Play ideas kids can enjoy from 1st to 6th grade [indoors & outdoors]
Looking for games everyone from first to sixth grade can enjoy together? In response to those requests, here are activities that bring excitement across grade levels.
From escape-room style games where teammates work together to solve puzzles, to chase games where everyone holds hands to flee from the tagger—there are plenty of options you can enjoy in the classroom or the gym! Build teamwork and share lots of smiles.
From active, movement-based games to brain teasers, you’ll find a wide variety of activities that support children’s growth.
- [Play Right Away!] Exciting Recreation Games Recommended for Elementary School Students
- Indoor and outdoor activities that avoid crowding. Enjoyable for students from first to sixth grade.
- [Children’s Club] Easy and fun indoor games. Exciting party games
- Recommended for upper elementary grades! Exciting indoor recreation and games
- No worries even in the rain! Fun recreational activities you can do in the gym
- [Elementary School] Quick and Easy! Indoor Recreational Activities Perfect for Lower Grades
- Elementary School Fun Day a Big Hit! Indoor Game Idea Collection
- [Elementary School Rec] Recommended Games and Performances for a Fun Party
- [For Kids] Indoor Fun! Large-Group Recreational Activities and Games
- Liven up your children’s club event! A collection of ideas everyone can enjoy
- Recreation Activities That Excite Kids’ Clubs! Plans and Ideas Children Will Love
- [For Kids] Exciting Class-vs-Class Games: Team Competition Activities
- Recommended outdoor games and recreational activities for lower elementary school children
Nostalgic classic games (11–20)
Long Tail Pulling Game
A high-energy, low-contact long tail-tag game.
Each player attaches a long cloth strip or plastic cord to their waist, letting it hang behind them as a “tail.” Once the game starts, everyone runs around trying to grab others’ tails.
Because the tails are long, players can keep their distance while still creating offense and defense, making it fun to strategize without physical contact.
It demands stamina, quick bursts of speed, and keen observation, so younger and older students can compete together on the same field.
The last person whose tail hasn’t been taken is the winner, and despite its simplicity, games often get quite heated.
It’s a cleverly designed activity that balances safety with excitement.
Big waves, small waves in a long-rope jump
The “big wave and small wave” version of long rope jumping is a game everyone can enjoy that tests timing and teamwork.
Two people turn the rope, moving it up and down rhythmically, and the jumpers enter in time with the rhythm and jump at the right moment.
For the big wave, the rope is swung up and down in large motions; for the small wave, it’s swung lower and faster—this variation is also recommended.
Counting together out loud boosts a sense of unity, and succeeding creates a strong feeling of togetherness.
As you get used to it, you can add changes to the rhythm or speed up the turns for more advanced play, expanding the ways to enjoy it.
It’s a game that fosters solidarity and a sense of achievement.
How to play kick the can
Can-kicking is a thrilling game that combines elements of tag and hide-and-seek.
Prepare an empty can or a plastic bottle, draw a circle about one meter in diameter in a playground or open area, and place the can in the center.
While the “it” player counts to 30, the others hide.
The rules are that when “it” finds someone, calls their name, and steps on the circle around the can, that person is out.
However, even if you’re spotted, you’re not out unless “it” steps on the circle before the can is kicked.
If someone who hasn’t been found kicks the can, everyone is revived and “it” loses.
With tactics like disguises to confuse “it,” the game gains strategic depth, and its blend of tension and exhilaration makes it captivating for students of all ages.
Back Telephone (a game like “Chinese whispers” played by tracing on someone’s back)
A communication-based game that sparks laughter and surprise: the Back-to-Back Drawing Telephone Game.
A few people line up in a single file.
The person at the front looks at a picture on a sheet of paper and traces it with a finger on the back of the next person to pass it along.
Each person continues the same way in turn, and the last person draws the picture on a whiteboard or similar so everyone can compare the result.
The more accurate the transmitted drawing is, the more surprising it is; if it turns into a completely different picture, it leads to big laughs.
Differences in drawing ability and perception stand out, and the unexpected twists are sure to energize the group.
The rules are simple, it requires minimal materials, and it can be enjoyed in classrooms or indoors.
It’s a game where communication and imagination are put to the test, and the unpredictable ending is part of the fun.
Rock-paper-scissors towel pull
It’s very simple but surprisingly addictive: the “Rock-Paper-Scissors Towel Pull.” As the name suggests, you play rock-paper-scissors and tug on a towel.
If you win the round, you try to pull the towel away to win.
If you lose, your job is to hold the towel down so the winner can’t take it.
If it’s a tie, no one is allowed to touch the towel.
All you need is a single towel, which makes it super easy to set up.
It’s simple yet exciting—a game everyone can enjoy, from kids to adults!
Newspaper Puzzle
Newspaper Puzzle is a game that kids and adults can enjoy together.
Tear a sheet of newspaper in half with a rip.
Hold on to one half and gather all the other halves in one place.
The goal of the game is to find the matching half for the piece you’re holding from among the many newspaper pieces.
The more players there are, the more newspaper pieces there will be, increasing the difficulty and excitement.
Headlines and article text can serve as hints, so it might be nice for older kids to help by giving clues.
In conclusion
We introduced plenty of games that children from first to sixth grade can enjoy.
Through activities that work both indoors and in larger spaces, kids naturally develop cooperation and problem-solving skills.
These games will spark lots of smiles and deepen connections across grade levels.
Share these wonderful moments with the children—times where they can grow while having fun.