Holiday Charades

Holiday Charades - Act out Christmas related song titles, movies, characters etc.

Holiday Charades is a game I love to play during the Christmas season - at home, at work, it doesn't matter. The object of charades is to act out a word, phrase, song title, almost anything Christmas related, without speaking while others guess what you are doing.

There are five different categories: song, television, book, movie, character. Each card has one charade written on it from one of these categories. Examples are Rudolph, White Christmas, and jingle bells. The characters, songs, and movies are familiar to a range of ages, making this a fun family game.

Make your rules as strict or as lenient as you want. Sort through the cards ahead of time and only put out the ones that are particular to your audience. For instance, if you are having a party just for kids, they may not know an older movie like White Christmas, but they will most likely know Rudolph. Charades can be played every year and is different each time because different people will act out things differently. 

Another option is to save your money and write out your own ideas on paper. The down-side of that is that you will know all the answers.

Object:
Be the player or team who guesses the most charades correctly. Or you can skip the scoring and just play for fun.

Set up:
Shuffle the cards and put them face-down within easy reach.  

Play:
One person at a time picks a card, read it silently, and then acts out (silently) what is written on it while the other players throw out guesses. Play until someone correctly guesses or the time runs out. The next person draws and new card and repeats the process.

In the box: 60 cards

• Let the individual choose another card to act out if they can't figure out what to do. We're not out to embarrass anybody, just have a good time.
• Work side by side with the individual. You move as they watch and then ask them to copy you. Use props if necessary.
• Act out as a team. Take a minute to plan out what each person will do. Be supportive if someone is hesitant or doesn't have the skill needed. After all, who wants to get up in front of people and do things they feel they can't do.
• Use half the cards to play charades and the other half to play a holiday version of Pictionary (drawing instead of acting).
• After a minute add sounds (not words) if no one is guessing.
• Ask the individual to visualize the action before doing it. For instance if you are setting the table for the big meal, ask the person to visualize what it looks like when a person sets the table. If they have trouble, go set a place at a table, then try to perform the actions without the table setting.
• Help the individual by verbalizing each step, such as take the plate out of the cupboard, put the plate on the table, fold the napkin and put it by the plate. 
• Make a house rule that no one can guess for the first minute. This will give the individual time to do the movements and motor planning that you want.
• Work on motor planning, body awareness, balance, core strengthening, executive functioning skills, socialization skills, process skills, play and leisure exploration and participation, visualization, spatial relations, creativity  

If you are interested in purchasing this game or just want more information, click on the image below.