[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 Recreation Activities Recommended for Upper Elementary Grades (41–50)
Bamboo shoot, bamboo shoot, nyokki-ki!
Start with the chant: Take-no-ko, Take-no-ko, Nyokkikki! Everyone stands by in a circle, and then pops up like a sprouting bamboo shoot, calling out “1-nyokki,” “2-nyokki,” and so on.
If two people speak at the same time, they’re out! The rules are simple, but timing your voice while reading the room can be pretty nerve-racking.
The more players there are, the harder the game gets, so why not try it when you have a big group? You might need plenty of penalties ready!
Ball games you can play alone
Here are five ball games you can play by yourself! First: kick the ball yourself, run, and pass it through your legs.
You’ll use your head, too, as you think about how hard to kick.
Second: toss the ball up and pass it through your arms—moving your body is the key.
Third: balance one ball on top of another and keep it still.
Fourth: hold the ball above your head, bend your body backward, pass it through your legs, and catch it—great for flexibility.
Finally, a game using a hula hoop: while the hoop is spinning, move the ball.
You don’t need to throw or kick hard to have fun with any of these, so give them a try!
20 indoor activities you can enjoy even on rainy days
Let me introduce a brain-teasing rule game.
The key point for the kids is to tell them, “Watch carefully.” Then the teacher shows numbers with their fingers, saying, “This is 1, this is 2,” and so on, which naturally makes the children focus on the finger movements.
But here’s the twist! They should also pay close attention to what the teacher says.
The level of excitement changes depending on the themes or rules the teacher sets.
Be sure to have fun playing it together with the kids! It’s also great because you can play it anywhere, like at camp or on a field trip.
Forehead Biscuit
The game where you place a biscuit on your forehead and try to get it into your mouth without using your hands is called “Forehead Biscuit.” You tilt your head back, place the biscuit on your forehead, and then move your eyebrows, eyes, and mouth to guide the biscuit toward your mouth.
If you tilt your head forward, it will slide down, but there’s a risk it will fall to the floor.
If it drops to the floor, you have to start over from the forehead.
6 Easy Indoor Activities You Can Enjoy
When rainy weather continues or the heat keeps you indoors, kids can’t move their bodies as much and may start to feel stressed.
Here are some recommended indoor activities that get them moving.
Try simple seated games like “Tonton Surisuri” or finger-play exercises to combine light gymnastics with brain training.
For example, with Tonton Surisuri, sit down and lightly pat one thigh with one hand while you make a fist with the other hand and rub the other thigh.
Doing two different actions at the same time is said to help build attention and provide brain-training benefits.
Give these easy exercises a try and have fun staying active indoors.
Online sorting game
This is a game where team members line up on a single line drawn on the ground and try to quickly rearrange themselves into a specified order.
The rule is that all movement must be completed on the line, so work together to avoid stepping off while swapping positions.
Where you place your feet and what posture you take are also important, and it’s crucial to move carefully while keeping speed in mind.
Holding hands with people around you or other forms of cooperation may also be important for increasing speed.
Newspaper race
@kazenomori.piconursery You can move your body and have fun even indoors!#Nursery schoolA day at the nurseryNursery teacher / Childcare workerChildcareChildcarenewspaper (newsprint)#Indoor Play#Pico Nursery
♬ Athletic Meet “Heaven and Hell” (No Introduction) – Shinonome
Move your body while sitting? A brand-new kind of footrace! Here’s an idea for a newspaper footrace.
A footrace normally means a short-distance race where you run as fast as you can.
Usually, it’s done by running from a set starting point to a finish line, but this time, let’s try a unique version where you compete while seated: the newspaper footrace.
Once you’ve taped sheets of newspaper together into a long strip, you’re ready.
Spread the newspaper out long from underneath the chair, and using only the strength of your legs, pull the newspaper back under the chair.
It’s trickier than you might think, so give it a try!
Rock-Paper-Scissors Dash
It’s a game that tests how quickly you can react: you look at the result of rock-paper-scissors and immediately switch to the role that matches the outcome.
The winner becomes the attacker and chases, while the loser takes the defender role and runs away to avoid being caught—both roles must be decided in an instant.
Even if you’re a fast runner, you might lose at rock-paper-scissors, so it seems that balancing different strengths is important.
It’s also a good idea to experiment by making small adjustments, like adopting a stance during rock-paper-scissors that makes it easier to break into a run.
Without Katakana
In everyday life, we often use words written in katakana.
Here, we’d like to introduce “Katakana-ashi,” a game where you explain a given topic without using katakana.
For example, you show a ball used in P.E.
and ask, “What is this?” The answer will likely be “ball.” Next, have them describe the ball without using any katakana.
Children will likely search for answers by thinking of various words in their heads.
Try switching the roles of questioner and answerer and give it a go.
Gorilla Game
Let me introduce a game that will have your class roaring with laughter: the Gorilla Game.
Choose one child in the classroom, and have them answer every question from the questioner with the word “Gorilla.” For example, if the question is, “What did you eat for breakfast today?” the child answers, “Gorilla.” Of course, the questioner should react with a funny comeback to the “Gorilla” answer.
This back-and-forth will make the kids burst into laughter.
Make sure the final question sets up a punchline.
Also, the questioner’s reactions are key—add some facial expressions to make it even more exciting.