{"product_id":"stem-charades-early-years-pack-ages-3-5","title":"STEM Charades Early Years Pack (Ages 3-5)","description":"\u003cp\u003eChildren pick a card, act it out and say what they know while the others guess. The 30 picture cards are the easiest (one-dot) cards from our Science, Maths, Planet Earth and Computing packs, chosen for nursery and Reception.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHighly Commended, STEM category, Teach Primary Awards 2026\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePre-order: dispatching from 1 December 2026. 10 available.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eAt a glance\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e30 picture cards for ages 3-5 (nursery and Reception).\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe easiest cards from the Science, Maths, Planet Earth and Computing packs.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eChildren act the card out, describe it in words, or do both.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e2-4+ players. A game takes about 20 minutes.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDesigned by Professor Andrew Manches, University of Edinburgh.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eWhat's inside\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e30 picture cards and an instruction leaflet.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eScience (11):\u003c\/strong\u003e spinning, stretching, squashing, balance, freezing, grow, wind, sun, rocket, bird, dinosaur\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMaths (8):\u003c\/strong\u003e count, add, subtract, halve, shapes, money, length, direction\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePlanet Earth (7):\u003c\/strong\u003e animals, fish, insects, plants, ocean, storm, earth\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eComputing (4):\u003c\/strong\u003e robot, computer, touch screen, instructions\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eHow to play\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePick a card. Do not show it to anyone.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDescribe the card. For \"spinning\", spin round. For \"bird\", flap your arms.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe other players guess.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eShow the card and talk about it together.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThree ways to describe a card\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eGestures only.\u003c\/strong\u003e Act it out without speaking.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eTalking only.\u003c\/strong\u003e Describe it in words.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eGestures and talking.\u003c\/strong\u003e Act it out and describe it at the same time.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eFAQs\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat ages is it for?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAges 3-5, which covers nursery and Reception. It is not for children under 3.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHow many can play?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e2-4+ players.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHow long does a game take?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAbout 20 minutes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhen will my pack arrive?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is a pre-order. Packs dispatch from 1 December 2026. There are 10 available. Questions to info@playtalklearn.co.uk.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHow is it different from the other STEM Charades packs?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Early Years pack is for ages 3-5. It has 30 picture cards, the easiest ones from the Science, Maths, Planet Earth and Computing packs.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eFrom the research\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEver noticed your hands moving when you explain an idea to a child? When teachers and children explain science ideas, they often gesture without noticing. In the Move2Learn project, we watched more than 500 children aged 3-8 explain science in science centres. Their hands often got there before their words.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYounger children's gestures often came before they could put an idea into words. Some children simply re-enacted what they had done. Others used their hands to show the process underneath, such as how distance from the pivot affects balance. Children can show what they understand through gesture before they can say it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat might this mean for your children?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLook for their understanding beyond words, especially in their gestures.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGive them meaningful sensory and movement experiences.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eUse gesture as well as speech when you explain ideas to them.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSTEM Charades grew out of this work, through online workshops with ten UK primary teachers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eTalk and gesture (oracy)\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Voice 21 Oracy Framework, from Voice 21 and Oracy Cambridge, has four strands: physical, linguistic, cognitive, and social and emotional. The physical strand includes gesture and body language. Its early years objectives include \"to use gesture to support meaning in play\" and \"to use talk in play to practise new vocabulary\". Acting out a card such as \"stretching\" or \"storm\" uses gesture in play. Naming a card such as \"halve\", \"freezing\" or \"direction\" uses talk in play with new words. The social and emotional strand includes turn-taking and listening, which are part of every round.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSTEM Charades is not endorsed by Voice 21. We show where the game's activities sit in the framework. We do not claim any measured outcome.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eProfessor Andrew Manches, University of Edinburgh.\u003c\/strong\u003e Professor of Children and Technology. He taught in primary schools for eight years before moving into research.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSources: Move2Learn (University of Edinburgh); Manches and Mitchell, Journal of Emergent Science, issue 24 (January 2023); Voice 21 Oracy Framework (Voice 21 \/ Oracy Cambridge).\u003c\/p\u003e\n","brand":"STEM Charades","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":59118765146495,"sku":"SC-EY-30","price":11.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1014\/3216\/4735\/files\/0_MAIN.png?v=1794058639","url":"https:\/\/stemcharades.info\/products\/stem-charades-early-years-pack-ages-3-5","provider":"STEM Charades","version":"1.0","type":"link"}