Nostalgic games that were popular when we were kids
Don’t you think kids are truly geniuses at killing time?
During recess or after school, we played all kinds of games every day!
I bet you can instantly think of a few nostalgic games too, right?
In this article, we’ll introduce plenty of the games we used to play as kids!
We’ve rounded up nostalgic games that will take you right back to childhood the moment you see them and put a smile on your face.
I’m sure today’s kids would enjoy them too.
You can play together across generations, and we hope this helps you fondly remember those days!
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Nostalgic games that were popular in our childhood (11–20)
Facial parts in a free notebook
It’s a game where you hand-draw facial features on a sketchpad and have your friends pick one part at a time to complete a face.
Listing out all the facial parts takes quite a bit of time and patience, but coming up with different parts is surprisingly fun.
If you slip in a few odd or silly features, there will definitely be a friend who chooses them, so roaring laughter at the finished face is guaranteed.
Finger Smash
A game you can play with any number of people using your fingers, called “Yubi-suma.” Depending on the region it’s known by various names like “Issei no de,” but the basic rules are the same.
First, make fists with both hands and press them together with your palms facing inward.
Next, decide the turn order with rock-paper-scissors or similar.
Once decided, starting from the first player, they say “Yubi-suma” followed by any number they choose.
At that moment, the other players decide whether to raise their thumbs or not.
If the number of raised thumbs matches the declared number, the caller removes one hand from the game.
The first person to remove both hands wins.
bulldog
Some people might not know its official name.
You play rock-paper-scissors, and the winner pinches one of the loser’s cheeks.
You play again; if the same person wins, they pinch the other cheek.
If you lose three times in a row, your cheeks are kept pinched while you’re spun around or pulled as they chant, “tate tate yoko yoko maru kaite chon chon.” It really hurts if they do it hard.
It was a popular kids’ game with a penalty at the end.
paper popper
“Paper Popper” You can easily make it with a single sheet of paper.
Haven’t you made one at least once? It’s that thing that goes “pop!” when you swing it down hard.
Even elementary school kids can fold it easily, and once you start popping it, you’ll want to do it over and over.
When playing with friends, don’t pop it right by someone’s ear or behind them to startle them—that’s dangerous, so please don’t do it.
swing a bucket filled with water
If you fill a bucket with water, hold it in one hand, and swing it in a fast circular motion, the water won’t spill out because of centrifugal force.
If you’re a boy, you’ve probably tried this at least once, right? If you’re too scared to swing it vigorously, you’ll end up getting soaked, so it also works as a little test of courage.
When you try this, pick an outdoor spot with few people and have fun.
Profile book
These are the “profile books” that were hugely popular among girls back then.
They were a big hit with elementary school girls, who would have classmates and close friends fill them out.
They were fun to collect and also a great way to get to know your friends better.
Keeping them and looking back on them as an adult would probably make you feel nostalgic.
Nostalgic games that were popular in our childhood (21–30)
Heaven, large, medium, small
Draw the kanji character for “rice field” (田) on the ground and use each quadrant as a court to play with four or more people.
The courts are ranked from highest to lowest as Ten (heaven), Dai (large), Chū (middle), and Shō (small), and players aim to move up to higher courts.
You rally by hitting the ball into an opponent’s court, but if you make a mistake, your rank goes down.
If the person in the Shō court makes a mistake, they switch places with the next person waiting outside.
It’s a game kids can play from around elementary school age, and it was popular because it doesn’t require much space.