[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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- Fun quizzes for elementary school kids: a collection of questions everyone can enjoy together
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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)
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.
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.
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.
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.
[Playable from Lower Grades] Japanese Language Games and Activities (21–30)
Opposite Words Quiz
Let’s recall words we know! Here are some ideas for an opposite-words quiz.
Opposite words are words whose meanings are completely contrary to each other, also known as antonyms.
This time, let’s try a quiz about opposite words.
It might help to tackle it while recalling familiar words.
For example, there’s a question like, “What is the opposite of ‘up’?” presented along with an illustration.
The illustration serves as a hint, so feel free to give it a try.