A collection of fun indoor play ideas: easy-rule games that hype up the fun
When rain or extreme heat keeps you from going outside, it’s nice to make indoor playtime more fulfilling.
Here are indoor games that anyone can enjoy regardless of age, from simple, high-energy competitive games to ones you can play with minimal equipment.
Packed with fun activities that will get family and friends excited! Adjust the number of players for team matches or tweak the rules—there are endless ways to play.
Dive into these thrilling indoor games you’ll want to try right away!
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A collection of fun indoor play ideas: simple-rule games that get everyone excited (1–10)
Teleportation Game
This teleportation game is an indoor game that tests your quick reactions, and it may require more stamina and concentration than other games.
First, prepare a stick made by rolling up newspaper—each person uses one.
Stand your stick upright on the floor, then rush to grab your neighbor’s stick before it falls over.
If you fail to grab it in time, you’re out.
To make it easier to grab, it’s important to set your stick in a stable position.
As more players drop out, the distance to the next stick gets shorter, which can make the game more difficult.
It gets exciting, so give it a try!
Who am I? game
The “Who Am I?” game is a game where you guess what something is from the hints you’re given.
The hints use “I” as if the subject were a person, but it’s often actually a thing.
For example, if the hints are: “I am red.
I am a fruit.
I’m delicious in winter,” then the answer would be “an apple.” If no one can figure it out, you can add more hints.
There are also variations where you guess historical figures.
It’s a game that seems fun if you get creative with how you give the hints.
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.
A collection of fun indoor play ideas: simple-rule games that get everyone excited (11–20)
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?
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.
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.
Drop the Handkerchief
Speaking of Drop the Handkerchief, it’s a classic indoor game that’s been around forever, and it’s still loved because it’s thrilling and fun.
First, choose the tagger.
The tagger walks around the outside of the circle and secretly drops a handkerchief behind someone.
After dropping it, the tagger runs and completes a lap to sit in the spot of the person they dropped it behind.
If the person who had the handkerchief dropped behind them catches the tagger before they finish the lap, the tagger remains the tagger for another round.
If the person doesn’t notice even after the tagger completes the lap, they go to the center of the circle and can’t join the next game.