[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!
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[Elementary School] Indoor Games and Recreational Activities Recommended for Middle Grades (11–20)
Plastic-bag carpet relay
A speed-based game played in pairs called the “Plastic-Bag Carpet Relay.” Place a plastic bag on the floor and have one person stand on it.
The other person crouches down and holds both ends of the bag.
At the starting signal, the person standing jumps, and while they’re in the air, the crouching person pulls the plastic bag forward.
If the person on top fails to land on the bag, they’re out and must go back to the start.
Colorful Ninja
Iro-tori Ninja starts with the password “Shu-shu-shu-shu-shu” and a shuriken-throwing pose.
It’s a chaining game where the first person gives a prompt consisting of a color and something related to it, the next person answers, then gives a new color-related prompt to the following person, and so on.
For example, if the prompt is “red foods,” answers could be apple, strawberry, etc.
If you can’t answer in rhythm or can’t give the next prompt, you’re out.
Boccia
@deinoa.uru We teamed up with the Noato Uru staff to try boccia ☺ It’s a sport anyone can play, young or old, and we had some thrilling matches ✨After-school Day Service for Children with DisabilitiesThe children's day care aChildren’s Day UruRecreation practice
♬ Kyoso!Kakekko!Undokai! – Akiyuki Tateyama
Boccia is perfect as an indoor recreational activity.
It’s a game where you throw blue and red balls and try to get them as close as possible to the white jack ball.
The rules are simple, yet the strategy runs deep.
There are many moments that make you think—like coordinating with your team or avoiding your opponent’s balls.
It doesn’t just get you moving; it also builds communication and thinking skills, making it great for children’s development.
It’s fun for parents and kids alike, and ideal for school events.
If you’re looking for a game everyone can get excited about, give boccia a try!
Daikon Game
This is the “Daikon Game,” where you try not to get pulled out.
Daikon radishes grow firmly in the soil, right? The person doing the pulling chants “Heave-ho, heave-ho!” while trying to tug everyone’s legs and pull them out.
The daikon lie face down, and everyone holds hands tightly—don’t let yourselves be pulled out! Do your best not to let go of each other’s hands.
vinyl cutter
@miyatake_bc Miyatake Youth Baseball ClubMiyatake Elementary School#YouthBaseballTraining campTamana training campRecreation
♬ Original Song – Miyatake Youth Baseball Club – Miyatake Youth Baseball Club
All you need is a spacious area and a plastic bag! Want to try the Plastic Bag Drop challenge? In this game, a plastic bag is dropped from a height, and you blow air at it to keep it aloft for as long as possible.
It tests not only your lung capacity but also your quickness and your ability to predict which way the bag will drift.
Experiment with different techniques and compete to see who can keep the bag floating the longest.
There’s also a similar game using a tissue called the Tissue Drop—give that a try if you like.
Evolution Rock-Paper-Scissors
“Evolution Janken” is a game where you play rock-paper-scissors and evolve as you keep winning.
Everyone starts lying face-down on the floor and plays rock-paper-scissors with someone nearby.
As you continue to win, you can evolve to four-legged walking and then to two-legged walking.
By taking on different postures, you can build muscle strength, and it’s fun to play rock-paper-scissors with many different people.
Kenken, Daruma-san ga koronda
https://www.tiktok.com/@mkantoku1111/video/7286351975325666561Let’s try a leveled-up version of the classic “Darumasan ga Koronda” called “Hopping Darumasan ga Koronda”! The rules are simple: play the usual game while standing on one leg.
While having fun, not only can you strengthen your leg muscles and improve your balance, but it might even help you run faster! Depending on how tired your legs feel, switch between your left and right leg as you play.
Some children may find it challenging, so please don’t push too hard if that’s the case.
Don-janken
This is “Don-Janken,” where players split into two teams and advance into the opponent’s territory by winning rock-paper-scissors.
Starting from each team’s territory, players move along a line and, when they meet, press their hands together and say “Don!” before playing rock-paper-scissors.
The loser yields the path and goes to the back of their team’s line.
The winner continues toward the opponent’s territory.
The team that first gets a player into the opponent’s territory wins.
Stick Catch Game
@soramame.sensei In this activity, you can expect to improve skills like syncing your timing, tracking with your eyes, and developing body awareness through movement. You can use any stick you have on hand! For safety, make sure to protect the tip of the stick according to the child’s age. Let’s get through the rainy season together!Kotoba no Kyoushitsu Soramame Kids#SoramameKids# developmental support (ryōiku)#Therapy Time#Indoor Play#KagoshimaRehabilitation#StayHomeTime#IndoorPlayLet's play at homeTotal ConcentrationCooperationRecreation#seria#100-yen shop#Nursery school#KindergartenTherapeutic Education Support CenterElementary schoolAfter-school day service#After-school day servicerainy season (tsuyu)How to spend the rainy season
♬ Happy & Pop songs – PeriTune
Prepare a stick about waist height for each person.
Stand facing each other holding the sticks, and at the cue of “Ready, go!” everyone lets go of their own stick and tries to catch the next person’s stick.
If you add a rule that anyone who fails to catch a stick is out, you can play even with a large group.
If you don’t have foam sticks, everyday items like brooms or mops are fine.
It’s a game that benefits children’s physical development by helping them coordinate timing and improve their ability to track objects with their eyes.
Number-guessing clap
Let’s play a rhythm game with numbers called ‘Number Guess Claps.’ When it’s your turn, pose a problem related to addition or numbers.
Everyone claps exactly that number of times, keeping the rhythm.
If you miss the beat or get the number wrong, you’re out.
Simple addition, like 1 + 2, is easy—both the answer and the clapping.
But as the numbers get bigger, keeping up with the claps gets tougher.