Fun Activities and Recreation Games for Boys

Trump ‘Speed’

Let's play cards♪ How to play Speed

Among card games, Speed is one you can really enjoy as an intense two-player battle.

Divide the deck into red and black and give each player their own pile.

First, each player flips four cards face up to form their hand.

At the signal of “Speed,” both players place one card from their pile face up in the center—that’s when the battle begins! From your hand, you play cards that are one number higher or lower than the cards in the center.

Keep repeating this; when your hand runs low, replenish it from your pile.

The first player to use up their pile wins.

Your reflexes are put to the test as you read the situation from the cards on the table.

It’s easy to get swept up in your opponent’s pace while you’re thinking through your moves, and when you lose, it’s so intense you’ll want to shout, “Whoa!!”

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Hane Keisuke

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Plastic model building

[Model Kits] Start Now! Recommended Plastic Models You Can Build Using Only Nippers [Beginner Guide]

The plastic model kit said to have changed history is the Mobile Suit Gundam kit released in 1980, commonly known as Gunpla.

It’s an enormously popular series, with over 2,000 different models released by 2019.

Even boys who had never built a plastic model before all rushed to make Gunpla.

On rainy days, let’s all have fun building model kits together.

You can even buy plastic models of cars, anime characters, castles, and food stalls.

Find your favorite!

Experiment: “Let’s Make Carryable Water”

Portable water even though it’s water: “Ooho!” I tried making it!

When you think of water, you think of a liquid—but this mysterious “portable water” behaves almost like a solid.

If you’re a boy, doesn’t it make you want to try making it at least once? The ingredients, calcium chloride and sodium alginate, aren’t dangerous, but since they’re chemicals, prepare them together with an adult.

I think it’s perfect for an independent research project, too.

Ninja Play

[Exercise & Gymnastics for Kids] Recommended Rule-Based Game for 4- and 5-Year-Olds: 'Ninja Play' / Rule-based active games, exercises, and gymnastics educational videos to improve motor skills together with Mom

There have always been manga and anime featuring ninja and samurai, haven’t there? That feeling boys get of longing for helmets and swords—it might be embedded in us at the DNA level.

The game I’m introducing today is “Ninja Play,” which is similar to “Daruma-san ga Koronda” (the Japanese version of Red Light, Green Light).

In the regular game, the person saying “Daruma-san ga koronda” faces a wall or tree.

In “Ninja Play,” however, the person who says “Is anyone there?” is allowed to move freely.

The rules are the same as in Daruma-san ga Koronda: if you’re seen moving, you lose.

Simple, but a really fun game!

Instrument performance

I just collaborated with 8- and 6-year-old brother musicians who play Yngwie!

I’ve heard that musical instruments sell well when the economy is in a slump.

Since people can’t spend much on entertainment and don’t go out as much, they end up staying home more—and that apparently leads to more people playing instruments.

Lots of boys might dream of playing the guitar! Even if you just treat it like a bit of fun at first, why not try playing an instrument? A cheap guitar is fine, or the piano or electronic organ you already have at home.

Just touching an instrument and making sounds can turn into a really enjoyable time.

And who knows—some people might end up getting into it seriously after starting for fun!

stilts

Ride a pair of stilts in five minutes (animation)

Many people might think that stilts are originally Japanese, but similar things exist all around the world.

It’s said that even pottery excavated from Greek ruins dating to around 550 BCE depicts people on stilts.

More recently, some schools have incorporated stilts into physical education, as they’re good for developing balance and stimulating the toes, which is considered beneficial for the brain.

Setting the technicalities aside, playing on stilts looks like a lot of fun! Try challenges like standing on one leg or skipping!

hopping

Ultimate Pogo! Jump 2 meters high with a powerful spring and compressed air! TK8 adult sports

It’s a sport where you jump using a toy called a pogo stick.

The video shows backflips and other advanced moves, but just competing to see how many times you can bounce without falling is plenty exciting.

Be sure to choose a pogo stick that suits your body size.