🎉 Games for 1st grade (ages 6-7)

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First grade is the start of the school journey, and 6- and 7-year-olds arrive full of enthusiasm but with fairly short attention spans. Games for this age should be simple, short and clear, with few rules you can explain in under a minute. Avoid games that knock kids out.

Simon Says is almost perfect here, because kids know the rule from preschool but it still feels fresh and funny every time. Hot and Cold quietly practices persistence and focus, and Charades works well too, especially for kids who aren't yet confident readers. Watch the group size as well: games with a clear turn order, like Who Am I? and Charades, work better with the whole class because every child knows exactly when their turn is.

Practical tip: split the class into small groups of four or five to keep everyone involved.

Our top picks

👑 Simon Says: The rule is familiar from preschool, and with no one out, anyone who slips up does a funny task and jumps right back in.
👋 Name and Motion: The fastest name game for the first week: each child says their name with a move, and the whole class repeats it.
❤️ My Favorite Thing: Each child shares something they love and anyone who loves it too raises a hand, so new classmates find common ground fast.
🔄 Who Switched Places?: The detective looks, closes their eyes and two kids quietly swap. A calm observation game that brings back focus.
👏 The No-Instrument Orchestra: Each group gets one sound, a clap, a whistle, a hum, and together they become an orchestra. A small class-bonding moment.

All 58 games

Describe and DrawAges 6+ · 2-20 players · 10-15 min People BingoAges 6+ · 8-30 players · 10-20 min Challenge Tic-Tac-ToeAges 7+ · 4-20 players · 15-25 min One-Sentence StoryAges 7+ · 3-20 players · 10-20 min Bracket BattleAges 6+ · 4-30 players · 10-20 min Picture RevealAges 5+ · 2-30 players · 5-15 min Group SculptureAges 6+ · 5-20 players · 5-10 min Excuses, Excuses!Ages 7+ · 3-30 players · 10-20 min Name, Place, Animal, ThingAges 6+ · 2-30 players · 10-20 min What Would You Do?Ages 7+ · 2-40 players · 10-30 min Family Trivia NightAges 7+ · 2-40 players · 10-30 min I Went ShoppingAges 6+ · 4-20 players · 5-10 min Crazy LetterAges 7+ · 3-20 players · 5-10 min If I Were an AnimalAges 5+ · 4-25 players · 5-10 min Four CornersAges 5+ · 8-30 players · 10 min Who Switched Places?Ages 5+ · 6-25 players · 5-10 min Six UsesAges 7+ · 3-20 players · 5-10 min Silent Line-UpAges 7+ · 6-30 players · 5 min Emoji RiddlesAges 7+ · 2-20 players · 10 min Five-Second CategoryAges 7+ · 3-20 players · 5-10 min My Favorite ThingAges 5+ · 4-25 players · 5-10 min Everyone vs. CapyAges 6+ · 5-30 players · 15-25 min Name and MotionAges 4+ · 5-30 players · 5 min Who Am I?Ages 6+ · 3-20 players · 10-15 min Invent an Imaginary PetAges 5+ · 3-20 players · 10-15 min Who Made That Sound?Ages 5+ · 6-25 players · 5-10 min Speed Ball PassAges 5+ · 8-25 players · 5-10 min What's Missing? (Kim's Game)Ages 5+ · 3-20 players · 5-10 min Invent a SuperheroAges 6+ · 3-20 players · 10-15 min This Is Not a BroomAges 6+ · 4-20 players · 5-10 min Drawing ChainAges 6+ · 4-20 players · 10-15 min Blind DrawingAges 6+ · 4-20 players · 10-15 min The Mirror GameAges 5+ · 2-20 players · 5-10 min What's Changed?Ages 5+ · 4-25 players · 5-10 min Do the OppositeAges 6+ · 4-25 players · 5-10 min The Human MachineAges 7+ · 5-20 players · 10 min Freeze FrameAges 7+ · 5-20 players · 10-15 min The No-Instrument OrchestraAges 5+ · 5-25 players · 5-10 min Paper Airplane ContestAges 6+ · 4-30 players · 15 min Add-a-MoveAges 5+ · 4-20 players · 5-10 min The Yes/No GameAges 7+ · 2-20 players · 5-10 min CharadesAges 6+ · 4-20 players · 10-20 min Fact or Fib?Ages 6+ · 2-30 players · 5-15 min Would You Rather?Ages 7+ · 3-30 players · 10-15 min Simon SaysAges 4+ · 4-30 players · 5-10 min Find Someone Who...Ages 6+ · 8-30 players · 10-15 min This or ThatAges 6+ · 5-30 players · 5-15 min Human MemoryAges 6+ · 8-24 players · 10-15 min Find Your TwinAges 7+ · 8-30 players · 10 min Drawing TelephoneAges 7+ · 6-20 players · 10-15 min Shrinking IslandAges 5+ · 5-20 players · 10 min Forbidden WordsAges 7+ · 4-20 players · 5-10 min TelephoneAges 6+ · 6-20 players · 10 min Invent a New HolidayAges 7+ · 3-20 players · 10-15 min Fold-and-Draw MonstersAges 5+ · 4-20 players · 10-15 min Switch Places If...Ages 5+ · 8-30 players · 5-10 min Who's in My Group?Ages 7+ · 10-30 players · 5-10 min Tic-Tac-ToeAges 4+ · 2-30 players · 5-15 min

Questions and answers

How long should one game last in 1st grade?

Around 5 to 10 minutes on average. Beyond that, even a good game starts to lose the class's attention.

What if only some of the class knows the game?

Pick a game with one simple rule, like Simon Says, and play one demo round before you start 'for real'.

Which games work in the first week of 1st grade?

Short name and get-to-know-you games like Name and Motion and My Favorite Thing, where each child says one sentence and the whole class responds. They help with names and need no reading or writing.