Pictionary is an enjoyable game to play with family or friends because it can be played anywhere with nearly any set of words. Excelling at pictionary isn't about artistic talent. It's about thinking outside the box and coming up with unique ways to get a point across without speaking or using written words.
Whether you have the actual board game or just want to play a game on the fly, adding your own words and themes to the game can make it even more creative and fun.
Party Pictionary Ideas
Play pictionary at your next party with some creative lists of words and phrases.
75+ Star Wars Trivia Questions & Answers for Superfans
Bridal Shower
Pictionary can be a fun addition to your bridal shower party. Keep people busy by setting pictionary up at each table!
Bride
Church
First Dance
Flower Girl
Garter
Groom
Kiss the Bride
Mother of the Bride
Proposal
Ring Bearer
Unity Candle
Wedding Cake
Wedding Dress
Wedding March
Wedding Rings
Baby Shower
Baby showers are so cute, and adding them to your word list can be a hoot!
Baby Swing
Binky/Pacifier
Bottle
Breastfeeding
Car Seat
Changing Table
Crib
Cut the Cord
Diaper Genie
It's a Boy or Girl
Onesie
Rattle
Receiving Blanket
Rocking Chair
Stinky Diaper
Stroller
Quick Tip
Take a peek at more free games you can play with your friends and family at your baby shower.
Birthday Party
This game at a birthday party could be a hit. If you need extra words for your list, check out what we've found.
Balloon Animal
Balloons
Birthday Card
Birthday Suit
Bow
Cake
Candles
Goody Bag
Invitation
Karaoke
Over the Hill
Party Hat
Pinata
Present
Punch
Streamers
Wrapping Paper
Educational Pictionary Ideas
Pictionary works well as a study tool, vocabulary game, or just a fun activity for a classroom. There are several categories to choose from below, but it's important to choose terms you know those you are playing with will know.
Need to Know
If it's not in their wheelhouse, but you work with it every day, you have an unfair advantage. If all of you work with the terms regularly, it's fair game!
Children's Stories
Some children's stories can be fun to add to your Pictionary queue.
Alice in Wonderland
Brown Bear, Brown Bear
Charlotte's Web
Chicken Little
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom
Cinderella
Corduroy
Goodnight Moon
Green Eggs and Ham
Little Red Riding Hood
One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish
The Giving Tree
The Little Engine That Could
The Tale of Peter Rabbit
The Three Little Pigs
The Very Hungry Caterpillar
Velveteen Rabbit
Winnie the Pooh
Science Terms
Science terms can also be a fun and unique way to add some spark to your picture-perfect adventure.
Beaker
Carnivore
Cell
Cell Membrane
DNA
Food Chain
Force
Gas
Gravity
Habitat
Herbivore
Liquid
Microscope
Motion
Omnivore
Periodic Table
Photosynthesis
Solid
Math Terms
Whew, math terms could be a real struggle. But you've got this! Add this list for some challenging terms.
Acute Angle
Area
Axis
Bar Graph
Calculator
Diameter
Equation
Mean
Negative
Obtuse Angle
Outlier
Perimeter
Positive
Pythagorean Theorem
Radius
Right Angle
Ruler
Scatter plot
Shape
Sum
Symmetrical
Volume
Office Terms
Whether you work in a home office or the city, playing this game with your staff when you get together can ease the tension.
Office Supplies
Drawing office supplies can be tricky, but drawing inspiration from the environment around you can really help. Here are a few of the neat office supplies we found:
Binder
Chair
Clipboard
Coffee mug
Computer
Fax Machine
Laptop
Notepad
Paperwork
Paycheck
Pencils
Pens
Phone
Stapler
Sticky Notes
Thermos
Office Work Words
People do a lot in an office, but here are some ideas you could portray in pictures.
Zoom Meeting
Phone Call
Make Copies
Presentation
Write Email
Take the Elevator
Welcome Clients
Office Party
Make Lists
Shred Paper
Talk at the Water Cooler
Pop Culture Pictionary Ideas
Turn elements of popular culture into pictionary words and phrases. You can use the names of popular singers, movies, TV shows, and events to add to the game.
Are you InTheKnow?
Sign up for our newsletter featuring all the latest stories and products we love.
Female Singers
Famous female singers to re-enact include:
Adele
Aretha Franklin
Beyonce
Billie Eilish
Britney Spears
Carrie Underwood
Cher
Christina Aguilera
Diana Ross
Dolly Parton
Janet Jackson
Jessica Simpson
Lady Gaga
Madonna
Mariah Carey
Olivia Rodrigo
Sabrina Carpenter
Sza
Tate McCray
Taylor Swift
Whitney Houston
Male Singers
Popular male singers for Pictionary include:
Bob Dylan
Bruce Springsteen
Elton John
Elvis Presley
Frank Sinatra
Garth Brooks
John Lennon
Justin Bieber
Justin Timberlake
Michael Buble
Michael Jackson
Noah Kahan
Prince
Ray Charles
Steven Tyler
Tim McGraw
Zach Bryan
TV Sitcoms
There are tons of sitcoms to choose from to add some humor to your evening.
30 Rock
Bel-Air
Big Bang Theory
Boy Meets World
Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Everybody Loves Raymond
Frasier
Friends
Full House
How I Met Your Mother
Mad About You
Seinfeld
That 70s Show
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
The Office
The Wonder Years
Two and a Half Men
Will and Grace
Popular Movies
Some popular movies to get inspiration from include:
Avatar
Fast and the Furious
Ghostbusters
Harry Potter
Jaws
Jurassic Park
Lord of the Rings
Pirates of the Caribbean
Shrek
Spider-Man
Star Wars
The Avengers
The Dark Knight
The Lion King
Titanic
Toy Story
Transformers
Twilight
Related: Family Games You Can Play Without Any Equipment
Create Your Own Categories for Fun With Friends, Family, or Colleagues
Tailor your game of pictionary to fit your group. It could be friends, family, or even your colleagues from work. Create game cards with phrases to represent places you visited together, such as vacation destinations, day trips, and restaurants. Use the names of family members, friends, and pets as words for your game. You can also create cards that fit family members' interests or your workplace's terms here.
Daily tasks you do around the house (like chores or cleaning)
Holidays or figures associated with different holidays
Things people do when they are happy, angry, sad, etc.
Transportation
Technology
Things you can put on
Popular hobbies
People you see around town
Places to go on the weekend
Quick Tip
The original Pictionary categories are Person/Place/Animal, Object, Action, Difficult, and All Play but you can get as creative as you like with your own ideas.
Make It Your Own
There are so many different ways to play this game. To come up with new ideas, think about what the players have in common, and try to think of topics and word lists that relate to shared experiences. The only limitation when it comes to inventing new ways to play Pictionary is your own imagination.