When you have a little free time, it’s nice to have games you can enjoy right away.
Whether you’re waiting, on a break, or your child is begging to “play something!”, knowing games you can do in 10 minutes really comes in handy.
In this article, we’ve gathered activities that deliver satisfaction in a short time, from ones that need no materials to ideas that use items you have on hand.
There are also ideas for large groups, so you can use them for class activities, too.
The rules are simple, but they’re the kind of games you’ll find yourself getting absorbed in.
Go ahead and check them out!
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- Fun Indoor Games for Elementary School Kids Without Any Equipment
Games you can do in 10 minutes: ideas for fun activities indoors and outdoors (1–10)
NG word game
It’s a game where you try to get the other person to say a word that makes them lose.
For example, let’s say the opponent’s NG (forbidden) keyword is “computer.” While chatting during the game, skillfully guide the conversation to make them say the NG word.
The key is to casually include questions like, “Have you bought anything new recently?” If your questions are too obvious, you might tip them off about the NG word, so ask carefully.
It takes some thought, but it’s a game you can play in a short amount of time.
Drawing Telephone Game
Let’s have fun with a game where you guess the picture drawn on your back.
Stick a sheet of paper on each person’s back, and start by drawing a picture on the first person’s paper.
Then, one by one, draw on the next person’s back the picture you felt drawn on yours and pass it along.
Since you can only rely on the sensation on your back to figure out what’s being drawn, the image may gradually turn into something else—that’s the fun part! It might help avoid confusion if you pass along a single picture in a few strokes, one stroke at a time.
In the end, the last person should use the picture they drew as a hint to guess the original prompt.
So, what kind of picture did you end up with?
A game about finding the correct moves
Act out the prompt’s movement and have others guess it.
For example, if the prompt is “forward roll,” the guesser should try various movements that come to mind.
The children around, who know the prompt, should react to each movement.
Decide in advance how to react when the movement is close to the prompt—for example, by cheering.
Using those reactions, the guesser narrows down the correct answer.
It’s also fun to have multiple guessers or to play team versus team.
You don’t need any materials, it’s a simple game, and it’s sure to get everyone excited.
School-themed shiritori
Mono Shiritori is an upgraded version of the regular word game shiritori.
Play by using actual objects found at school or things you’re wearing.
For example, if you start with “kokuban-keshi” (blackboard eraser), the next could be “shitajiki” (writing board), and so on—look for real items and answer with those.
If possible, step out of your classroom and use items from other classrooms too; that way you can come up with more answers.
Play within what’s feasible.
It’s recommended to form several small teams and compete—it’s exciting, encourages cooperation, and if the answer happens to be something heavy, you can carry it together.
Number guessing game
It’s a number-guessing game where you try to predict how many people will crouch.
Everyone stands in a circle and, while jumping, says “Ready, 1!” or “2,” guessing how many people will crouch.
You can crouch yourself, or stay standing and just guess the number—it’s up to you.
It’s simple, but it uses both your body and your brain, and it’s a lot of fun.
It’s hard to guess the number of people who will crouch, so when someone nails it, the group is sure to cheer.
It’s also a great game for chilly or rainy days when kids want to move around—you can play it indoors in a small space.
Pyramid Rock-Paper-Scissors
This is a pyramid rock-paper-scissors game you can play with an entire class.
Depending on the situation, it can even be enjoyed by the whole grade, and it gets very exciting—so give it a try.
First, draw lines on the schoolyard or similar space.
Make the front line the longest, then make each subsequent line shorter, and place the defending players on those lines.
The formation looks like a pyramid.
The attacking players play rock-paper-scissors against each row of defenders; if they keep winning all the way to the final defender—the defending “king”—they clear the game.
If they lose along the way, they go back to the starting line.
A single game takes about 5–10 minutes.
Without Katakana
We use katakana for many names in daily life.
Katakana is familiar, but let’s try playing without using it.
First, show items that have katakana names and have people describe them without using katakana.
For example, for “pen,” someone might answer, “something you write with that isn’t a pencil.” It’s a game where you shift your thinking a bit, describe the given topic without using katakana, and have others guess.
If the topic is “game,” you could describe it as “something where you use your fingertips to control characters on the screen.” From there, everyone tries to guess the topic together.
Explaining with your current vocabulary makes for a good brain exercise.