Emotion charades: 120+ feelings to act out, by level
Emotion charades is charades where every word is a feeling. One player acts out "frustrated" or "proud" with face and body only, the others guess. It is a favorite in classrooms and counseling sessions because it practices exactly what social-emotional learning is about: noticing, naming and talking about feelings.
Most charades words are things: a penguin, a toothbrush, a movie title. Feelings are harder, because there is no object to hold. To act out "nervous", you have to remember what nervous feels like in your body: the bouncing knee, the bitten lip, the glance at the clock. That is exactly why teachers and parents love this version. Kids learn to read faces and body language, build a vocabulary for their feelings, and laugh a lot while doing it.
What is emotion charades?
Emotion charades (also called feelings charades) is a version of charades in which players act out emotions instead of objects or titles, using facial expressions, posture and gestures, and without words. The others guess the emotion. It is used in preschool and elementary classrooms, social skills groups, speech therapy, and at home as a calm family game.
How to play emotion charades
- Pick a list that fits the age.Use Level 1 for ages 4-6, Level 2 for 7-10, Level 3 for 11 and up (lists below).
- One actor, the rest guess.The actor draws a feeling and shows it with face and body. No words, no sounds (or allow sounds for little ones).
- 30-60 seconds per turn.Feelings are quick to show; give younger kids more time.
- After each correct guess, ask one question."When did you last feel that way?" or "What helps when you feel like this?" Keep it short and optional.
- Everyone acts at least once.For shy kids, let them act in pairs or show the feeling with just their hands.
Level 1: basic emotions (ages 4-6)
Start with the big, clear feelings that have an obvious face. Preschoolers can show these with their whole body, and they are the same ones most feelings charts use.
- happy
- sad
- angry
- scared
- surprised
- tired
- excited
- silly
- hungry
- sleepy
- grumpy
- shy
- proud
- bored
- calm
- worried
- loving
- disgusted
- cold
- hot
- sick
- brave
- giggly
- cranky
Little ones who cannot read yet need the word whispered, or a picture. Guessy Kids shows pictures instead of words, which makes it easy for pre-readers to join in.
Level 2: everyday feelings (ages 7-10)
These need more nuance. "Nervous" and "scared" look similar, so guessers have to pay attention to details, which is the whole point.
- nervous
- frustrated
- jealous
- embarrassed
- confused
- curious
- lonely
- grateful
- disappointed
- relieved
- impatient
- annoyed
- hopeful
- confident
- guilty
- peaceful
- cheerful
- shocked
- determined
- upset
- thankful
- joyful
- sorry
- left out
- friendly
- stubborn
- bashful
- restless
- focused
- overjoyed
Level 3: complex emotions (ages 11+ and adults)
For older students, teens and adult groups. These are hard to act and great for describing rounds too.
- anxious
- overwhelmed
- nostalgic
- skeptical
- ashamed
- content
- resentful
- sympathetic
- insecure
- inspired
- betrayed
- humiliated
- suspicious
- indifferent
- exhausted
- euphoric
- bitter
- hesitant
- smug
- awkward
- heartbroken
- starstruck
- homesick
- defensive
- remorseful
- amused
- envious
- ecstatic
- helpless
- enthusiastic
Feelings in situations: a story round
Once kids can act single feelings, combine a feeling with a situation. The guessers must name both. It turns emotion charades into a mini-drama and is very good practice for empathy.
- nervous before a test
- proud after scoring a goal
- scared during a thunderstorm
- excited on a birthday morning
- bored in a long line
- disappointed when it rains on a picnic
- embarrassed after tripping
- jealous of a new toy
- surprised by a gift
- frustrated with homework
- lonely on the first day at a new school
- relieved to find a lost pet
- grateful for help
- grumpy in the morning
- worried about a sick friend
- happy to see grandma
Emotion charades in the classroom (SEL)
Emotion charades fits neatly into a social-emotional learning lesson because it touches several skills at once: recognizing emotions in others, naming your own, and talking about strategies. A simple 20-minute lesson plan:
| Minutes | Activity | Goal |
|---|---|---|
| 0-3 | Show a feelings chart, name five emotions together | Shared vocabulary |
| 3-13 | Emotion charades in two teams | Recognizing body language and faces |
| 13-18 | Pick three acted feelings and ask: what helps? | Coping strategies |
| 18-20 | Everyone shows how they feel right now | Check-in and closure |
- Mirror round. The actor shows a feeling, the class copies it. Great for very young kids and for warming up.
- Same feeling, different strength. Act "annoyed", then "angry", then "furious". Talk about how feelings have sizes.
- Emotion detective. The guessers must name one clue they saw: "her shoulders went up", "he looked at the floor".
- Reverse round. The whole class acts one feeling, one student guesses. Shy students hide in the group. See reverse charades.
Emotion charades at home
At home, emotion charades works as a calm game before bed, in the car (describe instead of act) or at the dinner table. It also gives you an easy way to talk about a hard day: after a round, ask your child which feeling was closest to theirs today. Mix it with an animal charades round for younger siblings, or use our charades for kids lists for a longer game night.
Funny variations for teens and adults
- Emotional objects. Act out an object with a feeling: "a nervous toaster", "a proud cactus", "a jealous phone charger".
- Emotion switch. The actor does an everyday action ("making coffee") and someone calls out a new feeling every ten seconds.
- Movie moods. Act a feeling from a famous scene; the team guesses the feeling and then the movie. Our movie charades list has titles.
- Act It Out, but emotional. Use any word from the free charades generator and perform it with a feeling drawn from the lists above.
For the general rules (timing, teams, scoring), see the charades rules page.
Charades on one phone: 27 topics, a timer and scoring, 8 topics free. With premium, add your own emotion list as a category.
Download freeFrequently asked questions
What is emotion charades?
A version of charades where players act out feelings, such as happy, nervous or proud, using only facial expressions and body language, while the others guess. It is used in classrooms and therapy to practice recognizing and naming emotions.
What emotions should I use for emotion charades with young kids?
Start with basic emotions that have a clear face: happy, sad, angry, scared, surprised, tired, excited and silly. Add nervous, proud and frustrated once kids are comfortable.
How does emotion charades support SEL?
It practices recognizing emotions in faces and body language, building a feelings vocabulary and talking about coping strategies, all core social-emotional learning skills. Ask one short question after each guess, like "what helps when you feel this way?"
Can adults play emotion charades?
Yes. Use the complex emotions list (nostalgic, smug, overwhelmed, homesick) or the emotional-objects twist, where you act out "a nervous toaster" or "a proud cactus". It works well as a team building warm-up.
How long should a game of emotion charades last?
About 15-20 minutes in a classroom, with 30-60 seconds per turn. Younger kids lose focus after that, so end with a quick check-in on how everyone feels.