Pictionary words for kids, by age

Which words for which age

Each word sits in one age group, chosen by how hard it is to draw and how well children that age know it.

Together they are the easy and medium words from our full list of Pictionary words, without the ones that aren't for children. Jump to the words for ages 4 to 6, 7 to 9 or 10 to 12, or switch the age group in the word tool above.

Ages 4 to 6: things they can point at

Animals, food, toys, things around the house, the sun and the moon, and creatures from stories: cat, apple, rainbow, rocket, dragon. Most are one clear shape, so a circle with two ears already counts. Children who can't read yet can have the word whispered to them.

Ages 7 to 9: actions, places and jobs

Words to act out on paper, like jump, sneeze and juggle; places from a castle to a lighthouse; sports and gadgets; jobs from firefighter to magician; and Indian favourites like diya, rangoli, kite festival and auto rickshaw. The animals and food get trickier too: platypus, narwhal, pretzel, gulab jamun.

Ages 10 to 12: scenes that need a plan

Two things at once, or a little story: blow out candles, slip on a banana, roller coaster, solar system, time machine, low battery, wicket keeper. Most need a moment's thought before the first line, and that is the fun of them.

Playing with mixed ages? Switch the age group in the word tool before each child's turn, so everyone draws something they can manage and the whole family guesses.

Checked for kids: we went through every word with children in mind. Knives and razors, prisons and graveyards, zombie apocalypses, paan and grown-up film scenes are out, and so are the office words, the corporate slang and every word rated hard. Ghosts, monsters, skeletons and the toilet stay: children love drawing them. Every family is different, so skim the list before you play with the very young.

Pictionary in the classroom

One board, two teams and a timer are all a class needs.

• Draw big. Use the whiteboard or the smart board, so the back row sees every line.
• Play in two teams. One child draws for their team, and only that team guesses. A right answer before the time is up wins a point, then the other team has a go.
• Keep the word secret. Tap “Pick a random word” on your phone and show it to the drawer, or work through a printed copy of this list, ticking words off as you go.
• Put a clock on the big screen. The word generator counts down 30, 60 or 90 seconds, keeps score for two teams and picks the words too. Open it with only animals, food, nature and fantasy words on Easy: every word it can deal is on this page's ages 4 to 6 list, and each right answer scores 1 point. Tick Hide the word, ask the class to close their eyes, and press and hold the card to show the drawer their word.
• Or play online, a device each. Tap “Play these online” and create a room: it plays only the words for the age group you picked. Write the room code on the board. A room holds up to 16 players (raise “Max players” in the room settings), so a bigger class plays in two rooms. To keep to the list, switch off “Drawers can write their own word”.