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]
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- Indoor and outdoor activities that avoid crowding. Enjoyable for students from first to sixth grade.
- [For Kids] Outdoor Recreation Games: Fun Outdoor Play
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- 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 (21–30)
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.
7 park games kids can play without equipment
Park games that everyone from small children to adults can enjoy together without any preparation are great because they can be played with whoever happens to be there.
Hopscotch, hand-pushing sumo, number games, playing house, shadow play, and drawing are all familiar activities that don’t require any equipment.
You can also use natural materials like pebbles and sticks, which makes it easy to invent games and come up with original rules with friends.
Let’s make the most of the wide-open space of the park and have fun moving our whole bodies with games that can only be enjoyed in such a setting.
Adults going all out at the park!
Games we used to play as kids can be surprisingly fun even after we grow up.
So why not enjoy some outdoor games for the first time in a while? Here we introduce two types of tag games: “Kotorokotoro” and “Hyotan Oni.” In Kotorokotoro, players are divided into one chaser (oni) and the children.
The children line up, placing their hands on the shoulders of the person in front.
The oni faces the line, and wins if they can tag the child at the very end.
In Hyotan Oni, you draw a gourd-shaped safe zone on the ground, and the children run around inside it.
The oni reaches in from outside the gourd, and if they manage to tag someone, they swap roles with that person.
Fun music play in nature
Let’s move our bodies together and enjoy playful music activities in nature while taking in the scenery and sounds around us.
Placing ourselves in nature and listening to the wind and the sounds of insects stimulates the five senses and helps refresh the mind and body.
As we sing, let’s wave colorful scarves and try moving them while imagining what the wind might sound like.
It’s also fun to sway the scarves with varying strengths, like a gentle breeze or a strong gust.
One of the charms of this play is being able to move freely and express yourself while sensing a variety of sounds—like leaves rustling and water flowing.
Long Tail Pulling Game
A high-energy, low-contact long tail-tag game.
Each player attaches a long cloth strip or plastic cord to their waist, letting it hang behind them as a “tail.” Once the game starts, everyone runs around trying to grab others’ tails.
Because the tails are long, players can keep their distance while still creating offense and defense, making it fun to strategize without physical contact.
It demands stamina, quick bursts of speed, and keen observation, so younger and older students can compete together on the same field.
The last person whose tail hasn’t been taken is the winner, and despite its simplicity, games often get quite heated.
It’s a cleverly designed activity that balances safety with excitement.
Sports Rokumushi
Rokumushi is a game where players move between two circles while carefully avoiding being hit by a ball held by the tagger.
It tests strategies such as how the runners advance toward the next circle and how the tagger blocks their path.
A team-based format is recommended; the more participants there are, the greater the awareness of movement becomes, and the strategies tend to grow more sophisticated.
Since having fewer remaining players is a disadvantage, it might be best for the team to move as a united group.
Dodgeball tag
Ball Tag with a Throw is a high-energy indoor game that’s hugely popular in after-school programs.
The rules are simple: the “it” player chases with a ball and tries to tag the others by hitting them with it.
Despite its simplicity, the speed and thrill make it incredibly exciting! Whoever gets hit by the ball becomes the next “it,” so the game keeps changing rapidly and never gets boring.
Using a soft ball makes it safe for indoor play.
In smaller spaces, you can adjust by setting boundaries or requiring shorter strides.
It’s a perfect game to bring out lots of energy and create a lively, fun time.
