[Children’s Club] Easy and fun indoor games. Exciting party games
Looking for active games you can enjoy in a quiet indoor setting? Even on cold or rainy days, playtime can turn into a fun, smile-filled experience when you’re with a kids’ group or friends.
Here are indoor games with simple rules that you can start right away—moving your body while engaging your mind.
From music-based games to activities with quiz elements, these ideas are all about shared excitement and anticipation.
You can freely adapt them to different group sizes and ages.
Give them a try and create some treasured memories!
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Indoor games that involve physical movement (11–20)
Air-reading game
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!
Small Number Game
Do you know the Small Number Game? First, ask the children to choose one favorite number between 1 and 20.
I will call out the numbers in descending order, and when I reach the number they chose, they stand up.
If they are the only one who stands up at that moment, they become the champion and remain standing.
If two or more stand up at the same time, that’s a bust, and they have to sit down.
If someone becomes the champion with a smaller number, the previous champion sits down.
It’s fun because strategy and mind games are important.
Rock-Paper-Scissors Train Game
Introducing the “Rock-Paper-Scissors Train” game.
Move around the room like a freight train to the music.
When the music stops, play rock-paper-scissors with a friend.
The person who loses places a hand on the winner’s shoulder, and together they board the same train and set off.
Repeat the same actions to add more friends to your freight train.
The game is complete when everyone is riding the same train and departs together.
Try speeding up or slowing down the music to match the children’s pace and have fun!
Jump, everyone!
It’s a game where everyone forms a circle, holds hands, and jumps in different directions.
Jumping helps develop concentration and a sense of balance.
By moving while listening to the teacher’s instructions, children can build their listening skills and their ability to think about how to move.
When calling out, speak clearly, loudly, and energetically.
Let’s enjoy jump play together—moving our heads as we jump and trying things like hopping on one foot or jumping with both feet.
Don Janken
A game that kids and adults can enjoy! Here’s an idea for “Don Janken.” Divide into two teams; the team that reaches the opponent’s territory first wins.
When you play rock-paper-scissors, the chant is “Don janken pon!” The great thing about this idea is that it requires almost no preparation and works well with large groups.
However, people can get too focused on winning, which may cause disputes near the territory line, so it’s best for adults to make the final calls.
Give it a try!
5 super fun activities
We’ll be introducing five activities: “Irregular Play,” “Swirly Tail Chase,” “Receive & Catch,” “Ball Rolling Play,” and “Cross Rubber Jump Tail Chase.” They mainly use a ball—putting it into a basket, catching it, and combining movements like hopscotch and forward rolls to get the body moving.
In “Swirly Tail Chase,” attach a jump rope instead of a string and run away from the tagger, changing directions between clockwise and counterclockwise.
For “Cross Rubber Jump Tail Chase,” stretch elastic bands across the room and escape from the tagger while jumping over the bands.
Indoor games involving physical movement (21–30)
Play the Signal Game Indoors!
The “Traffic Signal Game,” where everyone follows the leader’s instructions, is a play activity that can help develop the ability to listen carefully and the judgment to act immediately.
When the signal is blue, take one marching step; when it’s yellow, shake your head left and right and look around; when it’s red, squat down.
Listen closely to which color the leader calls and act accordingly.
If the leader calls a color other than the three, everyone says “nai-nai” (meaning “no such color”).
There’s no winning or losing in this game, so just have fun moving your body!