Last Updated on December 5, 2025 by The Official Game Rules Team

Pressman’s Charades for Kids is a family-friendly game designed to engage children aged 4 and up in the classic game of charades. With visual cues and simple words, it’s accessible to both readers and non-readers, promoting fun and learning through play.

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How to Play Charades for Kids

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Game Components

• 50 charade cards with pictures
• 100 charade cards with text only (no pictures)
• 1 one-minute sand timer
• 1 die labeled with the numbers 1, 2, and 3

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Setup Instructions

1. Choose the card pack to use for the game:
   • Use the picture cards if any younger children are playing who may struggle to read the text-only cards.
2. Form a line: Have all the children line up side by side, from left to right, facing the stage area.
3. Place the materials:
   • Set the chosen deck of cards face down on a table in the stage area.
   • Place the sand timer and die on a separate table beside the player farthest to the right in line.

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How to Play

1. The child standing at the far right end of the line steps up to the stage area.
2. The rest of the children shift to the right to close the gap.
3. The new child at the far right rolls the die, announces the number rolled, and flips the sand timer to begin timing the round.
4. The child on stage takes the top card from the deck, reads it, and performs the charade that corresponds with the number rolled on the die.
   • Important: If the child on stage is not yet comfortable with reading, they should always act out the first image on the card regardless of the number rolled.
5. The child performs the charade using only gestures and actions — no words are allowed, but sounds and movements are okay.

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Guessing Rules

• Only the children in line may guess.
• Guessing is done one at a time, starting with the child on the right end of the line and continuing left.
• If a child shouts out a guess out of turn, they must move to the far left end of the line and their guess will not count.

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Scoring and Rounds

• If a player guesses the correct answer within the time limit, they keep the card as a point.
• If no one guesses the correct answer before time runs out, the card is returned face down to the bottom of the deck.
• The child who performed the charade rejoins the line at the far left, and all other players shift one spot to the right.
• The next child in line takes the stage and play continues.

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Winning the Game

The game continues until a child has successfully guessed three charades. The first to collect three cards is declared the winner.

Video Tutorial