®
THE RULES OF
CHARADES FOR KIDS
Charades is played with two teams acting out clues. The object of the game is to have your team guess the clues in the shortest amount of time. Every player on the team takes a turn acting out a clue to their teammates.
To Start:
Divide into two teams and determine how many clues each team will create. Have both teams retreat to a quiet place and on small pieces of paper, write each clue and its genre such as a book, song, movie, etc. For younger players, the clues can be drawn as pictures.
Any kind of clue category can be established based on players’ age and knowledge.
Younger Kids: Animals, Disney Characters, Jobs, TV (clues can be drawn as pictures for the non-readers)
Kids: Books, Movies, Characters, TV
Adults: Songs, Books, TV, Movies, Famous People
As clues are created, fold the paper clues and put them in a bowl so the other team can pick one on each turn. They act out your clues and your team acts out theirs, so get creative and make them tough.
Timer:
Set a designated maximum time to act out each clue, such as two minutes. A clock or timer (or for the younger audience an hourglass) can be used. Designate either one official timekeeper or a timekeeper on each team, and get the paper to document the time.
Rules:
1. No talking - the clue giver cannot talk or make sounds.
2. No using props - all clues have to be acted out.
3. The opposing team may not yell out while a clue is being given.
Playing the Game:
A player from Team A chooses a clue from the Team B bowl. Player one has a few seconds to read the clue and get ready. The timekeeper starts the clock and the player acts out the clue. When someone on Team A correctly guesses the clue, the time is stopped and documented. If Team A has not guessed the clue in the maximum amount of time, the time is given to their team and they announce the answer.
Establish special signs to identify the categories for players before the game. One example is placing your hands together and opening them up like a book to establish that genre.
Tips to Act Out Clues:
Establish special signs to identify the categories for players before the game. One example is placing your hands together and opening them up like a book to establish that genre.
1. The Whole Clue – If the clue can be acted out as one movement, such as Sponge Bob Square Pants, no prompts are given. The clue giver might simply stand and square off their body and then hold their breath like they are underwater to achieve the answer.
2. Break Down Words – For hard-to-act-out clues, words can be broken down into single-word clues or even syllables. For example, the clue “Little House on the Prairie” might need to be broken down. To indicate how many words are in the clue, the actor simply holds up his fingers. If the clue is five words, the actor holds up five fingers. When the team guesses “five words”, the actor can hold up one finger to get them to say “1st word.” Now he or she can act out “Little” until they guess it. Act out “House” next and so on until they guess the whole name.
3. Act Out Syllables – Some clues are so tough you have to get down to syllables. First, indicate which word by holding up your fingers and then indicate how many syllables that word has by placing the correct number of fingers on your forearm. Once they guess that the word has three syllables, you can show them which syllable you are acting on. For example, if the clue is “xylophone”, you can show the three syllables on your arm and then hit it again until they say “third syllable.” Hold your hand to your ear until they guess “phone.” Now move on to the second syllable.
Other Hand Gestures:
Moving your palms closer together = shorten
Touching your nose = got it right
Pulling your ear = sounds like
As you play, you will create other universal gestures that you can use in the game. Be creative with your team and have fun.