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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- Fun Indoor Games for Elementary School Kids Without Any Equipment
- A nostalgic toy that was popular in my childhood
- [Elementary School] Quick and Easy! Indoor Recreational Activities Perfect for Lower Grades
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- [For Kids] Today's Recommended Recreation Idea Collection
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- [List] A roundup of games and recreational activities kids love
- Traditional Games: Fun Old-Time Play. Popular Activities Useful in Childcare
- [For Kids] Fun Indoor Game Ideas for After-School Day Services
- [Play Right Away!] Exciting Recreation Games Recommended for Elementary School Students
Nostalgic Games That Were Popular in Childhood (1–10)
Glico
On the way home from school, I often saw elementary school kids playing “Glico.” Here’s how it works: first you choose a staircase to climb, then the participants play rock-paper-scissors.
The winner gets to go up the steps, but the number of steps depends on the winning hand.
If you win with rock, you say “Glico” and go up 3 steps; if you win with scissors, you say “Chiyokoreito” (chocolate) and go up 6 steps; and if you win with paper, you say “Pineapple” and go up 6 steps.
The first person to reach the top wins.
You can adapt this game to flat ground too, so we could play it the whole way home.
Drop the Handkerchief
I remember having fun playing it in our everyday games, as well as on camping trips and school outings.
I also recall that as we got older, boys didn’t play “Dropping the Handkerchief” as much—was that just me? It’s the game where everyone sits in a circle, and the child who has a handkerchief dropped behind them chases the one who dropped it.
When it was a light lace handkerchief, sometimes you wouldn’t even notice it had been dropped—those little mishaps happened, didn’t they? And the old debates about how a bigger circle gave boys an advantage… those are nostalgic memories now.
green peas
“Green Peas” is a game that uses rock-paper-scissors.
In regular rock-paper-scissors you say “jan-ken-pon” and throw your hand, but in this game you do rock-paper-scissors to the chant “Green Peas.” Each hand has a special name: scissors is “Chorin,” rock is “Gurin,” and paper is “Parin.” If the winner threw scissors, you say something like “Chorin Chorin Gurin,” and then play rock-paper-scissors again.
When it’s a tie, the first person to say “Don” wins.
Even if you win the round of rock-paper-scissors, it’s frustrating if you lose on the “Don,” isn’t it?
Cops and Robbers
Depending on the region, cops and robbers is known by various names such as “Dorokei,” “Dorojun,” and others, but basically it’s a game where players split into police and thieves.
Many people probably played it often in elementary school.
When the police spot a thief, they chase and capture them.
Once caught, the thief is taken to a predesignated jail.
After being caught, a thief can escape if another thief touches them.
It’s tough for the thieves because they have to keep running while also helping their teammates.
Red Light, Green Light
Games like tag and shadow-stepping—ones you can enjoy without any equipment—are how we all grew up, right? “Daruma-san ga koronda” is one of them.
As long as there was a convenient empty lot and a few kids, we could start playing right away.
The ten-beat phrase used in “Daruma-san ga koronda” varies by region.
For example, in Kansai they say “Bōsan ga he o koita” (“The monk farted”), and in some parts of Kanto they say “Indian no fundoshi” (“Indian loincloth”).
It’s a game that really reflects the gentle, local color of each region.
flipbook
Surely everyone knows flipbook animations—honestly, is there anyone who’s never drawn one in the corner of a textbook? Believe it or not, these days there are even textbooks that come with flipbook animations already printed in them from the start! I’m not sure whether to be amazed or a bit disappointed about that… The typical patterns are pretty similar too—rockets flying in and buildings exploding, or a person running and crossing the finish line—which is also part of the fun, seeing how everyone thinks alike.
I really hope we keep this culture alive! And definitely check out Tekken’s flipbook animations, too.
Ruler War
Have you ever played this? I’m sure many men have tried it at least once.
So, what is “Ruler Wars”? It’s basically a tournament to decide the strongest ruler.
You place the ruler you believe is the strongest on the desk and flick it with a pen.
If it falls off the desk, you lose.
You might be thinking, “I don’t see what’s fun about that…,” but once you start, you’ll find yourself getting surprisingly serious about it.