[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!
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Tag/Chase-style games (1–10)
ball tag
When you really want to play outside, “Ball Tag” is a great choice.
The rules are: choose one person to be “it,” then everyone else circles around and passes the ball to each other.
The person who’s “it” can only tag someone when they’re holding the ball, so you have to pass quickly, and the mind games make it exciting.
If you lob your pass in a high arc, “it” can read it and tag you.
Whoever gets tagged or fails to catch a pass becomes the next “it.” You can fake a throw to the right and then throw left—there’s lots of strategy, and it’s a really fun game!
Tag/Chasing-type Games (11–20)
Color tag
Let’s learn colors in English! Here’s an idea for a color tag game.
Ask the tagger, “What color do you want?” The tagger answers, “I want ___!” Find the specified color somewhere in the room and avoid being tagged.
It’s a simple game.
Through play, kids can learn color names in English while moving their bodies, and also develop reaction speed and attention.
With this method, they naturally acquire English color vocabulary through play, gaining both fun and learning at the same time!
Cross Tag
There are many types of tag, and this one is a version played inside a court called “Cross Tag.” In the center of a 6-meter square court, draw lines that form a cross, running vertically and horizontally.
One or two players are ‘it,’ and the other players run within the court to avoid being caught.
‘It’ can move only along the cross.
The runners keep moving in a single direction around the court to escape, but changing direction is not allowed.
Stepping on the cross, which is ‘it’s’ territory, is also not allowed, and of course being tagged means you’re out.
Anyone who’s out must leave the court.
Kick the can
Kick the can is such a nostalgic game, isn’t it? Watching kids dash around so enthusiastically is energizing for us, too! Its charm lies in how simple it is—you can start with just a single can—and it naturally helps build physical skills and teamwork.
It also fosters strategy and cooperation, making it a great activity for children’s growth.
As long as you keep safety in mind, let them move their bodies and have a blast.
Why not make it a staple of outdoor play?
Hide-and-seek
Hide-and-seek is such a popular and simple game, right? But we tend to think of it as a game for little kids, and once we get a bit older we don’t really play it seriously, do we? Let’s try playing hide-and-seek seriously, for real! Even when you know it’s just a game, hiding makes your heart race, doesn’t it? And when there are more people or you play in a big area, it gets really tough.
Cops and Robbers
Keidoro has long been enjoyed as a variation of tag.
Depending on the region, it’s also called Dorokei or Sukue Oni (Rescue Tag).
The rules are the same: the tagger (oni) confines caught players in a designated spot, and other players can rescue those who’ve been captured.
It’s similar to can-kicking (kankeri).
The name Dorokei comes from calling the tagger the police (kei), the players the thieves (doro), and the confinement spot the jail (rouya).
Jungle gyms are commonly used as the jail.
Tail tag game
One of the best games for training reflexes is said to be “Tail Tag.” In this game, players try to snatch towels that stand in for tails.
Unlike regular tag, the roles of chaser and chased switch rapidly, so you have to assess the situation instantly.
By the way, if you play Tail Tag as a team competition, it also helps build teamwork and strategic thinking.
If you don’t have towels, you can substitute by tucking surveyor’s tape into your pants.
You can even use the tape colors to divide into teams.