[Play Right Away!] Exciting Recreation Games Recommended for Elementary School Students

A paper cup game that requires cooperation

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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.

Growth Janken

[Rock-Paper-Scissors] Let’s have fun from preschoolers to elementary schoolers! Great for large-group indoor play.

If you win rock-paper-scissors, you level up! Here’s an idea for a “Growth Rock-Paper-Scissors” game.

Start in a crawling position like a baby.

Each time you win, you grow: from a crouching child to a standing adult, and so on.

You can play one-on-one or enjoy it with a large group.

To keep it fun, try customizing the pose for each growth stage, or set rules like “no playing rock-paper-scissors with the same person consecutively.” This way, you won’t get bored and everyone can keep having fun!

Newspaper Rock-Paper-Scissors

[4-Year-Olds] Newspaper Rock-Paper-Scissors & Balance Relay

Defend your territory! Here’s an idea for “Newspaper Janken” (rock-paper-scissors).

It’s a simple yet tense game! Each participant stands on their own sheet of newspaper, and if they lose a round of rock-paper-scissors, they have to fold their newspaper.

As the newspaper gets smaller, it becomes harder to keep your balance, which makes it even more thrilling.

As the game goes on, people drop out, so you’ll need both caution and a competitive edge to be the last one standing! It’s a fun idea you can enjoy with friends and family while getting everyone excited.

Evolution Rock-Paper-Scissors

Physical activity play to enhance children's motor skills: 3. Evolutionary Rock-Paper-Scissors

Here’s a fun variation of rock-paper-scissors that also gets you moving.

First, lie face down and make sure you have enough space from others to move.

At the “Start” signal, move around while staying face down, pair up with someone, and play rock-paper-scissors.

If you win, you “evolve” from lying down to moving on your knees.

Keep finding new opponents and winning to evolve further: from knees to a hands-and-feet crawl without knees touching, and finally to two-legged walking.

The first person to reach two-legged walking wins.

If you lose, you go back one stage.

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Hirakawa Masako (Bōkarisuto: Sakata Mizumako)

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Don Janken

[Batting Average 100% Class Activity] Don-Janken | It gets so hyped that it’s almost a problem.

A game that kids and adults can enjoy! Here’s an idea for “Don Janken.” Divide into two teams; the team that reaches the opponent’s territory first wins.

When you play rock-paper-scissors, the chant is “Don janken pon!” The great thing about this idea is that it requires almost no preparation and works well with large groups.

However, people can get too focused on winning, which may cause disputes near the territory line, so it’s best for adults to make the final calls.

Give it a try!

Rock-paper-scissors tail tag

[5-year-olds] Rock-Paper-Scissors Tail Tag

A game that combines two popular activities! Here’s an idea for “Rock-Paper-Scissors Tail Tag.” First, set up home bases, then go about 20 meters away and play rock-paper-scissors.

The winner runs back to their base, while the loser tries to grab the winner’s tail before they reach it.

Once you get used to playing one-on-one, switching to team battles will really amp up the excitement.

Another fun aspect is making strategies with friends or teachers and thinking about how to win as you play.

Give it a try and add it to your activities!

Pyramid Rock-Paper-Scissors

Pyramid Rock-Paper-Scissors: Guaranteed to be a hit! A recreational activity

Let me introduce “Pyramid Rock-Paper-Scissors,” a game you play by forming a pyramid shape and advancing through it.

Split into two teams: Defense and Offense.

Draw horizontal lines side by side to form 1–5 rows in a pyramid shape, and have the Defense team’s children each stand on a line.

The Offense team’s children start by playing rock-paper-scissors with someone in the first row; if they win, they move on to the second row.

At the end, they face the King at the top of the pyramid—win there, and they reach the goal.

If they lose at any point, they return to the starting point and try again.

It’s a fun, lively game that gets kids moving and communicating, so give it a try!

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mayumi

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