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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Simple Tools, Finger Play, and Easy Game Special (1–10)
Catch
This is a simple hand game that can be played by two or more people.
With your right hand, lightly hold the index finger of the person next to you—just enough that they could slip it out.
With your left hand, extend your index finger so the person next to you can lightly hold it.
At the cue “Catch,” grip the finger you were holding tightly so it can’t be pulled out, and simultaneously pull your own finger out quickly before it gets grabbed.
It’s a game that tests your reflexes—how quickly you can process what you hear and take action.
Pudding Game
A pudding game that tests your reflexes and decision-making.
Two players sit facing each other at a desk with an eraser placed in the center.
When the facilitator says “yakisoba,” raise your right hand and say “ya,” and when they say “karaage,” raise your left hand and say “ka,” quickly matching the prompts.
When “pudding” is called, grab the eraser without hesitation—the person who takes it first wins.
It’s easy to slip up, which often leads to laughter.
Despite its simple rules, the game demands speed and concentration, making it perfect for short breaks during class or any small pockets of time.
Jogi War (Jogi Bato)
A game played with a ruler and a marker called “Ruler War.” This game is played one-on-one.
Place a ruler at each end of the desk, and once you’re holding a marker, the game begins.
Take turns flicking the rulers with the marker to knock your opponent’s ruler off the desk.
The first person to make the other player’s ruler fall wins.
If your opponent’s ruler ends up on top of your ruler, the player with the lower ruler uses the marker to flick and break free; however, if they fail to get free after three tries, they’re out.
If a ruler is knocked off the desk, you can avoid losing and continue the game by using the marker to get it back onto the desk while it’s still in the air.
Finger Smash
Yubi-suma suddenly became famous thanks to a popular variety show.
The name varies by region.
You stick out both thumbs and take turns calling out numbers; if the number you call matches the number of thumbs raised, you lower one hand.
The person who lowers both hands first wins and is out.
It starts off lighthearted, but once there are fewer people left, your heart really starts racing.
Tongue Twister Showdown
A tongue twister is a game where you read phrases quickly; if you can say them smoothly, you clear the challenge.
The key point is that it only uses phrases that are tricky to say smoothly, so anyone can join in easily.
You can enjoy it with various rules, such as having the most skilled person represent the team in a showdown, or competing to see if everyone can clear it.
It’s also important to adjust the difficulty of the tongue twisters so all participants can have fun.
Some sets list the difficulty alongside each prompt, so pick the ones that best fit the occasion and play.
It also sounds fun to create original tongue twisters by incorporating participants’ names and other details.
Moral Trump
Learn while you play! Let me introduce an idea for Moral Trump cards.
Moral Trump cards are appealing not only because they help children develop moral values while having fun, but also because you can play five different games using just the Moral Trump deck.
The content is all about things that can happen in school life and everyday situations, so children can think of them as their own experiences.
What matters is that children think through their own experiences and try to come up with answers.
Since cooperative spirit, compassion, honesty, and other moral behaviors can be learned naturally, this is an idea that’s easy to use both at home and at school.
Stack and boom!
Stack all participants’ hands in a random pile.
Then one person quickly pulls a hand out and slaps the back of any hand.
The slapped person is out and can no longer use that hand.
Players who lose drop out, and the last person remaining wins.
If you pull your hand out to slap but miss and hit no one (a “whiff”), you’re out too!