Fun Indoor Games for Elementary School Kids Without Any Equipment

Beef Tongue Game

A simple, no-props party game: the 'Gyutan (Beef Tongue) Game'

No tools or prep needed! Here’s an idea for the “Gyutan Game.” Gyutan means beef tongue, a popular cut at yakiniku restaurants.

This game uses your hands and voice.

Put your hands together and hold them out in front—ready to start! Say “gyu” out loud, and for each “tan,” one person claps in turn.

The first round rhythm is “gyu-tan gyu-tan gyu-tan-tan.” From the second round on, the number of “tan” at the end increases by one each time.

It’s simple, but it’ll trip you up and get everyone laughing!

Pin Pon Pan Game

Easy Classroom Activity 15: “Ping-Pon-Pan Game”

How about trying the “Ping-Pon-Pan” game, which requires no preparation and can be played with any number of people? First, form a circle and choose the first person.

That person says “Ping.” The person to their left says “Pon,” and the next person to the left says “Pan.” The person who says “Pan” points at someone, and starting from that person, the sequence “Ping, Pon, Pan” continues again.

When you’re suddenly pointed at, you might panic and say the wrong word, so you can’t let your guard down.

It’s the kind of game that tends to be more fun with a larger group.

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Hirakawa Masako (Bōkarisuto: Sakata Mizumako)

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Mukkuri Kuma-san!

[Tag: Tag] Mukkuri Kuma-san (The Bear Wakes Up)Note:- 鬼ごっこ: literally “tag” (the children’s chasing game). The brackets often function like a category or tag label.- むっくりくまさん: a traditional Japanese children’s game/song, commonly rendered as “Mukkuri Kuma-san,” meaning “the bear slowly wakes up.”

“Mukkuri Kuma-san” is a game of tag where you can enjoy music and singing.

First, choose one person to be “it” (the bear), and the others will be the children who run away.

The bear sits down and covers their face with both hands.

The children form a circle around the bear, hold hands, and walk around the bear while singing along to the music.

In the lyrics, there is a part at the end where the bear wakes up; at that point, the bear opens their eyes and starts chasing the children.

When the bear wakes up, the children should immediately let go of each other’s hands and run away.

Whoever is caught becomes the next bear.

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sasashina

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Clap-Clap Game

A clapping game you can use for class activities! #MimasakaUniversity

Let me introduce the Clap-Clap Game that always gets the class excited.

The rules are simple: the leader moves both hands, and the participants watch the leader’s movements and clap their hands exactly when the leader’s hands overlap.

It’s a game where you enjoy clapping in sync with the timing.

Carefully observe the leader’s movements and match your timing.

It’s also important for the leader to be creative with their motions to make the game more exciting.

Even if someone claps at the wrong time, it turns into laughter and makes the game even more fun.

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mayumi

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Let’s look for a loooong word

Must-see for teachers: Liven up your class! 3 easy activities you can do in 5 minutes

In the “Let’s Find Long Words” game, the questioner specifies the final letter and asks for long words that end with that letter—in this case, words that end with “n.” The respondents think of and answer with long words ending in “n.” The longer the word, the more impressive it might be.

You could also score one point per character and have the team with the highest score win.

Once everyone gets used to the game, try setting themes like food or animals, or add rules such as not allowing words that have already been used, to make it more fun.

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mayumi

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Air-reading game

An absolute crowd-pleasing vibe-reading game! Perfect for changing up your team’s atmosphere! [Play Warm-Up 25] #TsukoTraining #Icebreaker #WarmingUp #FunGames

Let’s read the room so we don’t overlap with our friends! Here’s an idea for a “reading the room” game.

It’s a unique game that helps elementary school students develop the ability to act while watching the timing and what’s happening around them.

In a group of 4–5 players sitting in a circle, you take turns standing up while calling out numbers.

The rule is simple, but what matters is avoiding overlapping timing with your friends.

Through the game, kids can build awareness of others and quick decision-making skills.

The atmosphere is tense at the start, but when two people stand up at the same time, everyone can’t help bursting into laughter!

King Janken

[Indoor Play] King Janken (Rock-Paper-Scissors)

A King Rock-Paper-Scissors game everyone can get excited about.

The rules are simple: everyone plays rock-paper-scissors, and the child who keeps winning until the end becomes the first King.

If a participant loses to the King, they go to the back of the line.

If they beat the King, they switch places and become the new King.

The child who remains King at the end of the time limit is the winner.

The thrill of competition and cheering will further boost the atmosphere.

It’s also recommended to prepare a crown for the King to wear.

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mayumi

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