Actions Charades, Medium

35 words to act out

Medium action charades swaps single motions for small stories. Fishing off a dock, changing a flat tire, conducting an orchestra, knitting a scarf, milking a cow and bowling a strike all take three or four gestures in the right order before the answer clicks. That extra beat is what makes this the best default tier for adults: it is still guessable, but the actor has to think about staging rather than just flailing. Hobbies and sports dominate, so the list plays especially well with a group that already teases each other about their weekend habits. Expect a lot of near-misses between skateboarding and ice skating, which is half the entertainment.

1. Fishing off a dock
2. Ice skating
3. Playing the guitar
4. Chopping firewood
5. Flying a kite
6. Milking a cow
7. Building a sandcastle
8. Changing a flat tire
9. Blowing bubbles
10. Rowing a boat
11. Playing basketball
12. Doing push-ups

13. Juggling
14. Shooting a bow and arrow
15. Painting a portrait
16. Making a pizza
17. Climbing a ladder
18. Vacuuming the carpet
19. Ironing a shirt
20. Wrapping a present
21. Planting a tree
22. Walking a dog
23. Scuba diving
24. Playing tennis
25. Bowling a strike
26. Skateboarding
27. Conducting an orchestra
28. Putting on makeup
29. Knitting a scarf
30. Riding a horse
31. Doing yoga
32. Casting a fishing rod
33. Directing traffic
34. Boxing a punching bag
35. Skipping rope

Act the sequence, not the snapshot

Every prompt on this list is a short procedure, so perform it in order and the answer arrives on its own. Changing a flat tire reads instantly if you discover the flat, fetch the jack, crank, swap the wheel and wipe your brow, and it reads like nothing at all if you just turn an invisible wrench. The same applies to making a pizza, wrapping a present, planting a tree and casting a fishing rod. Where two prompts share a posture, add the one distinguishing beat: ice skating glides and turns, skateboarding pushes off with one foot. If your team stalls halfway through, do not restart from the beginning. Loop the most distinctive step until somebody names it.

Charades tips & FAQ

How many actions charades words are on this medium list, and can I print them?

Thirty-five multi-step activities covering hobbies, chores and sports. The whole list sits on the page as text, so it prints cleanly onto a single sheet for a party, a classroom or a team-building session.

What makes these actions clues "medium" rather than another tier?

These activities are short procedures rather than single motions. Changing a flat tire or making a pizza only reads once the actor performs the steps in order, which is what makes the tier a good default for adults.

How do we run a round of actions charades?

Two teams, one actor, and a two-minute timer works best here, because activities take longer to build than titles do. The actor mimes the activity in silence while their own team guesses; no sounds, no mouthing, no pointing at real objects. Score a point per correct guess, then hand the next clue to the other team. Loop the most distinctive step rather than restarting if your team stalls. On the medium tier, give the actor a moment to plan the order of the steps before the clock starts. Ten seconds of thinking is worth thirty of flailing.

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Want the background rather than another list? Read the charades rules and word-list guide (official gestures, timing, team setup and house rules worth stealing) and the party games night checklist (a running order that keeps a whole evening from stalling).

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