Winter Drawing Game Words With No Holiday in Them: how it works
These winter drawing game words have no holiday in them, so the deck works from the first frost to the spring thaw: Icicle, Toboggan, Hat hair, Frozen pipes and 131 more. Fifteen are easy single objects, and 31 are hard ideas such as Snowball effect. For a Pictionary-style night in January, press Next card and start sketching.
Run a round on a snow day
Give the phone to the drawer and press Start round for a one-minute clock. 2 min suits scene cards such as Car stuck in the snow. When the word is guessed, tap +1 and press Next card. A topic pill narrows the deal: Winter sports and play has 23 cards, from Toboggan to Biathlon, and Bundled up has 19 about clothes, among them Lost glove.
What the list under the deck adds
The full winter drawing game word list is printed under the deck, with a way to draw each word. Seventeen cards carry a checked fact to read out after the guess: a snowflake has six arms because ice crystals are six-sided, and wind, not snowfall, makes a storm a blizzard. Eight of the 14 cards in Winter ideas and sayings are sayings with the meaning given, such as Snowed under.
Tips
Agree on a sign for cold before round one: three wavy lines beside a shivering figure. Every frozen card gets faster.
Draw a saying literally. Two shy figures with a block of ice between them, and one tapping it with a hammer, gets Break the ice.
For an animal card, draw the one thing only that animal does. An Emperor penguin is a penguin with an egg balanced on its feet.
Questions and answers
Why are there no Christmas words in the winter deck?
Winter outlasts the holidays, and a class or club may not keep them. So nothing here is Christmas, Hanukkah or New Year, and no word is shared with the Christmas deck. The cards cover weather, sports, clothes, animals, home and the jobs cold brings, such as Shoveling the driveway. For holiday words, open the Christmas deck linked below.
Is this an official Pictionary winter list?
No. The deck is original and independent: all 135 words were written for this site, and it is not affiliated with the boxed game or its publisher. It keeps the usual rules: no letters, no numbers, no talking and a one-minute timer.
Which winter words work for young children?
Tap Easy for 15 single objects a five-year-old can draw, such as Snowman, Mittens, Igloo and Hot chocolate. Medium adds 89 small scenes, such as Cat on the radiator. Leave Hard for teens and adults: those 31 cards are ideas such as Insulation and Winter solstice.
Christmas Party Games for Kids and Teens52 Christmas games for ages 4 to 17: a kindergarten set, 35 classroom games, 28 for teens and 17 winter games with no Santa.
Bare treeA tree with no leaves, just forked branches, and an empty nest showing.
Black iceA road that looks bare and a car sliding sideways along it. The ice is clear, and the dark road shows through.
BlizzardSlanting lines filling the whole frame and a bent figure holding a hat on. It is the wind, not the amount of snow, that makes a storm a blizzard.
First snowA child with a nose pressed to a window at night, and a few flakes falling past a streetlight.
Footprints in the snowA trail of boot prints across a blank field, leading to a small figure far away.
Frost on the windowA window pane with feathery fern patterns growing in from the corners.
Frozen pondAn oval with a few skate lines on it, reeds poking through at the edge and a fish below looking up.
Frozen waterfallA cliff with long columns of ice where the water should be, and a climber with an axe in each hand.
IcicleA row of pointed spikes hanging from a roof edge, one with a drip at the tip. Each one grows as dripping water freezes.
Icy sidewalkA figure with both feet in the air and arms windmilling above a shiny patch.
IglooA dome of snow blocks with a low tunnel for a door. The air trapped in snow is what keeps the inside warm.
Seeing your breathA face in a hat with a puffy cloud coming out of the mouth.
SlushA car wheel throwing a grey wave over a person at the curb.
Snow angelA figure lying back and sweeping arms and legs, leaving a winged shape behind.
Snow fortA low wall of blocks with a flag on top and a stock of snowballs behind it.
Snow sliding off a branchA branch bent low under a thick white load, dumping it on the person below.
Snowball fightTwo figures behind walls, one ball in mid-air and one bursting on a hat.
Snowcapped mountainA pointed peak with a jagged white top and bare rock below it.
SnowdriftA fence half buried under a smooth curved heap, with wind lines across the top.
SnowflakeSix arms from one center, each with little side branches. The six sides come from the shape of an ice crystal.
SnowmanThree balls stacked up, with stick arms, a carrot nose and a hat.
WhiteoutA blank frame with only the top of a signpost and two headlights showing. In a true whiteout there is no visible horizon.
Winter sports and play 23
BiathlonA skier lying down with skis still on, aiming a rifle at five small round targets. A miss costs a penalty loop or added time.
BobsledA bullet-shaped sled in a banked ice track, with four helmets in a row.
Bunny slopeA very gentle hill with tiny skiers in a line behind an instructor, skis in a wedge.
ChairliftA bench hanging from a cable, with two riders and their skis dangling.
Cross-country skiingA skier on flat ground with long thin skis, one forward and one back, in two parallel tracks.
CurlingA player crouched low sliding a round stone with a handle, and two teammates sweeping the ice ahead of it. Sweeping makes the stone travel farther and straighter.
Figure skaterA skater spinning with arms tucked in and a spiral of lines around them.
Goalie maskA helmet with a cage across the front and two eyes behind the bars.
HalfpipeA trench of snow shaped like a half tube, with a rider upside down above the rim.
Hockey puckA short black cylinder on the ice with a stick blade about to hit it.
Ice fishingA figure on a bucket beside a round hole in the ice, holding a very short rod, with a little hut behind.
Ice hockeyTwo players with sticks chasing a puck toward a net guarded by a padded goalie.
Ice resurfacerA boxy machine driving slowly round a rink, leaving a shiny wet stripe behind it.
Ice skatingA skater on one leg with the other stretched back, and a curved line on the ice behind.
LugeA rider lying on their back, feet first, on a tiny sled in an ice chute.
Skating rinkAn oval with a low wall, skaters all going one way round and one clinging to the wall.
Ski gogglesOne wide lens on a strap, with mountains reflected in it.
Ski jumpA skier in mid-air leaning far forward over skis held in a V, with a steep ramp behind.
Ski polesTwo sticks with a strap at the top and a small ring near the point.
Sled dog teamPairs of dogs in harness in a long line, pulling a sled with a driver standing on the back.
Sledding hillA slope with riders flying down and others trudging back up, pulling their sleds.
Snow tubingA rider in a big inflated ring, spinning down a lane of snow.
TobogganA long flat sled curled up at the front, with three riders holding on to each other.
Bundled up 19
BalaclavaA knitted hood covering the whole head, with one opening for the eyes.
Bobble hatA knitted hat with a turned-up brim and a pom-pom on top.
Chapped lipsA mouth with small cracks drawn on it and a tube of balm beside it.
Dressing in layersOne figure shown four times, fatter each time, adding a shirt, a sweater, a vest and a coat.
EarmuffsA band over the head with a fluffy pad on each ear.
Foggy glassesA person stepping in through a door with both lenses turned fully white.
Hand warmersA small pouch held between two gloved hands, with heat lines rising.
Hat hairA person pulling off a hat, hair squashed flat on top and sticking out at the sides.
Long underwearA one-piece suit with buttons down the front, on someone warming up beside a stove.
Lost gloveOne glove stuck on top of a fence post, and a person walking away with one bare hand.
MittensTwo thumbed pouches joined by a long string.
ParkaA long padded coat with a fur-edged hood hiding most of the face.
Puffer jacketA jacket made of fat horizontal rolls that makes the wearer twice as wide.
Snow bootsTall chunky boots with thick tread and laces, standing in a puddle on a mat.
Snow pantsPadded trousers with straps over the shoulders, so stiff the wearer walks like a penguin.
Static shockA finger reaching for a doorknob with a little spark jumping between them.
Stuck zipperA child in a coat done up to the chin, and a parent tugging at the pull with both hands.
TurtleneckA sweater whose tall folded collar comes right up to the chin.
Wool socksThick ribbed socks pulled up over the trouser legs.
Animals in the cold 16
Animal tracksA line of small paw prints across the snow, ending at a hole under a log.
Arctic foxA small white fox leaping nose-first into the snow. It can hear a lemming moving under the surface.
Bear in its denA bear curled up in a cave with snow piled at the entrance. Studies in 2011 and 2016 settled that bears do truly hibernate.
Bird feederA little house on a pole with seed spilling out, small birds on it and a squirrel climbing up.
CardinalA bird with a pointed crest and a dark mask around the beak, perched on a snowy branch.
Cat on the radiatorA cat stretched flat along the top of a radiator, eyes shut, with heat lines rising.
Duck on a frozen pondA duck sliding with its legs apart on a sheet of ice.
Emperor penguinA tall penguin with an egg balanced on its feet under a fold of belly. The male holds it there through the Antarctic winter.
Frozen bird bathA bowl on a stand with a bird standing on solid ice, looking puzzled.
GroundhogA chubby rodent standing up out of a hole and staring at its own shadow. On 2 February a shadow is said to mean six more weeks of winter.
HibernationAn animal curled in a burrow under the snow, with a very slow heartbeat line above it. Body temperature, breathing and heart rate all drop.
HuskyA thick-coated dog with pointed ears, a curled tail and a mask marking on its face.
Musk oxA shaggy animal with a skirt of hair down to its ankles and horns that curve down and then up.
Penguin huddleA tight crowd of penguins seen from above, with those at the edge shuffling inward. They take turns in the warm middle.
Snowshoe hareA white hare with huge back feet and black ear tips. Its coat is brown in summer and white in winter.
Snowy owlA round white owl with a few dark flecks, sitting on a fence post in an empty field.
Warm indoors 21
Boot trayA tray by the door with pairs of boots standing in puddles of melted snow.
Chicken noodle soupA steaming bowl with noodles hanging off a spoon, and a box of tissues beside it.
Curled up with a bookA figure under a blanket in a window seat with a book and a mug, and snow falling outside.
Draft stopperA long stuffed tube pushed against the bottom of a door, with wavy cold lines sneaking past one end.
Electric blanketA bed with a cord running from the cover to a small dial, and a smiling sleeper.
Flannel pajamasChecked pajamas with a collar, buttons and a chest pocket.
Hot chocolateA mug with steam, a swirl on top and small marshmallows floating.
Hot water bottleA flat rubber bottle with a stopper and a knitted cover, tucked under a quilt.
Jigsaw puzzleA table covered in pieces with the edge finished, and one person holding the last corner.
KnittingTwo needles crossed in a half-made scarf, with a ball of yarn rolling away.
Log fireA grate with stacked logs and flames, and a pair of socked feet stretched toward it.
Pot of stewA big pot on a stove with a ladle and chunks floating, and a frosted window behind.
Power outageA dark room, a family gathered around candles and a lamp that will not light.
RadiatorA row of upright metal ribs under a window, with wet gloves drying on top.
SlippersTwo fluffy shoes with open backs, side by side next to a bed.
Snowed inA front door opened onto a solid wall of snow, and a family settling down with a board game.
Space heaterA small box with a glowing grille, and two cold feet held up to it.
Tea kettleA kettle on a stove with steam shooting from the spout and a whistle line.
ThermostatA small dial on a wall, one hand turning it up and another hand turning it back down.
Wood stoveA black iron box on legs with a pipe going up and a kettle on top.
WoodpileSplit logs stacked in a neat wall under a little roof, with an axe left in a stump.
Winter jobs and troubles 20
Car stuck in the snowWheels spinning, snow flying backward and two people pushing from behind.
De-icing the planeA plane at the gate being sprayed by a truck with a raised arm, while passengers watch from the windows.
FrostbiteA bare hand with pale fingertips and cold lines, and its owner tucking it under an armpit. Fingers, toes, nose and ears are hit first.
Frozen car lockA key that will not go in, and a driver bending down to breathe on the lock.
Frozen laundryA shirt on a washing line as stiff as a board, carried indoors standing up.
Frozen pipesA pipe with a split in it and an icicle coming out, and someone aiming a hair dryer at it.
Head coldA person in bed with a thermometer in the mouth, a shaded nose and a pile of tissues.
Heating billAn envelope with a flame on it, and a reader whose hair is standing on end.
Ice scraperA small hand blade clearing a peephole on a frosted windshield.
Jump-starting the carA car with the hood up, cables running to a second car and a driver blowing on their hands.
Plowed inA freshly cleared driveway, and a plow pushing a new wall of snow across the end of it.
PotholeA hole in the road with cracked edges, a wheel dropping into it and a hubcap flying off.
Rock saltA bag tipped over a set of steps, with little grains bouncing down them.
Salt truckA truck with a spinner at the back flinging grains across the road.
Shoveling the drivewayA figure bent over a wide shovel, a cleared strip behind them and a long way still to go.
Snow blowerA machine pushed like a mower, shooting an arc of snow out of a chute.
Snow dayA school bus buried up to its windows, and children in pajamas cheering at a bedroom window.
Snow plowA truck with a wide curved blade on the front, throwing a wave of snow to one side.
Snow sliding off the roofA slab of snow coming off a roof onto someone who has just opened the front door.
Tire chainsA wheel wrapped in a net of chain links.
Winter ideas and sayings 14
Below freezingA thermometer with the line sunk under a small snowflake mark, and a puddle turned solid beside it.
Break the iceTo get people talking and past the awkward start. Draw two shy figures with a frozen block between them, and one tapping it with a little hammer.
Cold snapA short, sudden period of cold weather. Draw a thermometer with the line dropping out of the bottom and a startled sun.
CozyA figure in a blanket with a mug, a cat and a fire, and a storm raging at the window.
Dead of winterThe middle of winter, when it is coldest. Draw a calendar wrapped in a scarf with icicles hanging off it.
InsulationA house wearing a big wool hat and a scarf, with the cold lines bouncing off.
Pure as the driven snowCompletely pure or virtuous. Draw a figure with a halo standing in a perfectly smooth white field.
Put on iceTo put a plan on hold. Draw a rolled-up blueprint standing in a bucket of ice cubes.
Short daysA clock, a sun already setting behind it and a worker leaving the office in the dark.
Snowball effectSomething that grows faster and faster as it goes. Draw a small ball at the top of a hill and a giant one at the bottom with skis sticking out.
SnowbirdA person, often retired, who travels somewhere warm for the winter. Draw someone with a suitcase walking from a snowy house toward a palm tree.
Snowed underHaving far too much to do. Draw a desk buried in a drift with one hand sticking out, still holding a pen.
Spring thawIcicles dripping fast, a snowman slumped to half height and the first green shoot poking through.
Winter solsticeA very low sun making a short arc over the horizon, with a long night either side. It is the shortest day of the year, 21 or 22 December in the north.