Great for field trips too! Outdoor recreation and games for elementary school kids: hands-on play
Many people probably imagine that when it comes to how today’s elementary schoolers play, they’re gaming or enjoying their favorite streaming videos.
Even if you want to play outside together or let them experience nature, you might find yourself thinking, “What do elementary school kids actually enjoy?” or “They’ll probably get bored right away…” and struggle to come up with good ideas.
So in this article, we’ve gathered outdoor recreations and games that are recommended for elementary school students and can be enjoyed outside.
There are plenty of activities that let you play using things found in nature, even without balls or special equipment.
Try incorporating them not only into family outings, but also on school field trips and during extracurricular lessons.
Great for field trips too! Outdoor recreation and games for elementary school kids: experiential play (1–10)
Party-gathering game
This is a very fun game that gets more exciting with more people: the “Gather Your Teammates Game.” Listen carefully to the whistle signal, and form groups based on how many times the whistle blows.
For example, if the whistle blows eight times, make a group of eight.
Once a team of eight is complete, they should sit down where they are.
It’s a beneficial game that, while playful, builds concentration by listening closely to the whistle and practices addition by totaling the counts.
For younger children, it’s also great to count the whistle sounds together as you play.
Treasure Hunt Game
Treasure hunts are a classic for outdoor recreation, aren’t they? They’re a well-balanced activity because they help develop the brains needed to read maps and the physical stamina to get to the destination.
Finding the treasure gives you a sense of accomplishment, and you can even win a prize.
Thinking about it this way, it’s easy to see why treasure hunts are such a staple.
walk rally
A walk rally is an event where you aim for the goal while walking and having various experiences.
In groups of 4–5, you carry a map that shows only the checkpoints and proceed on foot, clearing the tasks assigned at each checkpoint.
The map does not show the goal; as you clear checkpoints, the location of the goal is gradually revealed.
Checkpoint tasks can be anything—simple quizzes, questions that require observing what’s there to find the answer, region-specific games or activities, and more.
The winning group is the one that returns the fastest within the specified time or has the highest rate of checkpoint completions.
Field Bingo
Bingo is one of the classic recreation games.
In a regular bingo game, numbers are printed on the card, numbers are called out from a machine, and you mark off the matching numbers on your card.
In this version, however, the card is filled with the names of various natural phenomena and living creatures.
Walk through nature as a group and look for the items listed on your card; when you line up a row vertically, horizontally, or diagonally, you’ve completed it.
After everyone gathers, talk about the things you found.
It’s a game that’s perfect for outdoor settings rich in nature, like mountains and parks.
stamp rally
A stamp rally where you collect stamps placed in various spots! You can do it indoors, but doing it outdoors lets you spread out the stamp locations and also helps you get some exercise.
If you’re doing it on school grounds, it’s recommended to place stamps not only on the field but also in places you don’t usually visit, like the courtyard or behind the school building.
You can also head out beyond the school and use larger areas like parks or forests you visit on field trips—great for making memories.
Try a stamp rally while enjoying nature and staying active! If there’s a prize for collecting all the stamps, it’ll boost motivation even more.
You could also vary the prizes based on how quickly participants finish.
rope play
Activities that use ropes are popular at outdoor adventure parks and the like.
Rope play is great because you can do it anywhere as long as you bring a rope, so give it a try on your next outing.
By the way, if you bring two ropes and tie them between trees, one above the other, you can even make a tightrope-walking game.
There are lots of different ways to play, so it’s fun to come up with your own.
Rice planting experience
If you’re going out around May, trying a rice-planting experience can be a lot of fun.
Many children eat rice regularly, but they rarely get to see how it’s actually produced.
Simply experiencing how something they eat every day is made can spark all kinds of imagination.
It’s also a recommended activity for food education.