Indoor and outdoor activities that avoid crowding. Enjoyable for students from first to sixth grade.
Some of you may be looking for games that can be played while maintaining social distance as a way to prevent colds and protect against viruses.
Games that can be played without close contact—such as ones that involve “minimal talking” or “keeping children from getting too close to each other”—are ideal.
In this article, we’ll introduce games that elementary school students from first to sixth grade can enjoy.
We’ve picked a wide range of themes, from activities that can be played in the classroom to ones that let kids move their bodies outdoors.
Try setting different rules for lower and upper grades and give them a go!
- Play ideas kids can enjoy from 1st to 6th grade [indoors & outdoors]
- [Play Right Away!] Exciting Recreation Games Recommended for Elementary School Students
- [Elementary School] Quick and Easy! Indoor Recreational Activities Perfect for Lower Grades
- Fun Indoor Games for Elementary School Kids Without Any Equipment
- [Children’s Club] Easy and fun indoor games. Exciting party games
- Recommended for upper elementary grades! Exciting indoor recreation and games
- [Elementary School Rec] Recommended Games and Performances for a Fun Party
- Elementary School Fun Day a Big Hit! Indoor Game Idea Collection
- [Elementary School] Indoor Games and Recreational Activities Recommended for Upper Primary Grades
- Outdoor games and recreational activities recommended for children
- [For Kids] Exciting Class-vs-Class Games: Team Competition Activities
- A big hit at after-school childcare! A special feature on group games and activities you can play without any equipment
- A simple and fun co-op game that enhances teamwork
Indoor and outdoor activities that avoid crowding. Enjoyable for grades 1 through 6 (11–20)
Gesture Game
A gesture game where you express everything with body movements instead of words.
Just by using gestures, you can enjoy many different ways to play.
One of the most fun styles is to respond instantly with a gesture to a prompt from the questioner.
As soon as the questioner says a prompt, you react and express the answer with a gesture.
If you ask questions at a pace of about five seconds per round, the game gets more challenging and becomes more enjoyable both for the person gesturing and for the audience.
Once you get used to it, everyone watching can become a questioner and throw out prompts, too.
Kick the can
Isn’t kick-the-can a simple game that all children can enjoy? It’s especially perfect for the era of social distancing.
Choose one person to be “it,” draw a circle on the ground, and place an empty can inside it.
Once someone kicks the can away, the game begins.
While “it” returns the can to its spot and counts, everyone else should hide.
The appeal of kick-the-can includes helping to strengthen lower-body muscles.
Players can also enjoy the sense of accomplishment that comes from hiding from “it.” In addition, it’s great for developing control when you kick the can to hit the target.
Tail tag game with social distancing
A tail-chasing game where you tuck a tape “tail” into your pants and try to grab each other’s tails like tag.
Some of you may have played it in elementary school.
Here’s an adapted version of that tail game: the Social Distance Tail-Chasing Game.
The tape used as a tail is made about 2 meters long so you can enjoy the game while keeping social distance.
With a 2-meter length, you don’t need to get close to your opponent, so you can play safely while avoiding crowding!
Signaling Game
The signal game is a game where you move in ways that match the teacher’s or leader’s instructions.
The way to play is to give directions based on traffic rules.
When the teacher or leader says a color, move accordingly.
For “blue,” march in place with one step; for “yellow,” move your head to look around as if watching passing cars; and for “red,” squat down on the spot.
It’s a game where everyone can have fun while learning traffic rules!
Frisbee
To avoid crowding, it’s important to keep your distance from others, right? Frisbee is the perfect game for times like that.
Originating in the United States, frisbee is a sport where you throw a disc shaped like a pie back and forth.
It flies farther and more slowly than a ball, so even people who aren’t good at playing catch can enjoy it.
And it’s not just about tossing it—there are techniques in frisbee, too.
By learning different throwing styles and practicing, you can discover the deeper world of frisbee.
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.
Indoor and outdoor activities that avoid crowding. Enjoyable for grades 1 through 6 (21–30)
Bingo Relay
This is a game played on a 3×3 grid of nine squares, where the team that first places three cones in a row wins.
Place cones so they form a straight line vertically, horizontally, or diagonally.
Each team has only three cones, so from the fourth runner onward, move an already placed cone.
When switching runners, always tag to make the change.
This game requires you to instantly grasp the situation and decide your next move.
It’s also important not only to align your own team’s cones, but to block the other team from completing theirs.