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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Learning-based recreational activities incorporating English and early childhood education/learning (1–10)
123 game
A no-equipment, easy-to-play activity! Here’s an idea for the 123 Game.
It’s a simple and effective game that leverages English learning.
First, say, “Put your hands out!” Then teach three words and their gestures, and participants choose one and act it out.
If they choose the same one as the teacher, they’re out—great for building attention and quick reactions.
This game lets learners move their bodies while using English without any props, and it provides a practical way to use and remember the words they’ve learned!
The Perfect Match Game
Do you know the “Exactly Right Game”? You split into two teams, pick someone from the opposing team, and ask them a question involving a number—like, “How much did you spend on clothes this month?” The number they answer gets added to the asking team’s total.
In the end, the team whose total is closer to the preset target number wins, but if you go over the target, you bust.
Giri-Giri Ice Game
Games that build suspense are so much fun, aren’t they? In this “Edge-of-the-Seat Ice Game,” you place marbles that have been sitting in water onto a tissue laid over the top, and the person who tears the tissue loses—making it an incredibly suspenseful game.
Players take turns using small tongs to pick up a marble and set it on the tissue.
You can carefully shake off the water first, or boldly place it as is.
You find yourself staring at the water slowly soaking through, thinking, “Tissues are tougher than I expected,” even as the tension steadily rises (lol).
Dance Gesture Game
This is a gesture game where you convey the given theme using only body movements, with added elements of dance.
You improvise a dance to the music as it plays, stylishly incorporating movements that express the prompt.
It’s a sophisticated rule set that requires both making the theme clear to the guessers and ensuring it still works as a dance.
While it tests your creativity in coming up with clear, stylish choreography, even when things don’t go perfectly, it’s still fun to watch the earnest efforts.
Greeting game
Let’s greet according to the time of day! Here are some greeting game ideas.
These fun activities help you learn greetings suited to different times and cultures in a game-like way.
Walk around to music, and when the music stops, look at the illustration the teacher shows and say the appropriate greeting for that time of day—this helps develop decision-making skills! You can also incorporate greetings from other cultures, such as the United States and France, to learn greetings from around the world and expand your vocabulary.
Give it a try!