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)
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!
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.
Cross clap
Let me introduce a lively hand game with big movements called “Cross Clap.” The nice thing is that you can play it easily without any props.
First, choose one person who will cross their arms.
The rule is simple: the children watching should clap at the exact moment when both hands overlap.
It can be fun to suddenly freeze or speed up the movement after a sequence of rhythmic claps.
The key is to make them let their guard down by making them think it’s the same movement.
Clapping to a 3-3-7 rhythm is also recommended.
Drawing Telephone Game
Many kids love drawing, don’t they? Let’s try playing a drawing game called “Drawing Telephone”! Tape a sheet of paper onto someone’s back with cellophane tape, and draw on it.
The person being drawn on has to imagine what’s being drawn based only on the sensation, then draw the same thing on the back of the person in front, passing it along.
The last person draws it on the chalkboard or whiteboard to see if it’s correct.
It’s a game where getting the right answer smoothly is quite difficult, and it’s also fun to look back and figure out where things went wrong along the way (haha).
Big Hits at After-School Care! A Special Collection of Group Play and Game Ideas You Can Do Without Any Equipment (161–170)
Catch
Let me introduce a game called “Catch” that everyone can enjoy, from kids to adults, without worrying about age.
Everyone forms a circle: make your right hand into a tube shape and point it toward the person on your right, and extend your left index finger and place it into the tube-shaped right hand of the person on your left.
At the cue “Catch!” your right hand squeezes to catch the right-side person’s index finger, while your left hand tries to escape so the person on your left doesn’t catch you.
If your right hand catches and your left hand gets away, you’ve nailed it! You can play with any number of people.
It’s a simple game, but it’s sure to get addictive!