Puppet Character Charades – Puppet Theatre Printable Game

Ready to print and play

Preview the two-page game guide

Download 2-page game guideCheck the preview, printing notes and licence before use.

A familiar game in the Puppet Theatre theme

Puppet Character Charades adapts Freeze Dance / Charades with this cue: Use an original hand puppet or body pose to show a character. The printable keeps the rules cooperative, removes elimination and gives educators practical ways to adjust movement and participation.

Set up

• Write or draw four to eight people, objects or actions named in the Aim on scrap-paper cards. Remove any card that could encourage unsafe imitation.
• Mark a movement zone and demonstrate a small, seated and standing version.
• Agree that performing, guessing and watching are all valid roles.

How to play

1. One player or small group draws one prepared card without showing it.
2. They silently show the card with one controlled action or frozen pose while others offer guesses.
3. Reveal the card after several guesses, celebrate different interpretations and rotate roles.
4. For Freeze mode, everyone moves to a spoken rhythm and freezes when the leader pauses.

Theme variations

• Guess a setting instead of a character.
• Perform with a partner behind a tabletop screen.

Include more ways to join

Allow sound effects, pointing, drawing, props or partner acting. Do not require solo performance or eye contact.

Safety check

• Keep poses controlled and within each player’s own space.
• Avoid lifts, collisions, dangerous animal imitation and floor slides.
• Use moderate audio levels and provide a quiet opt-in role.

Printing notes

The download is a two-page A4 illustrated guide. Page one contains the core game. Page two includes theme variations, participation options, educator checks and a dashed cut-off quick-reference card that can be kept with the game equipment or laminated.