Pictionary Words

120 Pictionary words in three levels: easy things any child can draw (sun, kite, cake), medium objects that need a clever sketch (lighthouse, parachute) and hard ideas that need real imagination (gravity, echo, power cut).

Pictionary words cards to print (PDF)

These four pages show the Pictionary word cards: the easy level with 12 words on a page, the hard level with 8 big cards, a small 20-card page in black and white, and the matching card backs. Click any picture for the PDF, or use the generator above to choose the level and the number of cards.

Print the Pictionary words cards

• Choose the deck, the level and how many cards fit on a page (8 big cards, 12, or 20 small ones).
• Add your own cards at the bottom: family names, inside jokes, films your group loves.
• Tick Card backs to add a matching back page (print double-sided, flip on the long edge).
• Press Download PDF or Print, cut along the dotted lines, and shuffle.

Play it now on a phone or a TV

No cards to cut? Use the game below. Pick a level, set the timer and let the game keep score for two teams. Put it on full screen on a laptop or TV for the whole room, and press Copy link to send the same shuffled deck to friends on a video call so everyone follows along.

How to play Pictionary

• Make two teams with paper and pens, or a whiteboard.
• The artist draws a card and has 60 seconds to draw it. No letters, numbers or talking.
• Their team guesses out loud. A correct guess scores a point; then the other team draws.
• For hard words, allow the artist to draw a few things that lead to the answer (a cloud and a jug for “monsoon”).

In the classroom

Pictionary is a quick vocabulary review: add this week’s science or spelling words as your own cards. Put the game on the board in full screen and play boys against girls, or row against row.

Pictionary word list: easy, medium and hard

Easy (40)

1. Sun
2. Tree
3. House
4. Cat
5. Fish
6. Apple
7. Car
8. Star
9. Moon
10. Flower
11. Ball
12. Boat
13. Cake
14. Hat
15. Shoe
16. Bird
17. Clock
18. Cup
19. Kite
20. Key
21. Umbrella
22. Snowman
23. Rainbow
24. Egg
25. Bed
26. Chair
27. Book
28. Pencil
29. Balloon
30. Spoon
31. Banana
32. Dog
33. Heart
34. Cloud
35. Candle
36. Door
37. Ladder
38. Lamp
39. Rocket
40. Train

Medium (40)

1. Bicycle
2. Lighthouse
3. Volcano
4. Octopus
5. Castle
6. Dinosaur
7. Robot
8. Mermaid
9. Skateboard
10. Waterfall
11. Pyramid
12. Scarecrow
13. Cactus
14. Igloo
15. Treasure chest
16. Parachute
17. Helicopter
18. Spider web
19. Windmill
20. Tractor
21. Crown
22. Anchor
23. Drum
24. Pineapple
25. Penguin
26. Snail
27. Hot air balloon
28. Roller coaster
29. Campfire
30. Traffic light
31. Sandcastle
32. Teapot
33. Jellyfish
34. Kangaroo
35. Tent
36. Telescope
37. Mushroom
38. Crocodile
39. Fire engine
40. Peacock

Hard (40)

1. Time travel
2. Gravity
3. Homework
4. Echo
5. Invisible
6. Jealous
7. Sunrise
8. Bank
9. Library
10. Traffic jam
11. Birthday party
12. Haircut
13. Earthquake
14. Sleepwalking
15. Shadow
16. Wifi
17. Recycling
18. Surprise
19. Holiday
20. Idea
21. Dream
22. Marathon
23. Magnet
24. Reflection
25. Power cut
26. Graduation
27. Wedding
28. Hospital
29. Museum
30. Orchestra
31. Fireworks
32. Eclipse
33. Whisper
34. Gossip
35. Password
36. Snooze button
37. Selfie
38. Monsoon
39. Picnic
40. Tug of war

Pictionary word list: how the 120 words are built

A good Pictionary word list climbs in difficulty, so every team has some words it can draw. The 120 words are in three levels of 40, and the table shows how they differ in length and in the number of two-word cards:

Easy Pictionary words for kids: five drawing tips

Easy Pictionary words for kids need only a circle, a line or a triangle. Share these five tips before the game starts:

1. Start with the biggest shape, and add details only if the team has not guessed.
2. Draw what you see, not the letters of the word.
3. Do not erase: add a new line instead, because time is short.
4. Use arrows to show movement, such as a ball falling.
5. Smile when the team is close, because faces help the guessers.

Hard Pictionary words: how to draw an idea

Hard Pictionary words are ideas, not objects, and the artist has to think of a picture that leads to the word. These eight examples from the hard list show a good first drawing for each one:

Pictionary ideas: six ways to change the game

• One line: the artist draws without lifting the pen.
• Left hand: the artist draws with the other hand, for a big laugh.
• Relay: each team member adds one line to the same drawing.
• Silent charades: the artist may use a few gestures, but no words.
• Words from class: add this week’s spelling or science words to the deck.
• Speed round: each team gets two minutes and draws as many cards as it can.

Pictionary cards printable: how many pages to print

The Pictionary cards printable can be set to 8, 12 or 20 cards per page, in color or black and white, with an optional back page. For the whole deck of 120 words, this is how many sheets you need:

For the story of the game, from its invention in 1985 to today, Wikipedia’s Pictionary article is a good source. For acting instead of drawing, try charades ideas.

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