[Elementary School] Indoor Games and Recreational Activities Recommended for Upper Primary Grades
There are lots of elementary school children who love the internet and online games, right?
Of course, they can build relationships and develop various skills through them, but many parents and educators probably feel, “I’d like them to play something other than games a bit more.”
Kids can learn a lot from new experiences, so we hope they’ll try a variety of activities.
In this article, we’ll introduce fun games and recreational activities suited for upper elementary grades!
All of them can be played indoors, so they’re perfect for days when you can’t go outside!
- Recommended for upper elementary grades! Exciting indoor recreation and games
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- Indoor games and recreational activities recommended for junior high school students
- [Elementary School] Quick and Easy! Indoor Recreational Activities Perfect for Lower Grades
- Indoor and outdoor activities that avoid crowding. Enjoyable for students from first to sixth grade.
- [Play Right Away!] Exciting Recreation Games Recommended for Elementary School Students
- Play ideas kids can enjoy from 1st to 6th grade [indoors & outdoors]
- [Elementary School Rec] Recommended Games and Performances for a Fun Party
- Recreation popularity rankings for junior high school students
- [Part 2] Recommended Indoor Activities and Recreation Games for December
- No worries even in the rain! Fun recreational activities you can do in the gym
[Elementary School] Indoor Games and Recreation Activities Recommended for Middle Grades (121–130)
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!
Air-reading game
Let’s read the room so we don’t overlap with our friends! Here’s an idea for a “reading the room” game.
It’s a unique game that helps elementary school students develop the ability to act while watching the timing and what’s happening around them.
In a group of 4–5 players sitting in a circle, you take turns standing up while calling out numbers.
The rule is simple, but what matters is avoiding overlapping timing with your friends.
Through the game, kids can build awareness of others and quick decision-making skills.
The atmosphere is tense at the start, but when two people stand up at the same time, everyone can’t help bursting into laughter!
NG word game
Say this and you’re punished! The NG Word Game is a super simple game where you lose if you accidentally say your assigned forbidden word during conversation.
The keywords chosen by people you usually talk with tend to hit where it hurts.
If someone who knows your catchphrases picks the word, you might say it right at the start without a second thought.
When a battle of wits unfolds as everyone tries to draw out the NG words, the competition for the penalty will get even more exciting!
Finger Smash
The game known as “Yubi-suma,” whose name is said to have become widespread thanks to the variety show SMAP×SMAP, has long been played by children under names like “Issē no se” or “Issē no de,” so many people may have heard of it in their childhood.
All participants form a circle and extend both fists in front of them so that thumbs can be raised.
In time with a chant, players call out how many thumbs in total they think will be raised among all participants.
If a player’s prediction is correct, they lower one fist; the person left with a fist at the end loses.
With these simple rules, it’s a handy party game you can play anytime.
[Elementary School] Indoor Games and Recreation Activities Recommended for Upper Elementary Grades (131–140)
Don Janken
A game everyone can enjoy, from kids to adults! Here’s an idea for “Don Janken.” Split into two teams; the team that reaches the opponent’s territory first wins.
When you do rock-paper-scissors, the chant is “Don janken pon!” This idea requires almost no preparation and works great with large groups—that’s the key recommendation.
However, because players can get too fixated on winning, disputes may arise near the territory line, so it’s best for adults to make the final call on wins and losses.
Give it a try!
Pose Matching Game
The more people you have, the more exciting it might get! Let me introduce a pose-matching game.
As the name suggests, everyone strikes a pose together on the count of “Ready, go!” to match a given prompt, and if every pose matches, you succeed.
Prompts can be anything everyone knows—animals, characters, different professions, or people you know.
With larger groups, you can make it a team competition where the first team to get a perfect match wins—that sounds fun too.
It’s a unique game that puts teamwork to the test.
Give it a try!
Theme Bingo
All you need is paper and a pen to enjoy “Prompt Bingo” anytime! While traditional bingo usually uses numbers, this version skips numbers and instead has you write words that fit a given theme into a 3×3 grid of nine squares.
For example, themes with lots of variety like “vegetables” or “fruits” are recommended.
When a word you wrote is called, mark it with a circle; if you line up three in a row vertically, horizontally, or diagonally, you get bingo! Compared to regular bingo, this game helps children develop their thinking skills, so why not include it in your party or fun gathering?
