Funskool's Kids On Stage (item 4988300), the box our link goes toPhoto: Funskool
What's in the box: the board, the spinner and picture cardsPhoto: Funskool
Every card is a picture, so nobody needs to readPhoto: University Games
The colour you land on decides which pile you draw fromPhoto: University Games
The back of Funskool's boxPhoto: Funskool
Video

Party game

Kids On Stage

Spin, move and act it out: charades for the littlest players

2–6players · best with 3-6
15–20 minplaying time
3+recommended age
Learning curve
Very easy1 / 5
EasyDemanding
Luck & skill
Mostly luck
LuckSkill
Interaction
High
Set-up
Under a minute
Reading
None

The quick verdict

Full verdict ↓

Great for Children aged 3 to 8 who can't read yet but love pulling faces and making animal noises

Think twice if Your children are 8 or older; the pictures will feel too easy, and grown-up dumb charades or Pictionary will suit them better

How we rate it

Learning curve. Spin, move, act. Three-year-olds can play with a little help. It sits with UNO and Connect 4 on our scale.

Luck & skill. The spinner decides how far you move and which kind of card you get, and everyone finishes anyway. The fun is in the acting, not in winning.

Interaction. Every turn, one person performs and everyone else guesses together.

Set-up. Open the board, sort the cards into three piles by colour and put the pieces on START.

Reading. All cards are pictures; the box says 'No Reading Required'.

Learning curve: 1 = UNO or Connect 4; 3 = Catan; 5 = a heavy strategy game. These describe the experience, not an overall score.

Is Kids On Stage right for you?

Great if

  • Children aged 3 to 8 who can't read yet but love pulling faces and making animal noises
  • Mixed-age family evenings where grandparents, parents and little cousins can all play together
  • Children who get upset about losing, since everyone finishes and the rules say everyone wins
  • A rainy afternoon or a birthday party for small children

Skip it if

  • Your children are 8 or older; the pictures will feel too easy, and grown-up dumb charades or Pictionary will suit them better
  • You want a game with a winner and some tactics; the spinner decides everything and there's no scoring
  • Your child is very shy about acting in front of others; some children need an adult to go first

How Kids On Stage plays

Set-up: open the board, sort the 60 cards into three face-down piles by colour (red actions, blue animals and green objects), and put a playing piece for each player or team on START. The oldest player goes first.

  • Time to teach: about 2 minutes.
  • Reading and language: Every card is a picture, so no reading is needed and children act without speaking. Guesses can be shouted in Hindi, English or any language at home. The rules leaflet is in English.

How To Play: Kids on Stage from Briarpatch · UG Studios · Official

Choose a video · Watch right here

If this creator doesn’t allow embedded playback, watch on YouTube ↗.

A turn, step by step

  1. 1
    Spin

    Spin the spinner and move your piece that many spaces.

  2. 2
    Draw

    Take a card from the pile that matches the colour you landed on: red action, blue animal or green object.

  3. 3
    Act

    Act out the picture without words while everyone else guesses; sounds are allowed.

  4. 4
    Finish

    Keep going until every piece reaches FINISH. Nobody loses.

Read the official rules (PDF)Kids on Stage instructions (Funskool leaflet) · English
The full explanation: how a game of Kids On Stage goes

On your turn, spin the spinner and move your piece that many spaces. The colour of the space you land on tells you which pile to draw from. Look at the picture without showing anyone.

Now act it out without speaking. Sounds are allowed, so a roar or a moo is fair. Everyone else shouts guesses until someone names the action, animal or object, and then the next player spins. You don't have to copy the picture exactly: for 'playing baseball' you could bat, catch or throw. Indian children can just as easily mime cricket.

When you reach FINISH, you draw one last card of any colour and act it out. Play carries on until every piece is home, so no one is left out and, as the rules put it, everyone wins.

Tip: pair a three-year-old with an older cousin or a grandparent as a team, so the little one picks the card and gets help with ideas. Some families skip the board altogether and just take turns drawing and acting out cards.

What's in the box

What's in the box: the board, the spinner and picture cards · Photo: Funskool
  • 1Game board with spinner
  • 60Charades cards
    20 red action cards, 20 blue animal cards and 20 green object cards, all pictures
  • 6Playing pieces
  • 1Rules leaflet
    English, printed with 'Made in India'

This list comes from Funskool's rules leaflet for its box and matches the listing facts and University Games' own contents list. The US Briarpatch box has the same contents.

Where to buy

Check price on Amazon.in
How to make sure you get a genuine copyEditions and the details worth checking.

About the editions

Buy Funskool's box. It is University Games' Kids On Stage, made in India under licence, and its leaflet and box carry the Briarpatch and University Games names. Our Amazon.in link goes to this Funskool box, item 4988300. The American Briarpatch box plays the same game.

Before you choose

  • The front should show the Kids on Stage logo, the Briarpatch logo, 'Distributed by Funskool', 'No Reading Required', 'Ages 3 and Up' and '2 to 6 Players'
  • The back should say that Kids on Stage is a trademark of University Games Corporation under exclusive licence from L&M Productions. Funskool's item code is 4988300.
  • Inside: a game board with a spinner, 60 picture cards in red, blue and green (20 of each) and 6 playing pieces
  • The cards are pictures only, with no words to read

What reviewers and players say

Reviewers of Kids On Stage describe it as a fun, very easy first charades game that keeps a wide range of ages interested, from three-year-olds to their older siblings and parents. They like that the cards are pictures, so pre-readers can play, and that nobody loses. The board, spinner and pieces are praised as sturdy and colourful, but one family found the cards flimsy and worried they would bend or tear. Young children may be shy at first, or simply call out what is on the card, until an adult shows them how to act it, and some families skip the board and just act out cards.

What people love

  • Picture cards, so children who can't read can play
  • Everyone finishes and nobody loses
  • Holds the attention of a wide age range, with up to six players
  • A sturdy folding board and a spinner that spins freely

Common complaints

  • The cards are thin and glossy and may bend or tear with heavy use
  • Very young children may need an adult to show them how to act before they join in
  • The board adds little, and some families end up just drawing cards
Based on 6 reviews and discussions

Summarised in our own words from the sources above. We don't use Amazon reviews or ratings.

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Questions people ask about Kids On Stage

What age is Kids On Stage for?

The box says 3 and up, and University Games describes it as a game for children aged three to eight. Older children can join in, but the pictures are simple, so it suits families with little ones best.

Does Kids On Stage need reading?

No. Every card is a picture of an animal, an object or an action, and the box says 'No Reading Required'. Children act without speaking, and the guessers can shout in any language.

Who wins Kids On Stage?

Nobody loses. Players keep going until every piece reaches FINISH, and the rules say everyone wins. That makes it a good first game for children who find losing hard.

Is Funskool's Kids On Stage the original game?

Yes. Kids On Stage is University Games' game, sold in the US under its Briarpatch brand, and Funskool makes it in India under licence. Funskool's leaflet carries the University Games copyright and 'Made in India'.

How many can play Kids On Stage?

There are six playing pieces, so 2 to 6 players, or more if you play in teams. For a big family gathering, put a young child and an adult on each team.

Game facts

Publisher
University Games (Briarpatch brand)
In India
Funskool (India) Ltd, Chennai, which makes it in India under licence from University Games
Players
2–6
Barcode
8901383498830
Language
No reading – Every card is a picture, so no reading is needed and children act without speaking. Guesses can be shouted in Hindi, English or any language at home. The rules leaflet is in English.
Sources & photo creditsThe references behind this guide.

Facts on this page come from the publisher, the Indian maker or distributor, and the sources below. Photos are credited under each one.