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Paper Charades is a fun game that is perfect for playing indoors and will give your youth a chance to work together closely while being creative and having a blast.
In this game, youth will work in teams to replicate a word or phrase through timed rounds using only folded or cut paper to represent the phrase.
After each round, each team tries to guess the correct answer by viewing the other team’s paper display.
All you’ll need is a supply of printer paper and scissors to play this game. You can use any phrases or words you like, but we’re going to give you a list at the bottom to get you started!
This is a flexible game that you can play in five minutes for an icebreaker, or play several rounds for an extended game. It’s also the kind of game you can play in the evenings or downtime on mission trips or retreats. So be sure to read below, bookmark this link, and keep it on hand for when you might need to fill some time and create a little more community with your group!
Number of Players – 3 Minimum, no Maximum
Supplies Needed – White computer paper, tape, scissors (at least one pair for each group, the more the better. Ask children’s ministry if they have a lot of scissors you can borrow!), pen or pencil for each group (for judging only).
Paper Charades Game Instructions (Read Aloud To Group)
We’re going to play a game called Paper Charades!
In this game, you will be divided into teams who you will remain with the rest of the game. The teams will then spread out so they can’t hear each other working. At the beginning of each round I will go to each team and give you a secret word or phrase written on a piece of paper. Be very quiet about your phrase and don’t shout it aloud or say anything loudly that might clue in another team as to the answer.
Once you receive your phrase, your team will take white paper and cut and fold it into shapes that can communicate your phrase. For example, for the phrase “I can fly” you could cut out an eyeball, fold and tape paper into a can shape, and then cut out an insect fly.
You cannot cut out letters or numbers or fold or arrange paper to represent letters or numbers. You cannot, write anything on your paper or use anything but paper and tape in your presentation. You can however create arrows or other symbols to use.
You will have 5 minutes to complete your paper presentations and lay them out. After the end of the round, each team will travel together to visit the other team presentations and one person in the team will write down the group guess as to what they believe the phrase is. Be sure to be quiet about your guesses, so you don’t help out other teams.
Your team wins points in two ways. 1. Your team wins one point for correctly guessing another team’s phrase. 2. If every team correctly guesses the phrase for your team, your team will win an additional 3 points for doing a good job with your presentation. This ensures that all teams try their best with their presentations because doing well will win you the most points.
At the end of each round, each team will first announce what their phrase was exactly and then each team will present their already written down guesses. If a guess is extremely close and sounds similar to the original phrase, then the points should be rewarded. After all points are recorded, another round will begin with new phrases being handed out.
You can play as many rounds as you like and the team with the most points at the end of the game is the winner.
Phrases to use
- Running back
- iPhone Charger
- Go Jump In A Lake
- High Five
- Be Right Back
- Pizza Parlor
- 3 Pointer
- COVID Test
- Stuck in traffic
- Jumping Rope
- Christmas Cookie
- Homerun
- Jumping Jack
- Chance of Rain
- Snapchat
- Super Mario
- Mickey Mouse Clubhouse
