Indoor games that different ages can enjoy! Ideas for fun everyone can get excited about together
Games that children of different ages can enjoy together, creating opportunities for interaction between older and younger kids.
Here, we introduce games that make everyone smile, even when there’s an age gap.
With thoughtful handicaps and rule adjustments, these activities will captivate both little ones and their older peers.
From easy-to-understand balance games that get everyone excited, to cooperative team activities like hoop relays, there are plenty of safe indoor games to enjoy.
Through play that makes the most of the unique benefits of mixed-age care, help nurture warm relationships among the children!
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Handmade Play Using Tools (1–10)
Fukuwarai (a traditional Japanese “lucky laugh” face-making game)
How about playing Fukuwarai, a classic New Year’s game? It doesn’t have to be New Year’s, does it! You put on a blindfold and place the parts—eyebrows, eyes, nose, and mouth—one by one onto a big face shape.
Since the person is blindfolded, people around them should hand them the parts.
No matter how hard you try, it never turns into a proper face… which is exactly why it always gets everyone excited!
chimney game
Let’s work hard so we don’t lose to the chimney sweeper! Here’s an idea for a chimney-themed game.
It’s a unique game that uses balls and a mat.
If your center doesn’t have a mat, you can use connected cardboard pieces instead.
Inside the chimney, a teacher transformed into a chimney sweeper will go in.
The children will try to put balls into the chimney so they won’t lose to the sweeper.
They’ll develop their ability to strategize and be inventive by making plans and watching for the teacher’s openings.
Give it a try!
Bomb Game
Here’s a heart-pounding, thrilling bomb game! The word “bomb” might sound scary, but in this game we use a soft rubber ball as a pretend bomb.
The rules are super simple: if you don’t get hit by the ball the teacher throws, you win.
Start with an easy difficulty so anyone can win, and add variations as everyone gets used to it.
If you add a wrist snap to put spin on the ball before throwing, the bounce after it lands becomes unpredictable—guaranteed to get everyone excited!
Real Werewolf Game
Introducing a real-life Werewolf game that’s great for kids to play at gatherings or at home.
This game requires a bit of setup.
First, hang cloth over a rope and clip it with clothespins to partition the room.
The key is to create lots of small rooms and keep them as dark as possible! Next, hand out Werewolf game cards to assign roles.
If someone is poked by the Werewolf, they’re out.
The Citizens win if they banish all Werewolves during discussions, and the Lovers win if the two of them survive together until the end, among other rules.
Because players must work together to clear the game, it can help foster cooperation among children.
Moving House Game
Let’s move to a distant base! Here’s an idea for a “Moving House” game.
In this game, the cue word is “Moving House,” and children simply move from one mat to another.
Once they get used to it, teachers or guardians can try to interrupt them along the course.
The fun part is seeing whether they can complete the move while avoiding the teachers or guardians! It’s also a great idea for deepening bonds among the children by giving them a shared goal.