classroom · charades · free printable
Free Printable Animal Charades Cards
Print a full deck of animal charades cards in under a minute, free, and no reading needed to play.
24 prompts to act out · cut-apart cards · US Letter & A4
Animal charades is the first game most children can genuinely play, because it asks for nothing they do not already have. There is no phrase to remember, no category to signal, no reading required. There is an elephant, and you have arms, and that is the whole game.
This deck holds twenty four animals chosen for exactly that: an elephant and a penguin and a kangaroo, but also a worm, a crab and a bee, which are funnier and harder than they look. Print it as it is and you are ready in a minute, six cards to a page, four pages, one pair of scissors. No account, no limit, no watermark.
Two adjustments make it work at either end. With the youngest children, let them make the sound as well as the shape, which strict charades forbids and which opens the game up completely. With older ones, ask where the animal lives once it has been guessed, and the five minute filler becomes the start of a lesson. If you want the animals from this term’s topic instead, open the deck in the generator and type them in. Whatever you write stays on your device.
The prompts
Every card in the deck, or edit the list in the generator
- Elephant
- Giraffe
- Kangaroo
- Penguin
- Snake
- Monkey
- Frog
- Crab
- Owl
- Horse
- Bee
- Spider
- Gorilla
- Dolphin
- Rabbit
- Bear
- Duck
- Turtle
- Flamingo
- Butterfly
- Chicken
- Worm
- Bat
- Cat
Ways to play
No reading needed
Every card is one animal. An adult reads it silently to the child, the child acts, and nobody needs to be a confident reader to take a turn.
Sounds allowed round
Charades usually bans noise. With very young children, allow the animal sound and the game opens up completely.
Movement break
Five minutes between lessons, one card each, everyone stands. It costs nothing and resets the room.
Guess the habitat
After the animal is guessed, ask where it lives. The game becomes a warm-up for the actual lesson.
Questions
Are these animal charades cards free?+
Yes, completely free, with no account, no print limit, and no watermark.
What age does it suit?+
From about three upward. An adult reads each card, so no reading skill is needed to play, and every animal is one a small child can name.
How many cards do I get?+
Twenty four, printed six to a page, so four pages to cut apart.
Can we make animal noises?+
Strict charades says no. With very young children, allowing sounds makes the whole thing work far better, and it is your game.
Can I use different animals?+
Yes. Open the deck in the generator and type your own list, perhaps the animals from this term's topic. Everything stays on your device.