A big hit at after-school childcare! A special feature on group games and activities you can play without any equipment
Many of you may be looking for games that captivate children and are indispensable for the exciting activity time in after-school care.
Group play unique to after-school programs includes plenty of activities—both outdoors and indoors—that get everyone lively and engaged, while naturally nurturing motor skills and communication.
Here, we introduce fun game ideas that spark smiles, such as group shiritori, the telephone game, and DIY archery.
These activities are enjoyable for both small and large groups, so be sure to try them out in your after-school care setting!
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A big hit in after-school care! A special collection of group play and game ideas you can do without any equipment (151–160)
Drawing Shiritori
Pictionary shiritori is a game you can quickly enjoy during free time in middle school! You keep drawing pictures, each one starting with the last sound of the previous picture’s name.
Unlike regular shiritori, sometimes it doesn’t connect properly because of how well—or poorly—someone draws.
It might even be so good that no one can tell what it is! All you need are writing utensils and some paper like a notebook, and you can play anytime—a simple, easy game that gets everyone excited.
If you play it together in after-school care, it’ll surely become a great memory!
Hula hoop tunnel
Every after-school care center has hula hoops, right? This is a game where everyone can play together by passing through a hula hoop.
Everyone lines up side by side and holds hands.
Starting with the person at the front who has the hula hoop, at the signal they step through the hoop and pass it to the next person, repeating this to see which team can reach the goal the fastest.
If your team has fewer members, it also works well to have the front person move to the back after passing the hoop to the next person, repeating that until you reach the goal.
Hand-push sumo
By the time kids reach the upper grades of elementary school, there’s quite a noticeable difference in their sizes, and that makes regular sumo a bit too imbalanced.
In that case, how about playing “hand-push sumo” instead? Surprisingly, this game can be enjoyed regardless of size differences.
It might even be trending among kids now—NHK Educational TV’s popular show “Suiensā” did a special on hand-push sumo techniques.
It could be nice to secretly teach these tips to smaller students.
Since you can play it even on rainy days, it might be a good idea to prepare a backup plan for rainy weather, like a tournament bracket!
paper airplane
Paper airplanes are a classic pastime that almost everyone has tried at least once.
They’re perfect for a quick break, but you can also take your time and experiment.
You can enjoy the folding itself, and then compete for distance or speed with the planes you’ve made.
Since physical strength doesn’t matter, kids of different ages can have fun together.
The way a plane flies changes depending on how you fold it, and there are plenty of tutorial videos with different methods.
Use them as a reference to build even better paper airplanes and have fun flying them!
Target shooting
Fun for toddlers and up! Here are some ideas for a target-shooting game.
Among Olympic sports, there’s shooting, where competitors use firearms to hit targets and compete for accuracy.
This time, let’s play a similar game that focuses on aiming at targets.
You’ll need straws, rubber bands, origami paper, tape, masking tape, scissors, glue, and a toilet paper roll.
Using a toy “gun” made from the toilet paper roll, the simple rule is to knock down the targets.
It’s great because everyone—from toddlers to adults—can enjoy it together.
Balloon Soccer
Great for first-time soccer players! Here are some balloon soccer ideas.
Many parents may want to enjoy soccer together with their children.
This is a recommended idea when you’re unsure where to start playing soccer.
All you need is a balloon.
First, use the balloon as a stand-in for a ball and get used to the rules.
It’s good to help kids get a feel for body movement and eye coordination through activities like juggling with the thighs or toes and heading with the head.
Playable Archery Craft
Let’s make a bow and arrow that flies well! Here are some ideas for a playable archery activity.
Archery is a sport where you use a bow and arrow to hit a target.
This time, how about getting involved from the making process and having fun by using plastic forks, straws, and rubber bands? You can stack paper cups to make a target, or draw a picture on paper to create one.
Try playing together with a parent or guardian, experimenting with timing and how you launch the arrows.
It’s sure to become a valuable time for communication.
Finding the good points
As you play repeatedly, you’ll naturally start to find them! Here are some ideas for discovering good qualities.
When someone tells you your strengths, it feels incredibly uplifting, doesn’t it? Plus, when you share your friends’ good points, it makes them happy and feels great for you too! It’s a wonderful idea that boosts self-esteem, so I highly recommend it.
When writing down good qualities, it can help to specify things like how the person might be in the future or a specific episode that made you happy.
Feel free to adapt and incorporate these ideas in your own way.
Body Rock-Paper-Scissors
Let’s enjoy rock-paper-scissors with full-body dynamic movements.
For rock, crouch down and curl your body.
For scissors, extend your arms and legs forward and backward.
For paper, spread your arms and legs wide to the sides.
Face each other and play rock-paper-scissors; the person who loses jumps in place five times.
There’s no special preparation needed and the rules are very simple, so not only elementary school children but also parents can enjoy it together.
It’s great to try during small pockets of free time.
Give it a try for reference!
We’ll split it at Christmas.
A game reportedly created by Eiko Kano on TikTok.
To a handclap rhythm, players take turns saying the word “Christmas,” breaking it at different points like “Kuri,” “Kurisuma,” or saying the full “Christmas.” The player after someone who says the full “Christmas” must add a “Yay” and keep going.
It’s pretty tricky—people lose the rhythm or forget to say “Yay.” It’s great because any number of people can play and you don’t need any special prep.
