- ice skating
- hanging stockings
- opening presents
- caroling
- drinking hot cocoa
- santa claus
- a reindeer
- stringing lights
- hanging tinsel
- baking cookies
- writing a letter to santa
- leaving cookies out
- opening an advent calendar
- singing carols
- watching a christmas movie
- wearing an ugly sweater
- building a gingerbread house
- throwing a snowball
- making a snow angel
- riding a sleigh
- pulling a cracker
- wearing a santa hat
- trimming the tree
- stuffing a stocking
- lighting a candle
- wrapping a gift
- hiding a gift
- mailing a card
- drinking eggnog
- eating a candy cane
- roasting marshmallows
- sitting by the fireplace
- decorating cookies
- hanging mistletoe
- shaking a snow globe
Hard (59)
- parallel parking
- time travel
- photosynthesis
- gravity
- the internet
- stagflation
- deja vu
- a midlife crisis
- inflation
- climate change
- blockchain
- virtual reality
- artificial intelligence
- screen addiction
- remote work
- influencer marketing
- cancel culture
- supply chain
- cryptocurrency
- social media
- Titanic
- Jaws
- The Lion King
- Frozen
- Star Wars
- Harry Potter
- Jurassic Park
- The Matrix
- Avatar
- Toy Story
- Shrek
- Spider-Man
- Finding Nemo
- The Godfather
- Rocky
- Ghostbusters
- Back to the Future
- Indiana Jones
- The Avengers
- Black Panther
- Wonder Woman
- Minions
- Despicable Me
- The Grinch
- Home Alone
- Elf
- E.T.
- The Wizard of Oz
- Mary Poppins
- Peter Pan
- Aladdin
- Beauty and the Beast
- The Little Mermaid
- Moana
- Encanto
- Coco
- Up
- WALL-E
- Ratatouille
Want them on paper?
Get 50 printable charades cards (easy / medium / hard) as a one-page PDF — cut them out and play tonight.
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How to play
- Split into two teams. One player draws a word and acts it out without speaking, mouthing or pointing at objects.
- Set a 60-second timer per turn. The team shouts guesses; each correct guess is one point.
- Use the difficulty tabs to keep it fair: start Easy for kids, jump to Hard for adults who have played before.
- Noises are usually allowed, but agree the rules before you start — the funniest arguments come from house rules.
FAQ
How many words do you need for charades?
Aim for at least 30 words per team for a 30-minute game. Our easy list alone has 20 and the medium list has 48, so there is enough for a full party.
What are good hard charades words?
Abstract ideas work best: time travel, inflation, deja vu, a midlife crisis. They cannot be acted out literally, which forces creative guessing.
Can you play charades online?
Yes — share your screen with the generator open and let each team pick a word. It works just as well over video call as in the room.
Is charades good for kids?
It is one of the best low-prep classroom games. Stick to the Easy list (actions and animals) and allow pointing.