Action charades

Verbs and everyday activities — the easiest kind of charades to act and a favorite of teachers. Easy is one verb; Hard is “pulling a tablecloth from under the dishes”.

131 words · free · no app, no sign-up

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Team game ↓

Action charades game

Split into teams, pass one phone around. The phone times every turn and keeps the score.

All 131 action words

Easy54

swimming
juggling
running
jumping
dancing
sleeping
eating
drinking
reading
writing
singing
crying
laughing
sneezing
yawning
clapping
waving
skipping
climbing
fishing
painting
cooking
brushing your teeth
combing your hair
kicking
throwing
hopping
crawling
skiing
surfing
biking
driving
flying
digging
sweeping
knocking
hugging
whistling
shivering
pushing
pulling
boxing
bowling
hiking
typing
shaking hands
tiptoeing
falling
sitting
drumming
sewing
kneeling
pointing
smelling

Medium44

changing a flat tire
walking a dog
washing dishes
mowing the lawn
flying a kite
building a sandcastle
riding a horse
milking a cow
chopping wood
blowing up a balloon
tying your shoes
taking a photo
playing the piano
ironing clothes
folding laundry
lifting weights
doing push-ups
jumping rope
shoveling snow
raking leaves
washing a car
making a sandwich
flipping pancakes
planting a seed
watering plants
feeding the ducks
opening a stubborn jar
threading a needle
carrying a heavy box
hitting a home run
shooting a basketball
scoring a goal
diving into a pool
catching a butterfly
rowing a boat
riding a roller coaster
waiting for a bus
hailing a taxi
hula hooping
doing a cartwheel
picking apples
blowing out birthday candles
walking on a tightrope
popping popcorn

Hard33

walking against a strong wind
slipping on a banana peel
stepping on a toy brick
pulling a tablecloth from under the dishes
carrying a tray of drinks through a crowd
performing surgery
conducting an orchestra
directing traffic
landing a plane
escaping from quicksand
trying to swat a fly
a mime trapped in a box
getting out of a sleeping bag
putting a cat in a carrier
doing a jigsaw puzzle
hitting your thumb with a hammer
sneaking a cookie from the jar
wrapping a gift with too much tape
untangling a ball of yarn
giving a dog a bath
balancing a spoon on your nose
skydiving
bungee jumping
scuba diving
fencing
pole vaulting
figure skating
sumo wrestling
riding a unicycle
spinning plates on sticks
taming a lion
roping a calf at a rodeo
trying on shoes that are too small

Action charades in an ESL lesson

Easy verbs (swimming, juggling, crying) practise the -ing form: the class answers “She is swimming!”.
Medium actions add objects: “changing a flat tire”, “threading a needle”.
Paste your unit’s verbs under Add your own words and they mix into the deck.

Action charades questions

What are good action charades for kids?

Swimming, hopping, brushing your teeth, flying a kite, blowing out birthday candles — everything on the Easy and Medium lists.

Is this good for exercise breaks?

Yes — most actions get kids moving. Use 30-second turns for a quick brain break.