Scattergories lists

16 lists of 12 categories, each with a printable answer sheet. For kids, adults, the office, the classroom and the holidays.

Play Scattergories online, free

Online, the game rolls the letter, runs the timer and cancels matching answers for you.

List 1

Everyday
  1. A boy’s name
  2. A girl’s name
  3. An animal
  4. A country
  5. Something in the kitchen
  6. A fruit
  7. A TV show
  8. A sport
  9. Something you wear
  10. A job
  11. Something cold
  12. A city

List 2

Everyday
  1. A vegetable
  2. A famous person
  3. Something in a park
  4. A board game
  5. A color
  6. Something with wheels
  7. A drink
  8. A hobby
  9. Something in a bathroom
  10. A movie
  11. A body part
  12. A type of bird

List 3

Everyday
  1. A dessert
  2. A musical instrument
  3. Something soft
  4. A river, lake or sea
  5. A cartoon character
  6. A school subject
  7. Something you plug in
  8. A breakfast food
  9. A flower
  10. Something in a garden
  11. A reason to be late
  12. A word that ends in -ing

List 4

Everyday
  1. A pizza topping
  2. Something that flies
  3. A holiday
  4. A song
  5. Something round
  6. A type of shoe
  7. A car brand
  8. Something in a classroom
  9. An insect
  10. A snack
  11. Something you shout
  12. A capital city

List 5

Everyday
  1. A superhero
  2. Something at the beach
  3. A type of weather
  4. A tool
  5. Something sticky
  6. A dog breed
  7. Something in a hospital
  8. An ice cream flavor
  9. A dance
  10. A thing in space
  11. A piece of furniture
  12. A word for happy

List 6

Everyday
  1. A sea creature
  2. Something in a wallet
  3. A kind of tree
  4. A fictional place
  5. Something hot
  6. A pasta shape
  7. An app or website
  8. Something you collect
  9. A video game
  10. A spice or herb
  11. Something you do at night
  12. A gift

List 7

For kids
  1. An animal
  2. A fruit
  3. A toy
  4. A color
  5. Something in your lunchbox
  6. A cartoon
  7. Something at school
  8. A farm animal
  9. A food you love
  10. Something in your bedroom
  11. A sport
  12. A name

List 8

For kids
  1. Something yellow
  2. A zoo animal
  3. A candy
  4. Something at a birthday party
  5. A vehicle
  6. Something in the sky
  7. A shape
  8. A bug
  9. Something you can draw
  10. A storybook character
  11. Something at the playground
  12. A sound an animal makes

List 9

For adults
  1. A reason to call in sick
  2. Something you’d find in a junk drawer
  3. A bad first date idea
  4. A guilty pleasure
  5. Something you lie about
  6. A famous couple
  7. A thing you forget
  8. A cocktail
  9. A wedding song
  10. Something in a handbag
  11. A celebrity chef
  12. A New Year’s resolution

List 10

Funny
  1. A bad name for a pet
  2. Something you shouldn’t say to your boss
  3. A terrible superpower
  4. A weird pizza topping
  5. Something that smells bad
  6. An excuse for being late
  7. A bad gift
  8. Something you’d hide from guests
  9. A ridiculous hat
  10. A strange sport
  11. A bad band name
  12. Something you hear at 3am

List 11

Office
  1. Something on your desk
  2. A meeting excuse
  3. A job title
  4. Something in the break room
  5. A thing said on a video call
  6. A coffee order
  7. An email sign-off
  8. Something you’d expense
  9. A team-building activity
  10. A company
  11. Something that breaks
  12. A reason to work from home

List 12

Classroom
  1. A country
  2. An element
  3. A planet or moon
  4. A famous scientist
  5. A book
  6. A math word
  7. A part of a plant
  8. An adjective
  9. A verb
  10. A musical instrument
  11. A historical figure
  12. A landform

List 13

Halloween
  1. A costume
  2. Something spooky
  3. A candy
  4. A monster
  5. Something in a haunted house
  6. A scary movie
  7. A thing that goes bump in the night
  8. Something orange
  9. A witch’s potion ingredient
  10. A Halloween decoration
  11. A sound you hear in the dark
  12. A pumpkin carving idea

List 14

Thanksgiving
  1. Something on the table
  2. A side dish
  3. A pie
  4. Something you’re thankful for
  5. A parade balloon
  6. A fall color
  7. Something in the kitchen
  8. A football team
  9. A thing you say at dinner
  10. A leftover idea
  11. Something a turkey does
  12. A family member

List 15

Christmas
  1. A Christmas song
  2. A tree decoration
  3. Something in a stocking
  4. A reindeer name
  5. A Christmas movie
  6. Something cold
  7. A gift for a parent
  8. A holiday food
  9. Something red
  10. A winter activity
  11. Something at a party
  12. A word on a card

List 16

Summer
  1. Something at the beach
  2. A summer job
  3. A frozen treat
  4. A vacation spot
  5. Something you pack
  6. An outdoor game
  7. Something hot
  8. A fruit
  9. A camping item
  10. A thing that floats
  11. A summer song
  12. Something you grill

Scattergories letters

Tables usually play 20 letters: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P R S T W. They leave out Q, U, V, X, Y, Z, because too few words start with them for every category to have an answer. The easiest letters are S, C, P, B and M; the hardest of the usual ones are I, O, J and K. No die at hand? Our online game picks a letter for you, never the same one twice in a game.

House rules people ask about

Can two players give the same answer?
Yes, but neither scores: matching answers cancel out. That is the whole game: be right and be different.
Does an adjective count?
Only if the rest of the answer fits. “Big Bear” for an animal starting with B is a bear; most tables accept a describing word if the answer still names the thing.
What about answers of more than one word?
The first word has to start with the letter. Many tables give a bonus point for every extra word that starts with it too (“Purple Polka-dot Pajamas”).
Do names count, like “Bob” for a boy’s name?
Yes. For other categories, a brand or a name only counts if it really fits: “Pringles” is a fine snack.
Can you use “The” or “A”?
No: the answer has to start with the letter, so “The Lion King” is a T, not an L.
What if someone challenges an answer?
Everyone else votes. A tie keeps the point. Online, the game shows every answer side by side so the table can argue about it.

Scattergories answers, A to W

One answer per letter for the four categories that come up most. Use them to settle an argument, or to see the kind of answer that scores.

LetterAn animalA foodA countryA job
AAlligatorAvocadoAustriaArchitect
BBeaverBurritoBrazilBaker
CCheetahCroissantChileChef
DDolphinDumplingDenmarkDentist
EElephantEggplantEgyptElectrician
FFlamingoFalafelFranceFarmer
GGiraffeGranolaGreeceGardener
HHedgehogHummusHungaryHairdresser
IIguanaIce creamIndiaIllustrator
JJaguarJambalayaJapanJournalist
KKoalaKebabKenyaKindergarten teacher
LLemurLasagnaLaosLawyer
MMeerkatMangoMexicoMechanic
NNarwhalNachosNepalNurse
OOctopusOmeletteOmanOptician
PPenguinPancakePeruPlumber
RRaccoonRavioliRussiaReporter
SSlothSushiSpainSurgeon
TTortoiseTacosThailandTeacher
WWalrusWaffleWalesWaiter

Questions

What are good Scattergories categories?

Ones with plenty of answers for most letters: an animal, a food, a country, a job, a TV show, something in the kitchen. Mix in one or two harder or funnier ones (a reason to be late, a bad gift) so the round has a laugh in it. Every list on this page is twelve categories, ready to print.

What letters are not used in Scattergories?

Most tables leave out Q, U, V, X, Y, Z: too few words start with them. That leaves 20 letters. Our online game rolls from the same 20.

What are the easiest Scattergories letters?

S, C, P, B and M: more English words start with them than with any other letters, so every category has plenty of answers. The hardest of the usual letters are I, O, J and K.

How do you play Scattergories without the game?

Print a list and an answer sheet from this page, pick a letter at random, set a timer for two or three minutes, and everyone writes one answer per category starting with that letter. Read the answers out: unique answers score a point, matching ones cancel. Or play it online, where the game rolls the letter, runs the timer and cancels the matches for you.

Can you play Scattergories with 2 players?

Yes. With two, matches are rare, so play more rounds, or score a bonus point for an answer the other player says is clever.

How do you play Scattergories in the classroom?

Print the classroom list (or the kids lists) and an answer sheet per student, or put the online game on the board and let students join on their own devices. It works as a spelling and vocabulary warm-up: the class list includes an adjective, a verb, an element and a landform.

More: play Scattergories online, how to play on Zoom, or another word game: Words from a Word Party.

Questions or stuck? support@herdgamesonline.com