A fun game using coins. A recreational game.
We’ve put together a collection of coin-based games and recreational activities!
When you think of games that use coins, the popular coin games at arcades probably come to mind first.
But did you know there are all sorts of games you can play using the coins in your own wallet?
Classic examples include “10-Yen Soccer,” which was popular among kids back in the day, and “Underwater Coin Drop,” a staple of summer festivals.
In this article, we’ll introduce a variety of games you can play with coins!
Give them a try during school breaks or at parties when you’re looking for a quick game everyone can enjoy.
- Get the Fun Going! Easy Classroom Games You Can Play at School: Recreational Activities for the Whole Class
- [Play Right Away!] Exciting Recreation Games Recommended for Elementary School Students
- Brain-teasing game roundup
- [Simple Games] Recommended Indoor Recreational Activities for Adults
- A roundup of recreational activities and games using paper cups
- [For Adults] Fun recreational games. Perfect for short breaks too!
- Fun activities for junior high school students. Recreation games.
- Recommended for upper elementary grades! Exciting indoor recreation and games
- [For University Students] A Roundup of Fun Games and Recreational Activities
- How to Perform Coin Magic: Revealing the Secrets and Techniques of Simple Tricks
- A roundup of fun games and recreational activities using balloons
- Recommended games and activities for five people
- [Parent-Child Rec] Recreational activities and games for parents and children to enjoy together—also great for sports days.
Fun games with coins: Recreation games (11–20)
Put a 1-yen coin in with air
This is a trick where you gently blow on a 1-yen coin to make it float just right, then drop it neatly into a tall glass.
Where you blow and how strong you blow are the key points and tips for getting it into the glass.
There’s no special gimmick here—just practice! It might be good to start practicing with a slightly shorter cup at first.
If you can do this, it could become a neat little party trick.
Daruma-otoshi with a one-yen coin
There’s a game called “Daruma Otoshi,” right? It’s the one where you have a daruma made of wooden blocks and you strike the lower pieces to knock them out cleanly.
This is a version where you try it with 1-yen coins.
Stack 10 one-yen coins.
Then use a card to flick out only the bottom coin.
If you can knock out all 10 coins one by one without the stack collapsing, you succeed; if it collapses along the way, there’s a penalty game.
100-yen Chicken Race
This is a simple game called the “100-Yen Chicken Race,” where you just throw a 100-yen coin toward a designated line.
The person whose coin lands closest to the line wins, but if you throw too hard and your coin crosses the line, you’re out.
The key is how you push the limits—getting as close as possible without being greedy and going over.
double-headed coin
This is the Heads or Tails coin game where you guess whether the coin hidden in someone’s hand is heads or tails.
It’s that scene you often see in American films, where a decision is made based on the flip of a coin.
You can use any coin from your wallet, or even a medal or token.
First, decide which side is heads and which is tails, and remember it.
It’s simple, but it’s the kind of game you can’t help getting serious about.
Coin Tower
This is a “coin tower,” where you skillfully and carefully stack coins.
Have you ever done it with playing cards? It’s the same idea, but since coins are round, it’s extremely difficult and requires patience.
However, if you work patiently and take your time, you can definitely do it.
Even slight vibrations can cause it to collapse, so try it in a place where vibrations won’t reach it!
Coin magic
Coin magic is a handy trick you can do anywhere as long as you have a coin.
There are many types, from very simple ones to slightly more advanced routines.
This one is easy, but at a glance it’s completely baffling, and the explanation covers how it works.
Many of the tricks involve making a coin “travel,” and once you learn the Classic Palm technique, you’ll be able to perform most of them smoothly.
You’ll also need a bit of practice on your presentation.
Coin polishing
As the name suggests, it’s “coin polishing,” where you polish coins.
You sometimes see completely blackened 10-yen coins, right? You patiently polish those little by little.
Put some detergent with abrasive on a cotton swab, polish, wipe it off when it gets dirty, then apply the abrasive detergent again and polish—repeat this endlessly.
Perfect for when you’re bored out of your mind and have absolutely nothing else to do!
One-yen coin domino
Patiently lining up small dominoes sounds difficult enough just imagining it, but doing it with 1-yen coins? That’s “1-yen coin dominoes.” Just hearing about it makes you feel faint, doesn’t it… And since 1-yen coins are round and hard to stand up neatly, it’s many times harder than regular dominoes.
But if you manage it, it’s a spectacular sight and incredibly satisfying!
A game where you guess the amount of yen from the sound of coins dropping
It’s a game where you drop coins, cover your eyes, and try to guess which denomination they are based on subtle differences in the sound.
First, keep your eyes open and drop them in front of you to learn the sounds! That said, it’s very difficult, so you probably won’t get many right… Another variation is to drop several at once and guess the total amount.
It’s a low-key but surprisingly satisfying game when you get it right!
medal game
Didn’t you get hooked on them at the arcade when you were a kid? Medal games.
There are a few different machines you can play with medals—let’s keep racking up the coins you’ve got! That said, they don’t exactly skyrocket.
You can slowly and steadily save them up, or go big and splash your medals to try for a huge win!