Recommended for upper elementary grades! Exciting indoor recreation and games
Ever find yourself unsure what to do for upper-elementary recreation time? Wouldn’t it be perfect to have activities that not only get kids moving but also build teamwork and social awareness? Here, we’ve gathered ideas that make full use of collaboration and brainpower—from a game where you stack cups by working together, to psychological battles that test your timing and when to jump in.
Everything can be done with familiar, easy-to-find materials and will get the whole class excited.
Have fun with your friends!
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Get Moving and Play! Indoor Sports and Physical Activities for Upper Elementary Students (1–10)
Balloon Soccer
Great for first-time soccer players! Here are some balloon soccer ideas.
Many parents may want to enjoy soccer together with their children.
This is a recommended idea when you’re unsure where to start playing soccer.
All you need is a balloon.
First, use the balloon as a stand-in for a ball and get used to the rules.
It’s good to help kids get a feel for body movement and eye coordination through activities like juggling with the thighs or toes and heading with the head.
high-jump-style rubber jumping
Let’s get into classic Showa-era games! Here’s an idea for rubber jumping, similar to high jump.
Rubber jumping is the game where you hook a rubber band around your legs, stretch it, and jump over it alternately.
It seems to have been popular mainly among girls during the Showa period.
What you need is flat elastic.
Start with the height at your ankles.
As you get used to it, raise it to your calves, knees, thighs, and then your waist.
If you practice every day, your athletic ability will improve, and you’ll likely be able to clear higher levels over time.
Target shooting
Fun for toddlers and up! Here are some ideas for a target-shooting game.
Among Olympic sports, there’s shooting, where competitors use firearms to hit targets and compete for accuracy.
This time, let’s play a similar game that focuses on aiming at targets.
You’ll need straws, rubber bands, origami paper, tape, masking tape, scissors, glue, and a toilet paper roll.
Using a toy “gun” made from the toilet paper roll, the simple rule is to knock down the targets.
It’s great because everyone—from toddlers to adults—can enjoy it together.
Presence Slash
“Kehaigiri,” as the name suggests, is a game where you strike your opponent using only their presence! Both players are blindfolded, each holds a toy sword, and tries to sense the other’s presence to land a strike.
There are rules: no horizontal slashes—only vertical; you can swing up to three times; the first to hit wins, and so on.
If both players swing three times and miss, the round resets from the beginning.
Relying solely on presence is very difficult, but it’s a game that’s exciting to watch as well, so everyone can have a lively, fun time together.
balloon volleyball
Let’s have fun moving our bodies! Here are some ideas for balloon volleyball.
Volleyball is a sport where two teams face off across a net, hitting the ball back and forth to score points.
This time, all you need is a single balloon.
You can even find them at 100-yen shops these days, so it’s easy to prepare.
The way to play is simple: two or more people face each other and tap the balloon with their hands to keep a rally going.
Once you get used to it, try counting out loud or playing a word-chain game (shiritori) while you rally.
Get Moving! Indoor Sports and Physical Activity Games for Upper Elementary Students (11–20)
Towel Sumo
Let’s try playing towel sumo—a game you can do anywhere with just one towel! Roughhousing games like regular sumo or pro wrestling can endanger nearby objects and create noise, but towel sumo is simple: two people face each other, each holding one end of a towel, and pull.
The person who moves from their spot even a little loses.
It’s not just about tugging like in tug-of-war—watch your opponent and sometimes loosen your grip so they pull harder than expected and lose their balance.
It’s a simple yet deep game.
triathlon
Let’s clear the challenges set at each station and aim for the finish! Here’s a triathlon-inspired idea.
A triathlon is a race where you swim, cycle, and run in sequence to reach the goal, right? This time, let’s try playing a game where you aim for the finish by overcoming a series of continuous challenges, just like a triathlon.
In the video, it looks like pairs are cooperating and playing together.
How about incorporating this into your activities with some adaptations?