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 childcare! A special collection of group play and game ideas you can do without any equipment (1–10)
Prince Shōtoku game
This game is named after Prince Shōtoku, who was said to be able to distinguish multiple people’s words at once.
Several people surround one person and all start talking at the same time.
The person in the middle has to pick out what each person is saying and state the correct answers one by one.
It sounds simple when put into words, but it’s actually quite difficult—maybe you can manage up to about four people? Of course, the more people there are, the higher the difficulty.
Anything Basket
A classic recreation game, Fruit Basket.
Normally you split into teams named after fruits, but this version is called “Anything Basket,” where you don’t divide into teams.
Just like Fruit Basket, the person standing in the middle makes a call, and the people who fit the call move.
As the name “Anything” suggests, anything goes.
For example: “Anyone who ate bread for breakfast today,” “Anyone who isn’t wearing socks today,” and so on—call out actions or noticeable traits.
When, where, and who game
A game called “When, Where, Who, and What Did They Do?” It’s very simple but really lively.
Prepare separate boxes and fill them with lots of slips that say “when,” “where,” “who,” and “what they did” in various situations.
Everyone takes turns drawing slips to complete a sentence, and the impossible twists and nonsensical actions lead to big laughs—making it a great party game.
It also sparks imagination and naturally expands the conversation.
A big hit at after-school childcare! A collection of group play and game ideas you can do without any equipment (11–20)
Sports Rokumushi
Rokumushi is a game where players move between two circles while carefully avoiding being hit by a ball held by the tagger.
It tests strategies such as how the runners advance toward the next circle and how the tagger blocks their path.
A team-based format is recommended; the more participants there are, the greater the awareness of movement becomes, and the strategies tend to grow more sophisticated.
Since having fewer remaining players is a disadvantage, it might be best for the team to move as a united group.
Evolution Rock-Paper-Scissors
This rock-paper-scissors game lets you enjoy the stages of human evolution.
Just playing rock-paper-scissors by itself can be boring, right? In Evolution Rock-Paper-Scissors, everyone starts lying face down.
Crawl on your stomach to move around, find an opponent, and play.
The loser stays face down, while the winner “evolves”: first to all fours, then—after the next win—to a high crawl without knees touching the ground, and finally to standing on two feet.
The first person to stand on two feet wins.
6 Easy Indoor Activities You Can Enjoy
When rainy weather continues or the heat keeps you indoors, kids can’t move their bodies as much and may start to feel stressed.
Here are some recommended indoor activities that get them moving.
Try simple seated games like “Tonton Surisuri” or finger-play exercises to combine light gymnastics with brain training.
For example, with Tonton Surisuri, sit down and lightly pat one thigh with one hand while you make a fist with the other hand and rub the other thigh.
Doing two different actions at the same time is said to help build attention and provide brain-training benefits.
Give these easy exercises a try and have fun staying active indoors.
Exercise games you can do without equipment
This is a game where you carefully follow the quizmaster’s instructions, judge your actions correctly, and aim to reach the goal faster than anyone else.
You only jump forward when the signals “tobe,” “jump,” or “tonde” are given; if you jump on a different word, you have to return to the starting position and try again.
People with strong jumping ability can get closer to the goal in fewer jumps, and those with good reflexes can clear the instructions accurately—so the rules let each person’s strengths shine.
It also seems like the quizmaster’s sense of how to give confusing instructions will be put to the test.