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Bible Charades: Rules, Scoring and 8 Themed Rounds With Word Lists

Updated November 10, 2026

Quick answer

Bible charades is played with two teams, one minute per word and three kinds of words: people, stories and objects from the Bible. The actor cannot talk, point at things in the room or spell with fingers. This page gives the complete rules, the scoring, 8 themed rounds with ready word lists and a closing lightning round, plus adaptations for kids, teens and adults.

Bible charades has the best ratio of preparation to payoff: it takes ten minutes to set up, costs nothing and works from age seven to seventy. What separates a good round from a mess is clear rules agreed on before you start, especially what is not allowed.

The full rules come right below, followed by eight themed rounds with word lists and a closing lightning round: just copy the word list of the round that fits your class or meeting. Each round has a verse for the close and a variation to adjust the difficulty.

Age group
Kids ages 7 and up, teens, young adults and adults
Time
15 to 40 minutes
Group size
8 to 60 participants

Supplies

  • • Slips of paper with the words, folded in a bowl
  • • A timer or phone
  • • A whiteboard or poster for the scoreboard
  • • A Bible (print or on a phone)

1. Rules and Scoring (Read Before You Start)

Goal: Agree on the rules so the game runs smoothly and everyone gets a turn.

Step by step

  1. 1.Split into two teams. On each turn, one player draws a slip and has one minute to get their team to guess.
  2. 2.No talking, no sounds, no pointing at objects in the room, no writing in the air and no spelling with fingers. You may hold up fingers for the number of words and make the sign for the category (person, story or object).
  3. 3.A correct guess within 30 seconds earns 2 points; between 30 and 60 seconds, 1 point. If the team misses, the other team has 15 seconds to steal the point.
  4. 4.Agree that everyone acts once before anyone repeats; without that rule two or three players dominate the game. Anyone who prefers not to act can team up with a partner or keep the clock.

Key verse: 1 Corinthians 14:40 — let all things be done decently and in order

Variation: With big groups, make three teams and rotate clockwise: waiting time is cut in half.

2. Old Testament People Round

Goal: Act out the most famous people of the Old Testament.

Step by step

  1. 1.Words: Noah, Moses, David, Goliath, Samson, Daniel, Jonah, Esther, Ruth, Abraham, Joseph (son of Jacob), Elijah.
  2. 2.Tip: encourage the actor to show the best-known scene of the person, not the name.
  3. 3.After each correct guess, ask the team which book of the Bible has that story.
  4. 4.Close by reading Hebrews 11:32-34 and see how many of the names acted are in that list.

Key verse: Hebrews 11:32 — time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets

Variation: Hard mode: ban the most famous scene. Whoever draws David cannot mime the sling and must find another episode.

3. New Testament People Round

Goal: Act out people from the Gospels and Acts.

Step by step

  1. 1.Words: Peter, Zacchaeus, John the Baptist, Mary, Joseph of Nazareth, Paul, Lazarus, Nicodemus, Thomas, the Samaritan woman, Bartimaeus, the wise men.
  2. 2.The actor may use a teammate as a silent extra, for example to be Zacchaeus's tree.
  3. 3.Bonus point if the team says which book the person appears in.
  4. 4.Close by reading Hebrews 12:1 and thank God for this cloud of witnesses.

Key verse: Hebrews 12:1 — surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses

Variation: With teens, add lesser-known people: Barnabas, Lydia, Timothy, Ananias, Dorcas.

4. Miracles of Jesus Round

Goal: Act out the signs Jesus did.

Step by step

  1. 1.Words: water into wine, calming the storm, feeding the five thousand, the man born blind, raising Lazarus, walking on water, the ten lepers, the miraculous catch of fish, the man with the withered hand, Jairus's daughter.
  2. 2.Extra rule: the actor has to show the before and the after of the miracle.
  3. 3.On a correct guess, the team earns a bonus point if it names the Gospel where the miracle appears.
  4. 4.Close by reading John 20:30-31 about why the signs were written.

Key verse: John 20:31 — these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God

Variation: In Sunday school, hand out the reference together with the word: the actor reads it first and already learns the passage.

5. Objects and Symbols Round

Goal: Act out objects from Bible stories.

Step by step

  1. 1.Words: Noah's ark, the rainbow, the burning bush, the ark of the covenant, Moses's staff, the sling, Joseph's robe, the donkey, the cross, the crown of thorns, the bread and the cup, the fishing net.
  2. 2.It is the ideal round to start with kids, because an object is easier to act out than a person.
  3. 3.On each correct guess, ask the child to say in a sentence which story the object belongs to.
  4. 4.Close by reading Joshua 4:6-7 about signs that tell a story.

Key verse: Joshua 4:6 — that this may be a sign among you

Variation: Adult version: use less obvious objects, like the ephod, Jonah's plant, John the Baptist's leather belt or Gideon's fleece.

6. Parables Round

Goal: Act out the stories Jesus told.

Step by step

  1. 1.Words: the prodigal son, the good Samaritan, the lost sheep, the sower, the talents, the ten virgins, the rich man and Lazarus, the lost coin, the Pharisee and the tax collector.
  2. 2.Here the time goes up to two minutes, because the mime must show a beginning, middle and end.
  3. 3.Let the actor call on a teammate as a silent extra.
  4. 4.Close by reading Matthew 13:34 about why Jesus taught in parables.

Key verse: Matthew 13:34 — Jesus said all these things to the crowds in parables

Variation: Advanced version: besides the name of the parable, the team has to say its lesson. Half a point for the name and one point for the lesson.

7. Books of the Bible Round

Goal: Act out the heart of a book of the Bible.

Step by step

  1. 1.Words: Genesis, Exodus, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, Psalms, Proverbs, Jonah, Matthew, Acts, Romans, Revelation.
  2. 2.The actor shows the main content of the book, not the name.
  3. 3.When the team guesses, it earns a bonus point for saying whether it is in the Old or New Testament and which group it belongs to (law, history, poetry, prophets, gospels, letters).
  4. 4.Close by reading 2 Timothy 3:16-17.

Key verse: 2 Timothy 3:16 — all Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching

Variation: Combine with a race to the table of contents: after the guess, the whole team looks up the book in a print Bible and stands up when they find it.

8. Bible Pairs Round

Goal: Act out two people from the same story at once.

Step by step

  1. 1.Words: David and Goliath, Naomi and Ruth, Abraham and Isaac, Martha and Mary, Paul and Silas, Elijah and Elisha, David and Jonathan, Priscilla and Aquila.
  2. 2.Two actors from the same team perform at the same time, and both must appear in the scene.
  3. 3.The time goes up to 90 seconds.
  4. 4.Close by reading Ecclesiastes 4:9 about why two are better than one.

Key verse: Ecclesiastes 4:9 — two are better than one

Variation: Competition version: both teams act the same pair at the same time in opposite corners, and a neutral judge gives the point to the best performance.

9. Closing Lightning Round

Goal: Let the whole team act at once to turn the scoreboard around.

Step by step

  1. 1.In this round, the whole team acts the same word together, and the other team has 30 seconds to guess.
  2. 2.Use broad words: the flood, crossing the Red Sea, the birth of Jesus, Pentecost, the fall of Jericho.
  3. 3.Each correct guess is worth 3 points, which allows a comeback and keeps everyone paying attention to the end.
  4. 4.Add up the scoreboard and close by reading 1 Corinthians 9:24-25.

Key verse: 1 Corinthians 9:24 — run in such a way as to get the prize

Variation: If the score is already lopsided, let the team that is behind choose the words for this round.

Wrap up with a quiz

Keep playing with competition questions

Use the Bible quiz competition questions, with answers and references, to settle a tie after the last round of charades.

Frequently asked questions

What are the rules of Bible charades?

Two teams, one minute per word. The actor cannot talk, make sounds, point at objects, write in the air or spell with fingers. A guess in 30 seconds earns 2 points, between 30 and 60 seconds 1 point, and the other team has 15 seconds to steal. Everyone acts once before anyone repeats.

What words can we use for Bible charades?

Use people (Noah, David, Esther), miracles of Jesus (water into wine), objects (the ark, the sling), parables (the good Samaritan) and books of the Bible. Rounds 2 to 8 on this page have ready word lists, and round 9 is a closing lightning round.

What age can play Bible charades?

From about age 7. Younger kids do better with the objects round (5), where an object is easier to act out than a person. Teens and adults can play the hard-mode variations: banned famous scenes, less obvious objects and the pairs round.

How do we keep only the outgoing kids from playing?

Set the rule that everyone acts once before anyone repeats, let shy players act with a partner or keep the clock, and use team rotation. Pairs (round 8) and the lightning round (9) let the whole team act at once, so nobody stands alone.

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