Deck the Halls · the holiday party pack · Get moving
Carol Charades
A secret holiday phrase gets mimed down a team's line, like silent telephone. The last one says what they think it was.
- ~20 min
- 3–10 people
- One device, or phones
- In the Deck the Halls pack
- Ages 10+
What it feels like
Tonight, the room goes quiet. Not a word, not a carol. Just a great deal of very determined arm-waving. Here's how it works. The first person in the line reads a secret phrase. Everyone else in that team turns away. The first person mimes it to the second, with no words and no sounds, then the second mimes it to the third, and so on. The last person says what they think it was, as the other teams watch. Get it right and the team scores three, or one if they're close. Every team gets two turns.
How to play
- Teams take turns. The first person in the line reads a secret phrase, like “brushing a very large dog”.
- Everyone else in that team turns away. The first person mimes it to the second — no words, no sounds. Then the second mimes it to the third, and so on.
- The last person says what they think it was. The other teams get to watch the whole thing.
Scoring: 3 points each to a team whose last person gets it, 1 if they're close. Two turns for every team.
You'll get prompts like
- “Wrapping a gift with no tape”
- “Untangling a string of lights”
Playing safely
Mime in place — no real climbing, lifting or wrestling. No sounds, and keep it gentle when you tap the next person.
What you need
3 to 10 people and one phone, tablet or laptop to pass around — or everyone on their own phone in a room. Nothing to download, no accounts. The best lines can be sealed into your group's Almanac and come back in later games.
