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.
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Fun games using coins. Recreational games (21–30)
10-yen coin basketball
This is “10-Yen Coin Basketball,” where you pretend a 10-yen coin is a ball and shoot it into a goal made with your hands.
One hand forms a wall, and the other curves around along that wall to make a round goal.
The shooter places both hands together on the table, pinches the 10-yen coin between their thumbs, and uses only thumb power to flick the coin toward the goal.
The tricky part is that you’re allowed to use only your thumbs.
Coin slider
This is a coin slider made with a whiteboard and magnets! To make it, just stick round magnets or magnet bars onto a whiteboard.
Think about the path the coin will take and arrange them so it drops smoothly.
Simply sticking on magnets can feel a bit plain, so it’s also a good idea to add some cuteness by wrapping the magnet bars with washi tape.
Since magnets are easy to move, you can adjust the difficulty—that’s another great point.
Drop coins from the top, or slide chip-shaped flower blocks that can be linked together, and have fun!
Coin Catch
This is the “coin catch,” where you place a 1-yen coin on the tip of each finger of an upturned hand and, without using the other hand, gather all five coins together with just that one hand.
If your fingers are smooth and low in oil, it might be pretty tough.
You slowly slide the 1-yen coin from the neighboring finger over to stack them, and repeat.
It’s low-key, but just watching it makes my fingers cramp up (lol).
Coin Drop: Make-or-Break
This is “Coin Drop Close Call,” where you fill a glass with water and take turns dropping coins into it—if you make the water overflow, you’re out.
Fill a clear glass to the brim with plenty of water.
Then, drop coins into it—up to three coins per person.
You can drop them one at a time if you like.
Thanks to surface tension, the water will gradually bulge upward.
Enjoy the strategy as you decide how many coins to risk without making it spill!
Coin spinning
This is the mysterious “coin spin” where you support a coin with your index finger and simply swipe over that finger with another finger, and for some reason the coin starts spinning.
You might wonder how it spins just by rubbing your finger, but the secret is actually very simple: when you make that quick, sharp rubbing motion, you’re actually striking the coin with your thumb with some force.
Dancing Coin
I’m playing by placing a 1-yen coin on top of a speaker.
The way the coin vibrates in time with the music makes it look like it’s dancing! Be careful not to turn the volume up too high, or the coin might fly off somewhere.
Try it with different kinds of music—you might make an unexpected discovery!
10-yen soccer
This is ’10-yen soccer,’ a game you can play anywhere as long as you have a flat surface and three 10-yen coins.
Place the three coins in a triangle and flick the coin closest to you with your finger.
You aim to score a goal by flicking the coin through your opponent’s fingers, but you must follow the rule that the moving coin has to pass between the other two coins.
For the goal, both hands are used, with the pinky and index fingers acting as the goalkeeper.
One-yen coin nose-stuffing game
A totally silly yet funny-to-watch game: the 1-yen coin nose-stuffing game.
Just like the name says, you stuff 1-yen coins up your nose.
Add them one by one, carefully and slowly.
Think about the remaining space and don’t cram them in all at once.
If you overdo it, your nostrils might end up getting bigger, so watch out (lol).
Floating Coin
If you gently place a one-yen coin on a container filled with water, the coin will float due to the water’s surface tension.
However, if you add a drop of dish soap, the surface tension weakens and the coin quickly sinks to the bottom.
Using this, you can float many one-yen coins in a large container; then, by putting a bit of dish soap on the tip of a toothpick and touching the coins with it, they will sink one after another as if by magic.
It’s an activity that kids are likely to enjoy.
Climbing 5-yen coin
The “Climbing 5-yen Coin” is a game you can play with just a rubber band and a coin.
Many of you might have done this as kids, right? It’s so mysterious to see the 5-yen coin climb higher and higher by making use of the rubber band’s elasticity! The rules are super simple: cut the rubber band, thread it through a coin with a hole, and pull.
Try showing it to little kids—they’ll love it.