CurioRank 82 · Ages 10+
Telestrations 8-Player (2nd Edition)
The closest boxed game to Pictionary: everyone sketches and guesses at once, passed round like Telephone.
Free · Runs in your browser
Charades generator and Pictionary words, one at a time.
In short: pick charades or Pictionary, who’s playing and how hard, and the generator below deals 456 hand-written, family-safe words one at a time, with a round timer, skip and team scores. Easy charades ideas are animals and everyday actions (frog, brushing teeth); easy Pictionary words are objects with a clear shape (umbrella, rocket). Every word is also listed further down the page.
By CurioRank Editorial · Updated October 26, 2026
Get a charades or Pictionary word
A word is ready below. Tap Got it when your team guesses it, Skip if it’s too hard, and start a timed round when you’re ready. Words don’t repeat until you’ve seen the whole list for your settings.
Act it out · Team 1’s turn1:00
Movie · Easy
Frozen
Start with the movie sign: crank an old film camera.
Team scores
- 0
- 0
“Got it” scores for the highlighted team. Tap a dot to change whose turn it is. Scores and settings stay in this browser; nothing is uploaded.
How to play charades
Charades has no single rulebook, and Wikipedia’s charades article notes that house rules vary a lot, so agree them before the first turn. This is the common version:
- Split into teams. Two or more teams. Each team writes words or titles on slips of paper for the other team to act, or you let the generator above pick the words.
- One actor, a time limit. One player from the acting team takes a word and acts it out for their own team while a timer runs. Agree the time before you start; charades has no official length.
- No talking at all. The actor may not speak. Most groups also ban mouthing words, spelling letters in the air, pointing at objects in the room, and sound effects like humming or clapping.
- Signal the shape of the answer. Hold up fingers for the number of words, lay fingers on your forearm for syllables, and use a category sign (below) for a film, book, song, show or play.
- Score the guess. The guessing team scores a point for a correct answer before time runs out. Some groups give the other team the point when nobody guesses it.
- Rotate. Teams alternate turns, with a new actor each time, until everyone has acted at least once or a target score is reached.
Charades hand signals
These are the conventional signs, as Wikipedia lists them. Agree any extras with your group.
| To show | Gesture |
|---|---|
| Number of words | Hold up that many fingers at the start. |
| Number of syllables | Lay that many fingers on the inside of your forearm. |
| Movie | Crank an old-fashioned film camera beside your head. |
| Book | Hold your hands together, palms up, and open them like a book. |
| Song | Throw one arm out and pretend to sing. |
| TV show | Draw a rectangle in the air with both index fingers. |
| Play | Take a bow. |
| Sounds like | Tug or cup your earlobe. |
| Shorter word | Bring your hands or fingers closer together. |
| "The" | Make a T with your hands, like a time-out signal. |
| Keep going / you're close | Beckon with a "come here" wave or roll your hands in circles. |
How to play Pictionary
Pictionary is the drawing version: one player sketches, their team guesses. Robert Angel launched it in 1985, per Wikipedia, and Mattel’s Junior Pictionary instructions set out the same core rules for ages 7 to 12. The board game adds a track and dice; the rules below work with just paper, a pencil and the generator above.
- Make teams. The board game plays with two to four teams of any size. With no board, two teams and a scorecard work fine.
- The drawer looks at the word. One player (Mattel calls them the Picturist) reads the word secretly. In the board game they get up to five seconds with the card.
- One minute to get it guessed. The drawer sketches clues while the timer runs, one minute in the board game, and teammates shout guesses.
- No letters, numbers, talking or gestures. Drawings can't contain letters or numbers, and the drawer can't speak or use hand signals to act the word out. Sound-alikes are fine: draw a toe for "tow".
- Score and rotate. A correct guess scores (in the board game, the team rolls and moves). Time up with no guess passes the turn. Every word gets a new drawer.
- All Play. On an All Play turn, one drawer from every team draws the same word at once and the first team to guess it wins the turn.
Mattel’s junior rules add two useful house rules for families: turn the timer over a second time to give younger players double the time, and decide before you start how strict to be about near-miss guesses.
Pictionary categories
The board game’s cards sort words into these categories, per Wikipedia:
| Code | Category | Meaning | Closest setting here |
|---|---|---|---|
| P | Person / Place / Animal | Proper names count. | Animals |
| O | Object | Things you can touch or see. | Objects, Holidays |
| A | Action | Verbs. | Actions |
| D | Difficult | Words that are hard to draw. | Hard setting, Movies |
| AP | All Play | Every team draws the same word at once. | Pass the phone to each team's drawer |
Charades ideas and Pictionary words: the full list
Every word the generator can deal, by category, age group and difficulty. Kids lists suit young children; Family adds mixed-age words; Adults (clean) is harder, grown-up situations with nothing you’d mind a child hearing. Film titles are G, PG or PG-13 releases. The generator’s Family setting draws from the Kids and Family lists; Adults draws from Family and Adults.
Movies
Kids
Easy
Frozen, Toy Story, Finding Nemo, The Lion King, Cars, Shrek, Up, Moana, Dumbo, Bambi
Medium
Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, Despicable Me, Inside Out, Zootopia, Madagascar, Kung Fu Panda, Ratatouille, Monsters, Inc., The Incredibles, Coco
Hard
How to Train Your Dragon, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, Alice in Wonderland, The Jungle Book, Peter Pan, Lilo & Stitch, Wreck-It Ralph, The Secret Life of Pets, Encanto, Cinderella
Family
Easy
Star Wars, Jaws, E.T., Home Alone, Superman, Spider-Man, King Kong, Elf, Babe, Paddington
Medium
Jurassic Park, Back to the Future, The Wizard of Oz, Mary Poppins, The Sound of Music, Ghostbusters, Harry Potter, Night at the Museum, The Karate Kid, Free Willy
Hard
Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, The Princess Bride, Mrs. Doubtfire, Jumanji, Hook, The NeverEnding Story, Singin' in the Rain, The Muppet Movie
Adults (clean)
Easy
Titanic, Rocky, Grease, Top Gun, Gravity, Twister, Cast Away, Hairspray, Big, Avatar
Medium
Forrest Gump, Casablanca, Groundhog Day, Apollo 13, Mamma Mia!, La La Land, Inception, Interstellar, The Devil Wears Prada, Sleepless in Seattle, Hidden Figures
Hard
Gone with the Wind, Breakfast at Tiffany's, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, It's a Wonderful Life, Some Like It Hot, Lawrence of Arabia, North by Northwest, Field of Dreams, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, The Bridge on the River Kwai
Animals
Kids
Easy
Dog, Cat, Fish, Bird, Cow, Pig, Duck, Frog, Horse, Snake, Lion, Elephant
Medium
Monkey, Kangaroo, Penguin, Giraffe, Rabbit, Bear, Chicken, Owl, Butterfly, Turtle
Hard
Octopus, Crab, Bat, Zebra, Peacock, Squirrel, Spider, Snail, Shark, Whale
Family
Easy
Gorilla, Tiger, Dolphin, Crocodile, Camel, Mouse, Goat, Sheep, Deer, Parrot
Medium
Flamingo, Hedgehog, Skunk, Koala, Panda, Seal, Ostrich, Rhinoceros, Hippo, Woodpecker
Hard
Chameleon, Porcupine, Jellyfish, Sloth, Platypus, Armadillo, Seahorse, Beaver, Stingray, Hummingbird
Adults (clean)
Easy
Moose, Walrus, Eagle, Wolf, Lobster, Bull, Raccoon, Swan, Vulture, Polar bear
Medium
Praying mantis, Anteater, Pelican, Llama, Otter, Lemur, Toucan, Mole, Hyena, Bison
Hard
Narwhal, Pufferfish, Axolotl, Komodo dragon, Electric eel, Hermit crab, Flying squirrel, Manatee, Meerkat, Tasmanian devil
Actions
Kids
Easy
Jumping, Sleeping, Eating, Swimming, Running, Clapping, Crying, Laughing, Dancing, Brushing teeth
Medium
Riding a bike, Flying a kite, Brushing your hair, Climbing a tree, Kicking a ball, Hopping like a bunny, Blowing bubbles, Building a sandcastle, Washing your hands, Tying your shoes
Hard
Jumping rope, Walking a dog, Playing hide and seek, Making a snowball, Eating spaghetti, Painting a picture, Getting dressed, Riding a horse, Doing a cartwheel, Licking an ice cream cone
Family
Easy
Fishing, Sneezing, Yawning, Reading, Juggling, Skating, Bowling, Singing, Cooking, Waving
Medium
Changing a light bulb, Taking a selfie, Vacuuming, Rowing a boat, Mowing the lawn, Making a sandwich, Playing guitar, Walking on ice, Shooting a basketball, Ironing a shirt
Hard
Parallel parking, Waiting in line, Setting up a tent, Catching a bus, Losing your keys, Assembling furniture, Walking a tightrope, Stepping on a toy brick, Carrying too many groceries, Opening a stuck jar
Adults (clean)
Easy
Golfing, Surfing, Knitting, Typing, Jogging, Gardening, Painting a wall, Skiing, Rock climbing, Bungee jumping
Medium
Doing yoga, Hailing a taxi, Making a toast, Ordering coffee, Packing a suitcase, Paying the bill, Jump-starting a car, Hanging a picture frame, Doing the laundry, Giving a speech
Hard
Proposing marriage, Running late for a meeting, Unmuting yourself on a video call, Haggling at a market, Forgetting someone's name, Winning an award, Missing the last train, Training for a marathon, Sneaking a midnight snack, Untangling headphones
Objects
Kids
Easy
Ball, Car, House, Tree, Apple, Sun, Star, Hat, Cake, Book, Chair, Boat
Medium
Umbrella, Rocket, Balloon, Pizza, Rainbow, Scissors, Banana, Train, Clock, Toothbrush
Hard
Telescope, Lighthouse, Backpack, Crayon, Volcano, Robot, Castle, Treasure chest, Ice cream cone, Kite
Family
Easy
Phone, Guitar, Key, Glasses, Bicycle, Ladder, Candle, Camera, Lamp, Spoon
Medium
Toaster, Hammock, Remote control, Windmill, Wheelbarrow, Microscope, Parachute, Skateboard, Calendar, Doorbell
Hard
Hourglass, Compass, Traffic light, Vending machine, Escalator, Submarine, Ferris wheel, Fire hydrant, Lawn mower, Message in a bottle
Adults (clean)
Easy
Laptop, Wallet, Suitcase, Mug, Necktie, Briefcase, Headphones, Passport, Stapler, Sunglasses
Medium
Coffee maker, Treadmill, Chandelier, Corkscrew, Typewriter, Barbecue grill, Thermostat, Tripod, Hot air balloon, Blender
Hard
Air fryer, Grandfather clock, Smoke detector, Revolving door, Satellite dish, Paper shredder, Wind chime, Record player, Pressure cooker, Roller coaster
Holidays
Kids
Easy
Snowman, Santa, Present, Pumpkin, Bunny, Heart, Candy, Ghost, Turkey, Fireworks
Medium
Candy cane, Reindeer, Easter egg, Christmas tree, Witch, Stocking, Snowflake, Gingerbread man, Cupid, Party hat
Hard
Trick-or-treating, Building a snowman, Decorating cookies, Egg hunt, Hanging lights, Opening presents, Carving a pumpkin, Blowing out candles, Sledding, Writing a letter to Santa
Family
Easy
Sleigh, Menorah, Pilgrim, Wreath, Mistletoe, Scarecrow, Broomstick, Lantern, Parade, Bells
Medium
Gingerbread house, Jack-o'-lantern, Dreidel, Pumpkin pie, Haunted house, Ugly sweater, Snow globe, Candy corn, Hot cocoa, Fourth of July picnic
Hard
Caroling, Wrapping presents, Bobbing for apples, New Year's countdown, Lighting the menorah, Corn maze, Dragon dance, Easter bonnet, Parade float, Valentine card
Adults (clean)
Easy
Champagne toast, Fruitcake, Costume party, Eggnog, New Year's resolution, Gravy boat, Fireplace, Cranberry sauce, Nutcracker, Confetti
Medium
Black Friday shopping, Secret Santa, Gift exchange, Leftover turkey sandwich, Holiday office party, Red envelope, Lighting a diya, Watching the ball drop, Mardi Gras mask, Hanging the wreath
Hard
White elephant swap, Untangling holiday lights, Re-gifting, Burning the turkey, Shoveling the driveway, Napping after the big dinner, Returning a gift, Midnight toast, Assembling a toy on Christmas Eve, Turkey trot
Boxed party games for the same crowd
When charades night becomes a habit, these scored games from our card & party games rankings keep the same energy. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
CurioRank 82 · Ages 17+
Monikers Party Game
Its third round is pure charades, played with the same cards your group has already described and one-word-clued. Listed for ages 17+.
CurioRank 80 · Ages 8+
Just One (2025 Refresh)
A gentler co-op word game for mixed ages: one-word clues, and duplicate clues cancel out.
CurioRank 89 · Ages 14+
Codenames (2nd Edition)
The two-team word game most groups move on to once charades night becomes a regular thing.
How this generator works
- The words are a list we wrote for this page: 456 words and phrases across five categories, three age groups and three difficulty levels. None is copied from a card deck or another site.
- Difficulty is our judgement of how hard a word is to act or draw: Easy words are short and concrete, Hard ones are phrases, situations or long titles. If one setting leaves fewer than 8 words, the generator mixes in the neighbouring level and says so.
- The order is a Fisher–Yates shuffle using your browser’s cryptographic random number generator. Words you’ve seen are held back until the whole list for your settings has been dealt, then it reshuffles.
- The timer counts down from the length you pick and beeps (and vibrates, where the phone allows) at zero. “Got it” adds a point to the highlighted team; when time is up, the next round goes to the next team.
- Pass-the-phone mode blanks every new word until the actor or drawer taps Reveal. Everything runs in your browser; nothing is uploaded.
Charades and Pictionary FAQ
What are good charades ideas for kids?
Animals and everyday actions work best because a child can act them with their whole body: frog, elephant, penguin, brushing teeth, riding a bike, blowing bubbles. Set the generator to Kids and Easy for the simplest list.
What are good Pictionary words?
Concrete objects with a recognisable shape are easiest to draw: umbrella, rocket, lighthouse, snowman. Actions and film titles are harder. The board game sorts words into Person/Place/Animal, Object, Action and Difficult.
How long is a turn in charades and Pictionary?
Pictionary gives the drawer one minute, per Wikipedia and Mattel's Junior Pictionary instructions. Charades has no official length, so agree one before you start; the generator defaults to 60 seconds and offers 30 to 120.
What are you not allowed to do in charades?
Talk. Most groups also ban mouthing the words, spelling letters in the air, pointing at things in the room and making sounds. Agree any extras, such as whether props are allowed, before the first turn.
Can you write letters or numbers in Pictionary?
No. Pictionary drawings can't contain letters or numbers, and the drawer can't talk or act the word out with hand signals. Drawing a sound-alike is allowed, such as a sun for "son".
How do you play charades with one phone?
Turn on pass-the-phone mode. Each new word stays hidden until the actor taps Reveal, so the guessers can't peek. The actor reads it, hides it, and acts; whoever holds the phone taps Got it or Skip.
Sources
The rules and figures above come from these pages, which we read in full. The word list is our own. Last checked: October 26, 2026.
- Wikipedia: Charades — Two or more teams, one team writes answers for the other to act, a timer per turn, no speaking, the usual bans on mouthing, spelling and pointing, the common category and word-count gestures, and the game's 18th–19th century French origin.
- Wikipedia: Pictionary — Robert Angel's 1985 launch, 2 to 4 teams, a one-minute timer, the drawer's five-second look at the card, no letters, numbers, spoken clues or gestures, and the P / O / A / D / All Play categories.
- Mattel: Junior Pictionary instructions (DWV65) — Junior Pictionary is designed for ages 7 to 12 with one minute per word; the Picturist may not talk or use hand signals; no letters or numbers; sound-alike drawings are allowed; flip the timer twice to help younger players; agree how strict to be before you start.
More free tools: the white elephant game runner, the board game finder and the full tools list.