Unplugged Charades

Activity

Set up the game:

1. On blank paper or index cards, write a list of things you might do WITHOUT a screen device. Think of activities you might do without a phone, tablet, laptop, television, or video game console. Write down one thing on each index card. If you’re using blank paper, cut the paper into smaller pieces so that you have one thing written for each piece of paper. Think about things you do with your family, things you do outside, and things you enjoy. Put these in a bowl or container.

2. Now write a list of things you do WITH a screen device. What activities might you do with a phone, tablet, laptop, television, or video game console? Put these in a separate bowl or container. (You should have two containers: one for activities WITH screens and one for activities WITHOUT screens.)

3. Create a ratings sheet. On a piece of paper, create two columns. On one side, write “Without Screens” at the top. On the other side of the paper, write “With Screens” at the top.
   
   See the example on the right. You can also download and print our rating sheet below.

Download

4. Choose a person to start the first round. This person will stand up while everyone else will guess the activity that this person is pretending to do.

For each round:

5. The person standing up will select a card (or piece of paper) from one of the containers, and tell everyone the category (“Without Screens” or “With Screens”).
6. Act out the word or phrase on that piece of paper. For example, if the card says “Frisbee,” pretend you are throwing or catching a frisbee. Do not say any words.
7. Let the other participants guess what you’re doing. You can give them as many guesses as you like. If they can’t figure it out, you can stop and tell them what it is.
8. Select another card (or piece of paper) from the other container.
9. Act out the word or phrase from the other category. For example, if the card says “watch a YouTube video,” pretend you are watching a video on YouTube. Remember not to say any words.
10. Let the other participants guess the activity.

11. Rate the performances. At the end of each round, participants who were guessing the activity must answer this question: Which was easier to guess? The thing you might do WITHOUT screens OR the activity WITH screens? Put a happy face in the category that was easiest to guess.

Finishing the game:

12. Make sure everyone gets at least one turn acting out the phrases.
13. Play as many rounds as you like.
14. At the end of the game, count the number of happy faces you gave for each category.
15. Write down the total number of happy faces at the bottom of your rating sheet.
16. Record a short video of one person acting out one activity WITH a screen device and one activity WITHOUT a screen device.

Talk About It

After your game, answer the following questions together with your family.

• What it was like to watch someone acting out activities with or without a screen device? How were these categories different? Can you see these differences in the video you created?
• Which category was more difficult to guess, things you do WITH a screen device or things you do WITHOUT a screen device? Why?
• Which activity WITH screens was easiest to guess? Which activity WITHOUT screens was the hardest to guess?