Showem

Picture Charades: Charades for Kids Who Can't Read Yet

Normal charades has one hidden obstacle: the word has to be read. Picture charades removes it. A child sees a picture of a dog, a rocket or an apple, acts it out, and the rest of the family guesses. Here is how it works, why it is such a good fit for ages three to six, and how to play with big brothers, sisters and parents in the same game.

Pictures kids can act out right away

These are the kinds of pictures that work best with young children:

  1. Dog
  2. Elephant
  3. Lion
  4. Monkey
  5. Frog
  6. Butterfly
  7. Snail
  8. Penguin
  9. Fish
  10. Duck
  11. Banana
  12. Ice cream
  13. Pizza
  14. Airplane
  15. Rocket
  16. Fire engine
  17. Bicycle
  18. Train
  19. Snowman
  20. Rainbow
  21. Sun
  22. Teddy bear
  23. Balloon
  24. Kite

These ideas are starters. Download Showem free for more words, teams and timers, and same-phone play on one device - from the App Store or Google Play.

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  • Set up teams in under a minute and laughed for an hour.

  • No installs for my friends - just pass the phone.

  • The built-in word bank keeps throwing new prompts so nobody gets bored.

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Choose categories and round rules, run teams and timers, and keep scores on one phone - built for in-room charades on iOS and Android.

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Automatic team shuffling

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Showem gameplay screen with a charades prompt, timer, and score colors

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Screens from the latest app - from setup to the word on the card.

1
Showem new game settings for time, points, categories, and difficulty

Fully customizable game rules

2
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3
Showem teams overview with blue and red groups and player avatars

Automatic team shuffling

4
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The problem: charades needs reading

In a classic charades game the performer reads a word from a card or a screen. A child who cannot read yet is left out, or an adult has to whisper the word, which spoils the surprise and makes the child feel like a helper rather than a player. Children often want to join the family game long before school teaches them to read, so a version built on pictures is the missing piece.

How picture charades works

Instead of a word, the performer sees a picture. They look at it, then act it out without speaking while everyone else guesses. Nothing else changes: the same turns, the same timer, the same points. The picture is the prompt, so a three-year-old can play exactly like everyone else and be the star of the round.

What makes a good picture for a child

The best pictures show one concrete thing a child recognises in a second: an animal, a piece of food, a vehicle, a toy, something from nature. Bright, simple pictures work better than detailed ones. Good prompts are also easy to act out. A frog hops, a plane flies, an elephant has a trunk. Faces showing a clear feeling, like crying, laughing or sleeping, are great too, because children love overacting them.

Playing with older children and adults at the same time

The best part of picture charades is that it does not need a separate game for the child. In Showem you tick a box when you add a player who cannot read. On that player's turn the phone shows a picture; on everyone else's turn it shows a normal word. Kids and adults sit in the same teams, take turns on the same phone and keep one score. Nobody has to play an easier version of the game, so nobody feels like they are playing a baby game.

Tips for the child's turn

Give the child as much time as they need and do not worry about the clock. Guess wrong on purpose first: calling out silly answers is funny and gives the child time to find the right moves. Let them make sounds if they want to. When the guess is correct, celebrate loudly. If the picture is too hard, skip it with no fuss and move on. The aim is to enjoy acting, not to score points.

Picture charades in Showem

Showem includes hundreds of colourful pictures in two difficulty levels: easier ones for ages three and four, and trickier ones for ages five and six. A small caption under the picture tells the adults what it is, so there is never any doubt. Everything works offline, so it is ready for car rides and waiting rooms, and the app is free on iOS and Android.

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