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[Playable from lower grades] Japanese language games and activities
In elementary school language arts, there’s so much to learn—hiragana, katakana, kanji, and more.
Kids can get overwhelmed by how much they have to memorize and start to dislike studying… but before that happens!
How about easing their resistance with Japanese language games that are both fun and educational, so they can learn through play?
We’re introducing plenty of language games, activities, and apps focused on kanji and characters.
Some games are great for parents and children to enjoy together, so we also recommend trying them on weekends!
[Playable from Lower Grades] Japanese Language Games and Activities (1–10)
Letter Rearrangement Quiz
It’s a game where you rearrange hiragana characters to form a single word.
Because the words are written in hiragana, it also helps you confirm their pronunciation.
By having them appear in a random order that creates unusual sounds, or by mixing in meaningful words, you can create more complex puzzles.
While it may seem that increasing the number of characters raises the difficulty, it’s important to mislead the solver when designing problems.
You could include one extra character that isn’t used, or make it a game where you form two words—there are many possible rule variations to consider.
Newspaper Letter Search Game
This is a game that can help players discover various kinds of characters using a newspaper.
It’s easy to play with just an old newspaper and a pen.
Announce a target character, then search for that character within the text printed in the newspaper.
You can set a target number and make it a race to see who finds that number first, or try other rules you come up with.
Since the rules are simple—just look for characters with the same shape—it can be fun even if you choose unfamiliar kanji as the theme.
Fill-in crossword
A crossword puzzle where you fill the grid with words—this is a simplified version of that game.
The center cell is blank, and you think of a common character that goes in the middle so that both the vertical and horizontal form meaningful words.
Since it’s three hiragana characters, it might seem too easy, but it can actually be quite challenging and deep.
Mixing in a difficult word on either the vertical or horizontal could be a way to increase the quiz’s difficulty.
Kanji mistake search
While learning kanji, many people have probably struggled with characters whose shapes are easy to confuse.
This is a spot-the-difference game using look-alike kanji.
You line up a large number of the same kanji and place just one different kanji among them, then try to find it.
A nice feature is that you can come up with various variations, such as changing the difficulty based on the number of strokes.
It’s also good to think about which parts of the kanji differ and what meanings each character has.
Japanese Language Pirate
The “Kokugo Pirates” series is a game where you learn kanji through a story about becoming a pirate and searching for treasure.
Titles like “Kokugo Pirates: First-Grade Kanji” and “Kokugo Pirates: Second-Grade Kanji” have been released, so you can choose one that matches what you want to study.
The system is simple—you answer the readings of kanji—but because both on’yomi and kun’yomi appear, you gain a deeper understanding of the characters.
With its colorful, pop-inspired world, it’s a game that lets you enjoy engaging with kanji.
Hiragana Bingo
It’s a game where you play bingo using hiragana and words.
You make a bingo card filled with hiragana, then words are called out; you cross off the hiragana used in each word and aim for bingo.
It’s simple.
You can customize many aspects: the size of the bingo grid, how to fill the squares, what constraints to place on the words that are announced, and more.
For example, if each player fills a bingo card with their favorite words, then the cards are rotated to other players via a roulette, and players take turns announcing words, you can deduce which words bring your opponent closer to a win, adding a layer of inference.
It’s also a perfect game for learning and remembering many words.
Doraemon: Parent and Child Kanji Play
This is an app game that helps you learn kanji through the fun world of Doraemon.
It features kanji taught from first to third grade in elementary school, and lets you study various aspects of kanji such as readings and stroke order.
The questions are simple and divided by grade level, so you can choose ones that suit you.
Another highlight is the review feature for kanji you’ve encountered, with explanations that include words using those characters.
It’s an app where you can enjoy both kanji explanations and descriptions of Doraemon’s secret gadgets together.
Mojipittan
Mojipittan is a word-based puzzle game available across a wide range of formats, including video games and apps.
Some letters are placed on the board in advance, and you place other letters next to them to form words.
There’s also a strategic element, as you aim to create as many words as possible by making smart use of a limited set of letters.
It’s a game you can easily make yourself with a large sheet of grid paper and letter cards, which is another appealing point.
It helps you recall words you already know and also provides opportunities to learn new ones.
Bob Jiten Kids
It’s a game where you describe words and have the people around you guess them, helping you develop your ability to explain and to think.
Draw a card from the deck and describe the word written on it without using any katakana.
If someone else hears your description and guesses correctly, they earn a point, and then that person draws the next card and gives the explanation.
The words on the cards are basically loanwords typically written in katakana, so the tricky part is that you’ll be tempted to slip katakana into your explanation.
You can also add variations, like giving a penalty to anyone who accidentally uses katakana during their explanation.
Kanji Stroke Count Relay
This is a simple game that uses the number of strokes in kanji.
Decide the order of play: the first person says a one-stroke kanji, the next person a two-stroke kanji, and so on, increasing the number of strokes in turn.
Set a time limit per person; if someone can’t answer within the time, they’re out.
You can form groups and compete to see how far you can go, or adapt various rules to suit the situation—that flexibility is part of the appeal.
It’s also a good opportunity to check the correct stroke order and stroke counts with others, since those are often remembered incorrectly.