Get the Fun Going! Easy Classroom Games You Can Play at School: Recreational Activities for the Whole Class
Here are some games and class recreation activities you can play in an elementary school classroom! There are many options, including simple games for small groups, activities the whole class can enjoy, and team competitions.
Some require equipment, but there are also plenty you can start right away.
“Shiritori” and a “Rock-Paper-Scissors Tournament” are easy to set up and really get everyone excited! Use these ideas as a reference and have fun with your friends during recess or at school events.
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One-in-a-hundred survey
Do you know the “1 out of 100 Survey,” a popular segment from the variety show Waratte Iitomo? It’s a game where you ask a question that seems likely to apply to only 1 out of 100 people, and you clear the challenge if exactly one person actually fits.
That said, gathering 100 people can be tough.
In that case, you can still enjoy it by reducing the number to, say, 10 people.
It’s also fine to play with a larger group, like 200 people.
Feel free to adapt it flexibly to suit your situation.
staring contest
Two people face each other and, after the chant “Let’s play niramekko! If you laugh, you lose—uppuppu!”, they both make funny faces.
Whoever laughs loses.
This game is more fun and less tiring if you prepare your own repertoire of funny faces in advance.
Faces that are different from your usual look, or ones that are funny but cute—childlike expressions—seem to go over well.
Earphone Loud Telephone Game
A game of telephone where you whisper the prompt to the person next to you.
In this “Blasting Headphones Telephone Game,” the difficulty is cranked up: players listen to music through headphones that completely block out external sound.
Since you can’t hear the prompt, you have to read the other person’s lips to figure it out.
Even in a normal telephone game, the prompt often changes from the first person to the last.
In this version, you get to enjoy those changes in an even funnier way.
Nail the prompt perfectly and you’ll be showered with praise; even if you don’t, everyone will have a good laugh.
Just be mindful of the volume so you don’t hurt your ears while playing.
King’s Game
When it comes to classic games that get everyone excited at school, “King’s Game” is a staple! In King’s Game, everyone draws lots, and the person who becomes the King can give an order like “Person number X does Y.” It’s fine to give orders to multiple people, too! Usually, you make the lots with disposable chopsticks, but if you’re playing in a classroom, you can use notebook paper instead.
Any kind of order is allowed, but it’s a good idea to decide in advance that orders which could cause injury or bother others are invalid.
Give commands that make everyone laugh or amount to light punishments, and have fun together!
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Human finger smartphone (likely shorthand for smartphone operated by human finger)
With a numerical count, participants simultaneously show their thumbs and try to guess the total number—this is the classic “finger sum” game, but advanced through full-body movement.
Participants wait while bowing, and with each count, they freely decide whether to raise their upper bodies.
If someone correctly guesses how many people have raised their upper bodies, they clear the round.
The key excitement comes from reading and outmaneuvering how others will move.
Since each person can only choose 0 or 1, it’s best played with a large group to broaden the range of possible totals.
Turtle-turtle hop
Kame Kame Pyon is a simple game you can enjoy with an easy finger-raising rule.
First, choose one person to be the leader.
Everyone chants “Kame Kame Pyon,” and at the moment you say “pyon,” everyone raises a number of fingers.
Anyone who raises the same number of fingers as the leader loses.
Because the rules are simple, it’s fun for kids from lower to upper grades.
It tests quick decision-making, and with repetition players become faster at reacting.
Since it can be played many times in a short period, it’s perfect for brief moments between classes or as a quick recreational activity.
Body Rock-Paper-Scissors
Body Rock-Paper-Scissors that you enjoy with your whole body without using your hands.
You express rock by squatting, scissors by spreading your legs wide, and paper by jumping with your arms spread out.
It’s fun for parents and children, so it’s recommended not only at school but also as a game at home.
You need to watch each other’s movements closely to decide, which also trains quick reactions.
It can be fun to tweak the rules—for example, whoever wins takes one step forward.
Because it involves big movements, it’s perfect for people who like being active.
It’s great not only for playing with friends but also for parent-child bonding.
It’s an idea the whole class can enjoy by randomly choosing partners and playing.