[Elementary School] Indoor Games and Recreational Activities Recommended for Upper Primary Grades

Shooting Catch

Play with scrap materials and colorful balls! Here’s a fun idea for a shooting-and-catch game.

Many schools are probably engaged in SDGs initiatives and recycling activities.

Try creating an opportunity to deepen learning while playing with children using repurposed materials.

You’ll need toilet paper rolls, colorful balls, and a tray.

Stand the toilet paper rolls upright and place a colorful ball on top of each one.

Then slide the tray along the floor to knock over the rolls and catch the balls on the tray—it’s a fun and exciting game!

Tissue Catch

Have fun in pairs! Here are some ideas for a Tissue Catch game.

As the name suggests, it’s a game where you catch a tissue.

Catching a tissue as it gently floats downward is surprisingly tricky.

One person drops a tissue from a high position, and the other tries to catch it.

Once you get the hang of it, you can make it more challenging—and exciting—by using tools like tongs or chopsticks.

Give it a try!

Plastic bottle balancing game

Here’s an idea for a plastic-bottle balance game that’s perfect for small-group icebreakers! On party days or recreation days, kids tend to be extra excited, right? This game is great to use at those times.

You’ll need a large plastic bottle, a utility knife, vinyl tape, and about 20 plastic bottle caps.

Cut off the top portion of the large bottle and wrap the cut edge with vinyl tape—that’s all the prep! Players take turns dropping bottle caps into the bottle; the person who knocks the bottle over loses.

It’s a simple game that also lets you see different aspects of the kids’ personalities, making it extra fun.

Ball Scissor Relay

Can’t stop laughing!? Here’s a fun idea for a “ball-squeeze relay.” It’s perfect for those who want to run an activity in a large space like a gym or schoolyard.

All you need are balls and cones or markers to indicate the start and finish.

Pair up in teams of two, use your bodies to hold the ball in place, and aim for the goal.

If you touch the ball with your hands or drop it, you simply restart from that spot.

It’s a simple game, and because it’s a relay, you’ll feel the excitement and suspense as you play.

A game using paper and a ball

@soramame.sensei

This is Kotoba Classroom Soramame Kids! Today we’re introducing a super easy game you can play with just paper and a ball. ✨ The activity aims to: • Improve hand-eye coordination • Promote bilateral hand use Preparation is simple, so you can enjoy doing it together with your child! ✨Speech and Language Classroom#SoramameKidsAfter-school day service#After-school day serviceChild Development Support#Child Development Support (Japan)Speech-Language-Hearing TherapistOccupational therapistNursery teacher / Childcare worker#KagoshimaRehabilitation# developmental support (ryōiku)Recreation#Indoor PlayAt-home play#IndoorPlayChildcareEasy to prepare#CapCut

♬ Go and Be Miserable – Rururu

Finger control matters! Here’s a game idea using paper and balls.

It’s a seated game that uses paper and balls.

Prepare A4 sheets with large printed shapes or motifs, and some colored balls.

To start, it’s best to demonstrate with simple straight lines or squares.

The rule is simple: trace the shapes by controlling the colored ball with your fingertips, making sure not to go off the line.

Once you get the hang of it, try more challenging motifs like hearts, stars, and curves.

The say-the-same, do-the-same game

Sharpen reflexes and concentration! Here’s an idea for the “Same Words, Opposite Actions” game.

The game is played with a commander and players.

Until everyone gets used to it, it will go smoothly if the teacher is the commander and the children are the players.

After the commander calls out “Same words, opposite actions,” they give directions like “front” or “right” that indicate forward, backward, left, or right.

The players say the exact same words as the commander, but they must move in the opposite direction, making it a unique game where you’ll make mistakes if you’re not fully focused.

Tamaire Hoop Rock-Paper-Scissors

Tamaire Hoop Rock-Paper-Scissors

Using items makes it even more exciting! Here’s an idea for a Ball-Toss Hoop Rock-Paper-Scissors game.

When you hear “ball toss,” many people probably think of the equipment used at sports days.

This time, let’s try a version you can easily set up indoors.

All you need are some colored balls and small hula hoops.

As an introduction to the game, it’s a good idea to first give players time to freely toss balls into the hoops.

Ultimately, the activity evolves so that the person who wins rock-paper-scissors within each group gets the role of throwing the balls into the hoop.

Feel free to adapt and arrange the game as you like.