Get Active! Outdoor Play Ideas for Elementary School Kids
Playing outside is not only fun—it also has lots of benefits.
For example, playing with many friends outdoors helps build communication skills, and just running around while you play naturally improves your physical abilities.
This article introduces outdoor play ideas suited for elementary school children.
If you’re looking for outdoor games or exercises for grade-schoolers, please use this as a reference.
Playing indoors is fun too, but moving your body helps release energy and refresh your mood.
Above all, I think every activity will make you feel, “Playing outside is so much fun!”
- Recommended outdoor games you can enjoy without any equipment
- Play ideas kids can enjoy from 1st to 6th grade [indoors & outdoors]
- [Play Right Away!] Exciting Recreation Games Recommended for Elementary School Students
- Indoor and outdoor activities that avoid crowding. Enjoyable for students from first to sixth grade.
- [For Kids] Outdoor Recreation Games: Fun Outdoor Play
- Outdoor Recreation Popularity Rankings
- Fun Ball Sports: A Roundup of Ball-Based Play, Games, and Sports
- Fun Indoor Games for Elementary School Kids Without Any Equipment
- Recommended outdoor games and recreational activities for lower elementary school children
- Recommended for upper elementary grades! Exciting indoor recreation and games
- [Active Outdoors!] A roundup of garden games you can enjoy with your kids
- [For Kids] Exciting Class-vs-Class Games: Team Competition Activities
- [Sports] Play that gets you moving. A roundup of exercises perfect for adults.
Get Moving! Outdoor Play Ideas for Elementary School Kids (11–20)
Bug collecting
Parks and forests nearby are full of insects, aren’t they? Especially in spring and summer, you can encounter all kinds of bugs like grasshoppers, mantises, and butterflies, so collecting insects is highly recommended! You’ll have experiences you can’t get from videos or field guides alone.
I’ve heard that trees like sawtooth oaks attract rhinoceros beetles and stag beetles, too.
Since they’re nocturnal, try going at night to spots where the tree sap is flowing, or set a trap by putting a ripe banana in a stocking.
Just be careful about bites and stings from mosquitoes and bees.
In particular, hornets are found in similar places to rhinoceros and stag beetles, and their stingers carry potentially deadly venom.
Stay safe around dangerous insects and have fun!
Red Light, Green Light
It’s a popular game on par with tag.
First, choose one person to be “it.” The person who is “it” stands by a tree or wall, and the other players line up side by side about 20 meters away.
When “it” calls out “First step!” the players take one step toward “it,” and then “it” turns to face the tree or wall so they can’t see the players and shouts, “Daruma-san ga koronda!” Players may move toward “it” only while that phrase is being shouted, and must freeze before “it” turns around.
If “it” spots someone moving, that person is caught by “it.” Anyone who manages to get close without being called can tag “it.” After tagging, everyone except “it” runs back to the starting line, and when “it” shouts “Stop!” they must freeze on the spot.
“It” then takes a set number of steps and, if able to tag someone, swaps roles with that person.
Shadow stepping
This is a game derived from the classic outdoor game tag.
As with regular tag, you choose one person to be “it,” and everyone else runs away within a set area.
The difference is that tagging is done by stepping on someone’s shadow to switch who’s “it.” Because everyone needs to have a visible shadow, it’s best played outdoors in the late afternoon when shadows are longer.
You can also use different strategies than in regular tag—for example, under tree shade or a roof, your shadow may disappear and can’t be stepped on.
It’s also educational, helping kids learn about the relationship between the sun and the position of shadows.
soccer
In elementary school students’ rankings of “jobs they want in the future,” newer careers like YouTuber and e-sports player are steadily taking top spots.
Even so, soccer player remains consistently popular.
From becoming a J.League pro to transferring to clubs around the world, kids’ dreams are expanding! All you need is a ball to have fun together—on sunny days, let’s get excited about soccer! One of the great things about soccer is that both experienced and inexperienced players can enjoy it at their own level.
If you only have a small space, try playing futsal-style or get moving with juggling competitions!
footrace
I think “running fast” is humanity’s eternal dream.
Personally, my favorite Olympic event is the 100-meter dash, and I feel like people have been competing to run fast since long before we even had a clear notion of civilization.
Why not forget about detailed rules and just have fun racing together? If you get bored of regular running, try kid-like fun rules: run backward, run on one foot, and so on.
If lots of friends gather, a relay would be great too.
And if you live near the coast, go all out and sprint along the sandy beach!
Flying Catch Ball
This is a game of catch using a paddle-style glove with hook-and-loop fastener (Velcro) and a ball made of a material that sticks to the paddle.
Unlike baseball gloves, anyone can easily strap it on and play.
It became a hot topic when the popular YouTubers Fischer’s streamed a video on YouTube of them playing “No-English Flying Catch Ball,” where they receive a penalty if they speak English during the game.
You can buy a set with the paddles and ball for under 1,000 yen, so it’s recommended for playing in large open areas like grassy fields!
Badminton
Badminton, with the recent memorable performances of Japanese national team players like Kento Momota and Akane Yamaguchi, is also a popular sport for outdoor play.
In official matches, players stand on either side of a court divided by a net and rally a unique feathered ball called a “shuttlecock” with rackets to score points.
While matches use a net at the court boundary, for casual outdoor play it’s fun to simply hit the shuttlecock back and forth without a net.
Because the shuttlecock is very light, it used to be easily carried off by the wind, which was a drawback, but recently wind-resistant badminton sets have been developed and become a hot topic.
It can be easy to lose track of your surroundings, so when you play, choose a spacious area and make sure there’s no one nearby before you start!
hopping
A pogo stick is a rod equipped with handles, foot pegs, and a large spring at the bottom.
You hold the handles, place both feet on the pegs, and bounce to play.
Since it’s just a single stick, keeping your balance can be a bit tricky.
Because falling can lead to injury, it’s often recommended for ages 8 and up for safety reasons.
Imported from the United States around 1955, it became a nationwide craze in Japan as a children’s game that tests balance! Also, the Guinness World Record for the highest jump on a pogo stick is 3.378 meters.
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.
skateboard
Skateboarding, still fresh in our memories thanks to Yuto Horigome and Momiji Nishiya winning gold at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, is also hugely popular as an outdoor activity.
It’s a sport where you ride a board with wheels and play while standing on the moving board.
Lovingly nicknamed “skebo,” it includes high-difficulty tricks like jumping and climbing onto elevated spots.
Following the athletes’ success at the Tokyo Games, popularity has surged in Japan, and skateparks are being opened across the country.
On the other hand, late-night practice can disturb nearby residents’ sleep, and there are cases of accidents when people play on the streets.
For these reasons, it’s recommended to skate at designated skateparks.