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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Big hits for after-school childcare! A special collection of group play and game ideas you can do without any equipment (41–50)
Newspaper Rock-Paper-Scissors
This is a game called “Newspaper Rock-Paper-Scissors,” which you can play anywhere as long as you have newspaper.
Each person takes a sheet of newspaper, lays it on the floor, and stands on it to play rock-paper-scissors.
The winner stays as they are, while the loser folds their newspaper in half and plays again.
As the loser keeps folding, their newspaper gets smaller and smaller, but as long as they can stand on it, they’re still in.
Even standing on one foot or just your toes is fine as long as nothing goes off the newspaper.
If any part of your foot touches the floor outside the newspaper, you lose.
It’s a game that’s fun with both small and large groups.
A game developed by NASA
Let’s try playing a game developed by NASA, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
To briefly explain the game: it assumes a situation where a spaceship has malfunctioned, and you rank 15 items you have on hand.
You assign ranks in order of necessity, and decide them through group discussion.
First, each person should make their own ranking based on their interpretation, and then discuss and reconcile the differences with the group.
Can you determine the correct order—and survive?
Red Light, Green Light!
The ultimate high-tension game that brings out your inner child: “Daruma-san ga Koronda!” The rules are simple: while the tagger says “Daruma-san ga koronda” and turns around, the other players quietly move forward.
If you’re caught moving, you’re out! It’s a classic children’s game, but when adults play, things heat up fast.
A battle of stillness and motion—a psychological showdown.
It’s perfect for company recreation, too.
Sprinting in suits, and that unexpected colleague is surprisingly agile…? With nonstop laughter and surprises, this fresh take on a “stop-and-go” game will bring your team closer together.
Bomb Game
Let’s play the “Bomb Game,” using newspaper as pretend bombs! Split into two teams and draw a line in the middle of each side’s territory.
At the start signal, push the newspaper “bombs” into the other team’s territory.
You can push the papers along with your hands, throw them in bundles, or even kick them with your feet.
When the end signal sounds, count how many bombs are in your own territory—the team with fewer bombs wins.
You can play with as few as two people or with a large group, and it works both indoors and outdoors.
Rock-Paper-Scissors Game Jump!
Participants split into two teams and face each other from opposite ends of the room.
When the signal to start is given, play rock-paper-scissors with a teammate; those who win move toward the opposite side by jumping.
Once you reach the other side, play rock-paper-scissors again, and repeat.
It’s a very simple game, so incorporate different types of jumps for the movement: a “rock” jump where you hop with both feet together, then a “scissors” jump that’s like practicing skipping, and next a “paper” jump with your legs spread wide.
It feels like you’re evolving as you go, and it’s a lot of fun.
Have fun with variations! The ‘Wild Beast Hunting Game’
In the classic Beast Hunt game, you form groups based on the number of letters in the beast’s name, but this is a remixed version! It starts the same with the leader’s call, “Let’s go hunt beasts!” followed by everyone shouting out weapon names in a call-and-response.
From there, the leader and the children head out to slay the beasts.
There are small beasts and big ones, so choose your weapons as you go and take them down.
The adult acting as the leader will need some performance skills, but kids love pretend battles.
Let your inner child out and have fun together!
Arranged ice ogre
In freeze tag, if a child is touched by the It (oni), they freeze and can’t move; if a teammate touches them, they can run again.
It’s a classic game of tag that kids have loved for ages.
First, decide who’s It with rock-paper-scissors or similar.
Choose the number of Its based on the total number of players.
At the start signal, the children run away and the It chases them.
The It should not only chase the runners but also guard frozen players to prevent them from being rescued.
When freezing, standing still is fine, but you can also add a twist—like striking a monkey pose—so it’s clear they’ve been tagged.
World Play! ‘Please Statue Play’
The American game “statue game” is basically a form of tag.
However, the tagger plays the role of a sculptor, and anyone who gets tagged has to freeze into a statue within the time it takes to spin around twice, becoming whatever statue the tagger calls out.
If the tagger says “frog,” everyone who’s been caught has to hold a frog pose and can’t move until everyone is tagged, so depending on the type of statue, it can be pretty tough.
Once everyone is caught, the tagger chooses their favorite statue and names that person as the next tagger.
Top 5 most entertaining tag games in the world
Tag, a classic outdoor game for children, is actually enjoyed in many countries around the world.
Tag from around the world… you’re curious what those games are like, right? This time, we’ll introduce five versions: the Filipino tag game “Buwan-Buwan,” the Sri Lankan tag game “Gini Hangima,” the Moroccan tag game “The Hen and the Caterpillar,” the German tag game “The Spinning Top on the Rock,” and the Bangladeshi tag game “Chi-Buri.” Depending on the country, the rules and ways to play vary—like having the tagger move only along lines or adding a treasure-hunt element—so give these different kinds of tag a try and enjoy a twist on the usual game!
Adults going all out at the park!
Games we used to play as kids can be surprisingly fun even after we grow up.
So why not enjoy some outdoor games for the first time in a while? Here we introduce two types of tag games: “Kotorokotoro” and “Hyotan Oni.” In Kotorokotoro, players are divided into one chaser (oni) and the children.
The children line up, placing their hands on the shoulders of the person in front.
The oni faces the line, and wins if they can tag the child at the very end.
In Hyotan Oni, you draw a gourd-shaped safe zone on the ground, and the children run around inside it.
The oni reaches in from outside the gourd, and if they manage to tag someone, they swap roles with that person.