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)
Quick clapping game
A quick clapping game that everyone can enjoy in a large group.
First, split into teams and form big circles.
You can also make one big circle as a whole class.
At the start signal, one person claps.
Then the next person claps, passing it along around the circle.
The circle in which everyone has clapped the fastest wins.
If there are multiple circles and it’s hard to see who finished first, it’s a good idea to time each group.
Playing this game can also help improve listening skills.
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.
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!
Small Number Game
All you need is paper and a pencil, and any number of people can play the Small Number Game.
It’s a simple game where you win if the number you chose doesn’t overlap with anyone else’s.
Here’s how to play: first, have everyone choose a number from 1 to 20.
Once everyone has chosen, the teacher or leader announces the numbers one by one.
When your chosen number is called, stand up.
If you’re the only one who stands, you win; if others stand up too, it means your numbers overlapped, so you lose.
Give this game a try to enjoy playing with a large group while avoiding crowding.
Indoor and outdoor activities that avoid crowding. Enjoyable for grades 1 through 6 (21–30)
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.
