[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!
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- [For Elementary School Students] Cipher Quiz: Fun Puzzle Riddles
- [For Elementary School Students] Recommended Riddle Collection
- A game where you can learn the multiplication table while playing
- [Elementary School] Quick and Easy! Indoor Recreational Activities Perfect for Lower Grades
- Fun activities for junior high school students. Recreation games.
- [For Elementary School Students] A Collection of Games and Activities You Can Enjoy on Zoom
- Easy Riddles for Elementary School Students
- [Play Right Away!] Exciting Recreation Games Recommended for Elementary School Students
- [For Kids] Fun Either Way: A Collection of Rock-Paper-Scissors Game Ideas
[Playable from Lower Grades] Japanese Language Games and Activities (11–20)
Hiragana Shiritori
Shiritori is a game that most people have played: you take the last character of a word, announce a new word that starts with that character, and keep repeating.
Even simple shiritori helps you learn new words, but turning it into a quiz format makes it even more fun.
For example, announce one word and compete to see how many continuations you can come up with within a time limit—this lets you focus on recalling words.
Trying to think of a word that bridges two given words raises the difficulty and makes it even more enjoyable.
It’s also interesting to compare answers with others and discover new vocabulary.
Kanji Ateji Composition
This is a game where you create sentences using kanji readings.
Participants come up with simple compositions, write them using kanji as phonetic substitutes, and then read each other’s sentences.
It’s fun just to figure out how each part is read, but it might also be interesting to turn it into a game where you compete on the number of kanji used.
As the game progresses, you can sense each person’s unique way of thinking—for example, one person might write “ta” as 田 while another writes it as 多.
It’s also an ideal game for helping you learn kanji readings.
Word search game
This is a fun game using the Japanese syllabary cards called the “Word-Finding Game”! Some children who struggle with language arts may have a limited vocabulary and find it hard to understand what they read.
In this game, you present prompts like “a four-letter word that starts with A,” and work together with the participants to come up with words.
It helps build vocabulary, and even unfamiliar words are more memorable when everyone creates them together.
It’s also a great idea to show real-life images of the words on a smartphone after you’ve made them!
Radical Guessing Game
When considering the origins and meanings of kanji, thinking about radicals is also an important point.
This game aims to help you learn those radicals in a quiz format.
Because the theme is straightforward, you can prompt players to think about radicals through a variety of question types.
A key is to mix easy and difficult items in a format where players identify the radical’s name.
It’s important to create that feeling of “I’ve seen it, but I don’t know its name,” and through that experience, players can come to understand the names and meanings of radicals more deeply.
If you also get players to consider which part of a character corresponds to the radical, it could become even more engaging.
Two-letter Shiritori
Shiritori is a game everyone has played: you take the last character of a word and continue with a word that starts with that character.
Because it’s such a familiar game, one of its features is that you can think of many variations.
In 2-character shiritori, you proceed by taking the last two characters, continuing as in going from “shiritori” to “toriniku.” You need to decide how to handle the character “n”: do you lose if it’s the final character, or if it appears as the second-to-last character? Set the rule according to each version you play.
Essay of the Bear in the Forest
This is a game for exploring different ways of expression using the children’s song “The Bear in the Forest” as the theme.
It presents two different passages based on the same subject and asks what impressions each one gives.
By having players consider which parts of the text created those impressions, it teaches the effects of different writing styles.
If you then ask them to write a passage that matches a desired mood, it may also convey how challenging that can be.
Combined with reading aloud, it seems likely to spark broader reflection on expression as a whole.
Kanji Hide-and-Seek
This is a quiz that uses the components of kanji characters.
Since there isn’t just one correct answer, it can also serve as a conversation starter among participants.
For example, if you have a square divided into four sections like the character 田, people might answer with kanji such as 口 or 日 that could be hidden within it.
In this way, participants think of and share kanji that are hidden inside shapes.
When something appears that looks slightly different from an actual kanji, the exchange of opinions can heat up and become lively.
If you use kanji that are not simple shapes, it also prompts participants to think about the parts used in kanji and consider how the characters are formed.
Elementary School Handwritten Kanji Drill
This app lets you learn 1,026 kanji taught in elementary school.
It’s a simple app that focuses on writing kanji.
You can trace with your finger, but using a stylus will likely make your handwriting more accurate.
It progresses in a format where questions similar to those in kanji workbooks appear, and you write the corresponding kanji; answers are judged immediately, which is a key feature.
The app evaluates and teaches the important aspects of writing—such as character balance and stroke order—accurately and clearly.
Idiom Karuta
An idiom is a set phrase used by convention, characterized by distinctive turns of expression.
Unlike proverbs, many idioms express ideas through metaphor, and if they aren’t properly understood, conversations can sometimes break down.
This is an attempt to learn idioms through playing karuta.
In addition to the meanings of the idioms, explanations and example sentences are also provided, so when you take a picture card, be sure to think carefully about the meaning of the phrase.
Building on this “Idiom Karuta,” it might also be a good idea to look up similar expressions that aren’t included here.
Kanji Radical Relay
Some kanji have radicals, and those radicals can be related to the meaning of the character.
Here’s a simple game that uses radicals—an important point when learning how kanji are constructed.
A radical is specified, and the goal is to write as many kanji containing that radical as possible within a time limit.
It might work better as a team competition so players can pool their knowledge and improve together.
Since there’s a speed element and handwriting may get sloppy, be strict when awarding points.