A big hit at after-school childcare! A special feature on group games and activities you can play without any equipment

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!

Ball Scissor Relay

@mimasakadaigaku

A must-see for elementary school teachers! A fun body-building exercise: “Ball Squeeze Relay”!#Mimasaka UniversityElementary school teacherFun exercise

♬ Original song – moe. – 🎀

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 paper cup game that requires cooperation

@.vs9086

This time it’s a “cooperation-required cup game”! Materials: • 4 strings • 1 rubber band • Paper or plastic cups How to play: • Attach the 4 strings to the rubber band. • Line up the paper cups. • Tug the rubber band from four directions to grip the cup and stack them into a pyramid. This game builds fine hand control and concentration. Plus, one person can take the lead by giving instructions, and the other listens and responds. You can’t do it unless the two of you work together. My second son isn’t very cooperative and hasn’t really had experiences of accomplishing something together with friends, so I hope that, even through play, he can gradually gain experiences of achieving something with someone else. If you have paper cups, you can also branch out into other games like: • Sport stacking • Bowling ————— We share fun brain-boosting activities that elementary schoolers will get more absorbed in than a Switch—and that help grow their talents! Check out the other posts, too! —————Elementary school kids' playBrain-boosting playSTEAM education

♬ Cheap and cute athletic meet classic song(1085557) – Kids Sound

Have fun with minimal equipment! Here are ideas for cooperative must-have paper cup games.

When planning a recreation activity or a fun event, it can be hard to choose from so many games.

Some require preparing special materials…

But these paper cup games are recommended because all you need are paper or plastic cups and rubber bands or string! It also sounds fun to form groups and compete to recreate a model shape.

You’ll likely see the kids calling out to each other and getting completely absorbed.

Rock–paper–scissors game using newspaper

@toiro_efilagroup

How much can you endure?newspaper (newsprint)#RockPaperScissors# developmental support (ryōiku)PlayAfter-school day service#toiroKanagawa

♪ Original song – toiro After-school Day – toiro After-school Day

Play while visualizing wins and losses! Here’s an idea for a rock-paper-scissors game using newspaper.

When you’re playing rock-paper-scissors, you sometimes wonder how everyone else is doing, right? This time, how about using newspaper to make the results visible as you play? Adding actions beyond just rock-paper-scissors can also boost children’s interest in the game.

The rules are simple: stand on a spread-out sheet of newspaper, and each time you lose, fold the newspaper smaller.

Imagining it as a boat floating on the sea or a bridge over a mountain can make it even more exciting!

Shiritori Dance Game

Perfect for rec time or school events! Shiritori Dance Game

This is a game that adds a movement element to the word-linking game shiritori, making the thinking process more complex.

The rule is to express the connected words with movements as well, so words that are hard to express through movement are out—that’s the challenging part.

While traditional shiritori proceeds with names of things, since this version emphasizes movement, it might work well to play using verbs.

It could also be fun to proceed rhythmically to music, or to have everyone present perform the movement whenever a word is called out.

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kappamaki

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Team Gesture Game Competition

Team Gesture Quiz Battle!

It’s a game where one person on the team looks at a prompt and acts it out with gestures, while the other members try to guess what it is.

It tests the team’s ability to cooperate—choosing movements that are as clear as possible and carefully observing even the small details.

Setting a time limit to push for quicker answers is also recommended; the rush to convey the idea might lead to some funny, unexpected movements.

If you gradually make the prompts more detailed and difficult, you’ll likely start to see each person’s unique style in which parts they focus on when they move.

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kappamaki

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Ghost Blitz!

@club_bg

A brain-training game that will scramble your head!? Make split-second decisions and grab it fast!! [Ghost Blitz 2]translationtoyGhost Blitz#boardgames#toy

♪ Original Song – Board Game Club – Board Game Club

It’s a game where various pieces of different colors and types are placed on the table, and you decide whether to take one based on the card that’s revealed.

If there’s a piece matching the color shown on the card, you take it; if not, you say the corresponding correct word instead.

The key is how this corresponding word is determined—the more complex this becomes, the more there is to think about.

Since it’s a game where you have to judge and act faster than others, you get to enjoy quick reflexes and strategic interaction with the people around you.

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kappamaki

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