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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- A special feature on nostalgic toys and the trends we craved as kids—loads of the things we wanted back then are here!
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Nostalgic games that were popular in our childhood (21–30)
shrink plastic
I remember “shrinky plastic” crafts being held as weekend events at elementary school after-school programs.
Many of you may have made them with friends, too.
These days you can get all the materials at 100-yen shops, so they’re easy to make.
Think of your favorite motif and create it.
If you color and decorate it, you can make an even cuter shrinky plastic piece.
Beigoma (spinning top)
Beygoma were a popular children’s game from around the Taisho era through the period of rapid economic growth.
Unlike regular spinning tops, they don’t have a notch in the center to catch the string, so you use a distinctive wrapping method.
Just remember to skip every other corner as you wind it.
Once you get used to it, it’s easy to wrap.
The trick when spinning is to apply force as you pull.
If you still have one, why not give it a try again for the first time in a while?
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.
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.
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.
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.
High Tag
It’s similar to tag, but in taka-oni (high tag), if you climb to a high place while running from the “it,” they can’t touch you.
It’s best played in places like parks with playground equipment.
Elementary school kids used to play this a lot.
Brings back memories.
It’s less fun if you just stay on a high spot, so it’s a good idea to set a time limit for how many seconds you can remain in one place.
Chopstick Game
The “waribashi game” is a pastime everyone used to play during school breaks.
You face each other with only your index fingers extended on both hands, and tap your opponent’s finger with your own—tap! The person who gets tapped increases the number of fingers they’re holding out by the number of fingers the tapper has extended.
Since everyone starts with one finger, the person who’s tapped then extends their middle finger too, making two.
After you’re down to one hand, if you clap both hands together—clap!—you can split the number of fingers from one hand across both hands.
It’s a simple, fun game you can play anywhere.
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.
Building a secret base
Didn’t you ever dream of having a secret hideout when you were a kid? There’s something special about spending time in a place no one else knows about—just by yourself or only with friends who share the secret.
Even as adults, some people still long for a secret base; I think boys especially do.
Laying planks up in a tree, or blocking off the entrance to a hole you stumbled upon so it won’t be found—there are many ways to build a secret hideout.
If you’ve never made one, you should try it at least once.