![[Playable from lower grades] Japanese language games and activities](https://i.ytimg.com/vi_webp/1OYnXzoi2p0/maxresdefault.webp)
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
- [Easy] Quizzes That Elementary School Students Can Solve! A Collection to Nurture Wisdom
- [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 (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.
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.
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.
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.
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.