Pictionary Words: 40 Drawing Prompts
Start with an apple or a balloon, draw an action such as washing a car, or try a phrase like “beginner’s luck.” These 40 family-clean Pictionary words and phrases are grouped by the kind of picture you’ll draw. Use the prompt pack to pick one privately or print all 40 for a game away from the screen.
The pack is best for ages 8 and up and intended for 2–20 players. Allow about five minutes to get your drawing supplies ready and explain the rules.
How to play with these Pictionary words
Use paper and pencils or a whiteboard and markers, plus a timer. Make sure the guessers can see the drawing but cannot see the answer. These are suggested house rules for this pack; agree on them before the first turn.
- Divide into teams and agree on the number of turns. For a short game, give each team two turns. To let everyone draw, set the number of turns per team to at least the size of the larger team. Alternate teams and rotate artists in a fixed order, so nobody draws twice before their teammates have had a chance. With uneven teams, the smaller team repeats artists in that same order.
- Show the prompt only to the artist. Let the artist view the picker while everyone else looks away, or read a printed prompt privately. An adult can quietly read it to a child. Do not read the answer aloud to the group.
- Start a 60-second timer when drawing begins. The artist draws without letters, numbers, gestures or spoken clues. Only their team guesses. End the turn when the team guesses the answer or time runs out. Accept wording that means the same thing: “riding on a scooter” counts for “riding a scooter,” but “scooter” alone does not describe the action.
- Score the turn and change artists. A correct answer earns one point. If time runs out, reveal the answer and award zero points; there is no penalty and no steal by the other team. An artist may swap one prompt before the timer starts. If they prefer to skip drawing entirely, the turn earns zero points and play moves to the next team without requiring an explanation.
- Finish all the agreed turns. Give both teams their full number of chances, then add up the points. The higher score wins; a tie is a shared win. Do not add a surprise tiebreaker after players thought the game was over.
With two players, take turns drawing and guessing as a cooperative game. Try two drawings each, then stop or agree to another set. If you want other games for a few friends, browse small-group party games.
Which Pictionary words should we start with?
The 40-prompt pack contains the complete lists and the random picker. The picker draws from all four groups, so choose directly from a group if you want only easier words. Keep the screen facing the artist. For paper prompts, use Print all 40, then cut the printed items into slips and keep the unused ones face down.
- Quick sketches: ten objects, including apple, castle and lighthouse. Start with an outline. For a lighthouse, you might draw a tower beside water with a beam of light at the top.
- Actions to draw: ten things people do, including opening a present and tying a shoelace. Show both the person and the object. For washing a car, a car, bucket and person holding a sponge could suggest the whole action.
- Places and scenes: ten settings, including a busy airport and a space station kitchen. Draw the setting first, then add the detail that distinguishes it. A rainy playground could have a slide, swings and raindrops.
- Tricky concepts: ten expressions, including getting cold feet and thinking outside the box. These need more interpretation. For getting cold feet, you could draw someone hesitating at a doorway with icy feet as a clue. That is one possible drawing, not a required solution.
If these feel too easy, hard Pictionary words has more abstract ideas and complicated scenes. For silly subjects such as a penguin at the beach, try funny Pictionary words.
Help everyone take part
Start younger players with Quick sketches and choose objects they recognize. A familiar word can still be hard to draw, so let the artist use the swap before the timer starts. Anyone can stay with guessing rather than drawing; agree on who wants to draw before setting the turn count. If both teams find 60 seconds too short, agree on a longer limit for the next game and use it for both teams.
Keep jokes about the picture rather than the person drawing it. If a turn ends without a correct guess, reveal the answer and let the artist explain what they were trying to show before moving on. No one needs a polished drawing to take part.
If players would rather act, charades words offers a separate pack of acting prompts, and charades ideas explains how to start a round. If they prefer writing answers, Scattergories categories helps you choose a category, while Scattergories lists offers lists for word rounds.
Finish the game or play again
You do not need to use all 40 prompts at once. Finish the agreed turns and ask whether people want another game. If someone wants to stop early, stop; leave an unfinished game unscored rather than declaring a winner after unequal turns.
To play again, erase the drawings, set both scores to zero and agree on a fresh turn count. Start with the team that went second last time. Shuffle used paper slips back into the pile if you want to reuse them, or set them aside for new answers. With the picker, keep your own note of used prompts if you want to avoid repeats: it does not track a complete game or reset your scores. If a used answer appears, pick again before starting the timer.
For a seated break without drawing, Would You Rather questions lets players answer two-choice questions. If everyone wants questions with optional actions, browse Truth or Dare questions and agree that passing is allowed. Use Party Games and Question Packs to find another prompt-based game, or Party Games for activities that fit your group and space.
Questions about Pictionary words
How do you play Pictionary with these words?
Show a prompt only to the artist. They draw without letters, numbers, gestures or spoken clues while their team guesses. In the suggested house rules, each turn lasts up to 60 seconds and a correct answer earns one point.
How many people can play?
This pack is intended for 2–20 players. Two people can take turns drawing and guessing together without competing. For a larger group, split into teams and give both teams the same number of turns.
What ages are these drawing prompts for?
The pack is marked Family Clean and best for ages 8 and up. Start with familiar objects in Quick sketches. If a child cannot read a prompt, an adult can quietly read it to them without telling the guessers.
What supplies do we need?
Use paper and pencils or a whiteboard and markers, plus a timer for timed turns. Keep the prompt screen or printed list out of the guessers’ view.
How long should we play?
For a short game, try two turns per team with a 60-second limit for each drawing, plus time to choose prompts and switch artists. For everyone to draw, agree on more turns before starting and give both teams equal chances.