Have you ever played the classic game of charades? If not, you’re missing out! Birthday party, sleepover or rainy day activity, charades is always a good time. But sometimes it’s hard to come up with ideas, especially when you’ve played the same games over and over.

If you’re looking for some new charade ideas, we’ve got you covered. Here are some great suggestions that are sure to get everyone laughing.

How to Play Charades

Charades is a classic party game that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. The object of the game is to act out a word or phrase without speaking, and have your team mates guess what it is that you’re trying to say.

For example, if the word was “elephant,” you might act out elephant by holding your hands up like big ears and flapping them.

To begin divide players into two teams, alternating who starts each round. One member of that team will then act out a single word or phrase without speaking; meanwhile, teammates must guess what they are trying to say within a certain time limit before handing off the reigns to the opposing team.

While there are endless variations on what can be acted out, from sports trivia questions to classic films, the basic rules remain constant no matter how many rounds you play.

Keeping score throws in an extra level of competition that brings out healthy rivalries between teams and provides a thrill every time someone guesses correctly.

Rules of Charades

This game is quick to learn and easy to play with just a few simple rules to remember.

• Players must all take turns acting out words or phrases. This helps ensure that all participants are able to have an equal amount of fun throughout the game.
• No talking or pointing to items in the room is allowed while acting out the charade
• When someone is performing their charade it is essential that everyone on the other team remains quiet and does not give away the answer. Doing this not only ruins the round for other players who were legitimately trying to guess the word or phrase but also takes away from the fun of actually seeing people perform their charades.

If these ground rules are followed throughout each round of charades, they will help ensure that everyone has an enjoyable experience and a fair chance at participating in the game. ​​​​​​​

Charade Acting Tips

Acting out words and phrases without using any verbal cues can be challenging, but it can also be great fun. To make your charades experience even more enjoyable, here are a few tips to keep in mind.

First of all, don’t be afraid to broaden your gestures and expressions so people can easily understand what you’re trying to convey. If you just flail your arms about for half an hour, it’s not going to get you very far!

Be creative with how you use your hands and body language – if there are clues available in the room around you, use them to your advantage.

Charade Clues or Gestures

Here are some classic charade clues or gestures that can be used to act out words and phrases without having to say a word.

• A Book: Place one hand flat against the other and open and close them like a book
• A TV Show: Mimic someone changing channels with an imaginary remote control
• A Movie: Use one hand to make the shape of a camera and the other to pretend to wind a handle like you are using an old fashioned movie projector.
• A Song: Use one hand to mimic playing a guitar or piano or hold a pretend microphone
• Location: Use your hands to draw an imaginary map in the air

Gestures to Help with words

• The Number of Words.  Hold up one finger for each word at the start of your turn
• Short word: Make your hand into a “C” shape and then quickly pull your thumb and index finger together and then apart
• Long word: Slowly stretch your arms out as if measuring something
• A Person’s Name: Point to yourself or draw an invisible capital ‘I’ in the air with one hand
• Sounds Like: Cup your hand around your ear.

These are just a few of the countless charade clues and gestures that can be used during the game. They can help you act out words, phrases, movies, books, TV shows and songs without having to say a word.

When playing, feel free to come up with your own creative ideas for acting out each word or phrase; that’s half the fun of this game.

These classic charade clues or gestures can help you get started if you’re ever stuck trying to think of how to act out a word or phrase.

With these tips and tricks, you’ll be able to make your charades experience even more entertaining and competitive.

Charade Ideas

Now that you know how to play charades, you might be wondering what words or phrases you can use for the game.

School Charade Ideas

• Art Class
• Library
• Science Lab
• Recess
• School Bus
• Math Class
• Principal’s Office
• Cafeteria
• Gym Class
• History Class
• Lunch
• Drama class

School Stereotypes

• Class clown
• Cutest Couple
• Teacher’s Pet
• Most Popular
• Sports Star
• Bookworm
• Class President
• Prom Queen
• Most successful
• Best Dressed
• Popular Crowd
• Senior Prom
• Homecoming King and Queen
• Gossip Queen

Sports Charade Ideas

• Volleyball
• Tennis
• Golf
• Hockey
• Soccer
• Basketball
• Baseball
• Bowling
• Swimming
• Cheerleading

Activity Charade Ideas

• Bungy Jumping
• Surfing
• Skiing
• Dancing at a party
• On a Date
• Shopping
• Food Fight
• Karaoke
• Playing the drums
• Kayaking
• Yoga
• Skateboarding
• Cycling

Movie Charade Ideas

• Star Wars
• The Lord of the Rings
• Harry Potter
• Jurassic Park
• The Avengers
• The Hunger Games
• The Princess Bride
• Titanic
• The Wizard of Oz
• Back to the Future
• Toy Story
• Frozen

Animal Charade Ideas

• Lion
• Elephant
• Tiger
• Giraffe
• Hippopotamus
• Kangaroo
• Dolphin
• Whale
• Monkey
• Cheetah
• Penguin
• Dog
• Zebra
• Bear
• Octopus
• Panda

Celebrities

Another easy one that’s sure to get some laughs. You can do impersonations, give physical characteristics, or act out movies they’ve been in.

• Kim Kardashian
• Justin Bieber
• Taylor Swift
• Kanye West
• Beyonce
• Selena Gomez
• Will Smith
• Angelina Jolie
• Dwayne Johnson
• Leonardo DiCaprio
• Tom Cruise

Foods

From pizza to sushi to chicken nuggets, there’s bound to be a food that everyone can guess. Mmmmm…now we’re getting hungry!

• Pizza
• Goldfish Crackers
• Sushi
• Chicken Nuggets
• Burger
• Fries
• Hot Dog
• Cookie
• Popcorn
• Fruit Salad
• Dumplings

More Charade Ideas

If you are looking for some more inspiration, have a look at these fun charade ideas.

• Thanksgiving Charades
• Halloween Charades
• Christmas Charades
• Animal Charades

Whether you’re looking for a birthday party game, a sleepover activity, or something to beat the boredom on a rainy day, charades is always a good time.

We hope our list of charade ideas has given you some inspiration for your next game. Happy guessing!