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 (1–10)
Rule Game
Would you like to try a rule-based game that you can enjoy as brain training? The questioner says, “This is 1,” and shows a hand with one finger raised.
In the same way, they show a hand with two fingers raised while saying, “This is 2,” and a hand with three fingers raised while saying, “This is 3.” Then they show a hand with four fingers raised and say, “What is this?” You might answer “4,” but that’s actually wrong.
The correct answer is “1.” There’s a rule: when they say “kore ga,” it’s 1; when they say “kore wa,” it’s 2; and when they say just “kore,” it’s 3.
Newspaper Island
Newspaper Island is a game you can play with a large group while avoiding crowding.
All you need is a newspaper.
How to play: First, spread out a sheet of newspaper and stand on it.
Then choose one person to be “it,” and everyone plays rock-paper-scissors against that person.
Anyone who loses must fold their newspaper in half.
As you repeat this, the newspaper gets smaller and smaller, and some people won’t be able to stand on it anymore.
The last person who can still stand on their newspaper wins.
It’s a thrilling game that’s sure to get everyone excited!
Jump Marionette
When you feel like moving your body, Jump Marionette is perfect.
In this activity, you jump while opening and closing your arms like a marionette.
Try adjusting the difficulty by separating the up-and-down motions or speeding up the rhythm.
Just setting your hands to a duple meter and your feet to a triple meter makes it quite complex.
Working on this game can also help improve your jumping ability.
Plus, since everyone performs the same movements together, the sense of unity is another big draw.
Speaking of 〇〇, games.
It’s a “When you think of OO” game where everyone tries to match answers.
Many YouTubers have done it as a企画, so lots of people may already know it.
Here’s how to play.
First, choose one person in the group to be the questioner.
The questioner asks a prompt in the form of “When you think of OO…”.
If all participants give the same answer to the prompt, you succeed.
Share hints through conversation so your answers line up.
As long as you don’t say the actual answer, you won’t be breaking the rules—use your conversational skills to guide everyone to the correct answer!
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.
Rhythm clapping
It’s a game where you follow the rhythm by doing the clapping “pan” movement and the stopping-the-body “un” movement while watching a model.
We recommend first watching the example to grasp the overall flow, then trying the movements in time with the rhythm.
Once you’re used to the normal tempo, gradually increase the speed so participants focus on quicker movements.
It’s important to pick a variety of songs—from familiar nursery rhymes to popular tracks—so everyone can really get into the rhythm.
NG Word Showdown
The “NG Word” game is a fun activity that can liven up gatherings with people of all ages.
In this game, words that people might casually say in conversation are designated as “NG words,” and the winner and loser are determined by how many times those words are said.
How to play: First, each participant writes one NG word on a piece of paper.
Collect all the papers, shuffle them, and then have everyone hold one above their head so that everyone else can see it, but they themselves cannot.
Start a conversation in this state, and the person who says their NG word the most times loses.