[Play Right Away!] Exciting Recreation Games Recommended for Elementary School Students
Lively, fun recreation games that get elementary school kids excited! Whether in the classroom or the gym, there are plenty of activities that bring smiles to everyone’s faces.
Here, we’ll introduce fun ideas ranging from team-versus-team cooperative games and brain-teasing hiragana quizzes to active ball tag—everything from no-equipment options to games you can enjoy with simple prep.
These games help deepen friendships and reveal new sides of each other, so be sure to enjoy your time with friends through play!
- [Elementary School] Quick and Easy! Indoor Recreational Activities Perfect for Lower Grades
- Recommended for upper elementary grades! Exciting indoor recreation and games
- Play ideas kids can enjoy from 1st to 6th grade [indoors & outdoors]
- Games and activities everyone can enjoy together. A collection of fun play ideas.
- [Children’s Club] Easy and fun indoor games. Exciting party games
- Elementary School Fun Day a Big Hit! Indoor Game Idea Collection
- No worries even in the rain! Fun recreational activities you can do in the gym
- Get the Fun Going! Easy Classroom Games You Can Play at School: Recreational Activities for the Whole Class
- A collection of simple indoor recreational games
- [For Kids] Today's Recommended Recreation Idea Collection
- [Elementary School Rec] Recommended Games and Performances for a Fun Party
- Popularity ranking of recreational activities for children
- A big hit at after-school childcare! A special feature on group games and activities you can play without any equipment
Team Competition and Cooperative Recreation Games (11–20)
Group boat race
@hiyoko_sakuranbo You can start tomorrow! Group rhythm “Boat Race” “Solo boat” and “Two-person boat” are fun, but doing it as a group of 7 or 8 is even more fun! If you include it at the end of a requested staff training, the teachers’ smiles burst forth, and you can finish the session in a joyful atmosphere. It’s the same with children. If you end with a rhythm activity everyone can enjoy together, you’re sure to see the biggest smiles. ✨ Give it a try in tomorrow’s childcare! **************** “Saito Kimiko’s Cherry Rhythm Play” is a scientifically grounded method that promotes children’s development through play. We share rhythm activities that can be implemented immediately in educational settings through workshops and at preschools nationwide. **************** Mayumi Murata | Cherry Rhythm Play ▶ Book text composition for “DVD Book Complete Visual Edition: Saito Kimiko’s Childcare” ▶ Planning and editing for “Illustrated Edition: Saito Kimiko’s Sakura·Sakuranbo Rhythm Play” Thank you for your likes and follows!#Cherry Rhythm PlaySakura Sakura-nbo Rhythm#Rhythm PlayRhythm PlayHiroko SaitoNursery teacher / Childcare workerKindergarten TeacherGroup boat race
♪ Original Song – hiyoko_sakuranbo – hiyoko_sakuranbo
Perfect for class recreation or grade-level activities! Here are ideas for a group boat race.
You know how rowing is an Olympic sport, right? This time, we’re sharing ideas for a boat race played in groups.
In the video, teams of seven sit in a row and inch forward toward the goal by pushing with their heels.
It’s not just the person in front who does the work—when everyone on the team synchronizes their timing, you can make big progress! It’s also a good idea to use a chant like “1, 2, 1, 2” or “Ready, go!”
Jump, everyone!
It’s a game where everyone forms a circle, holds hands, and jumps in different directions.
Jumping helps develop concentration and a sense of balance.
By moving while listening to the teacher’s instructions, children can build their listening skills and their ability to think about how to move.
When calling out, speak clearly, loudly, and energetically.
Let’s enjoy jump play together—moving our heads as we jump and trying things like hopping on one foot or jumping with both feet.
Recommended for elementary school kids! 5 games that make you work up a sweat
“Touch and Dash,” “Feint Tag,” “Marker Tag,” “Math Relay,” and “Rock-Paper-Scissors Race.” All five of these active games involve running and let kids get plenty of movement even indoors.
They also include elements that exercise the mind: for example, in a relay format, players pick up a pinnie and add the number written on it, and once the total reaches 20 or more, they finish; or they use markers to cleverly lure opponents and dash through gaps.
Even children who get bored with simple movements are sure to get hooked.
Poly bag race
Let’s play a two-person game called “Plastic Bag Race”! One person crouches and holds the edge of a plastic bag, while the other stands on top of the bag.
At the starting signal, the person on top jumps, and at that moment the person below pulls the bag toward themselves to move it forward, progressing toward the finish line.
If the person on top doesn’t land properly on the plastic bag, they’re disqualified!
human disentanglement puzzle
If you’re looking for a light, physical activity, we recommend the “Human Knot.” In this game, participants randomly hold hands with different people, then, without letting go, work their way through and around each other to form a single circle.
It naturally encourages friendly physical interaction, making it perfect for breaking the ice and building camaraderie.
Team Competition! True or False Game
https://www.tiktok.com/@soramame.sensei/video/7399617996366286098It’s a game where you place your team’s marks on a grid, aiming to be the first to line up three marks before the opposing team.
Since you switch to the next person after placing a mark, it also tests your ability to read your teammates’ intentions.
You can have at most three marks on the grid; after that, you can only move them, which adds room for tactical mind games.
Even if it’s hard to decide where to place a mark, the game can still heat up because a fast relay can create opportunities.
Team Competition & Cooperative Recreation Games (21–30)
Ball games you can play with two people!
Balls are very familiar playthings for children, and the ways to enjoy them are limitless! This time, we’re introducing eight ball games for lower-grade students.
In addition to balls, items like hula hoops are used to help kids improve their physical abilities while having fun.
Basically, children pair up in twos and play by throwing or rolling the ball, or dodging a bouncing ball.
There are also games with sport-like elements—such as Copycat Dribble, Hoop Pass Tennis, and Marker Hockey—so we hope even kids who feel uneasy about ball sports will take this opportunity to get interested.