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)
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.
Hula hoop relay
This is a game you can play with just one hula hoop that helps with communication and builds teamwork.
To play, form teams of about five or more people, stand in a line holding hands with the person next to you, and wait for the start signal.
When it starts, beginning from one end of the line, pass the hula hoop along by threading it over your hands, feet, and body without letting go of each other’s hands, and move it to the next person.
The first team to get the hoop all the way to the last person wins.
You can’t speed up without everyone’s cooperation, so unite your hearts and give it a try!
Name Bingo
Do you know the game called “Name Bingo”? In a regular bingo game, players are given cards with numbers on them, but in Name Bingo, you write the names of the people present in the spaces instead of numbers.
The host then draws slips of paper with names from a box—just like calling numbers—and reads each name aloud.
As in a normal bingo game, if you get a line vertically, horizontally, or diagonally, that’s bingo.
It’s especially useful when people don’t know each other’s names yet, as it helps everyone learn names and gives you a starting point for conversation.
Give it a try!
Drawing Telephone Game
Here’s a game of telephone you can enjoy with just some paper.
First, decide the order and line up in a row.
Make sure people can’t see what the person before them is drawing—use a blindfold or similar.
Person 1 draws a picture based on the prompt.
Person 2 looks at that picture, tries to understand what it conveys, and draws their own picture.
The third person draws while looking at the second person’s drawing, and so on.
The last person then guesses what the original picture was.
It’s also fun to compare all the drawings in order at the end.
Gesture Game
Charades can be considered one of the classic at-home games.
It’s a game that both the clue-giver and the guessers can enjoy, so no one ends up bored—that’s a big plus.
It’s also fascinating because you can get a sense of someone’s personality and way of thinking from how they act out the clues.
If you set the rule that when someone guesses correctly both the guesser and the clue-giver get one point, it can boost the clue-giver’s motivation.
If you have a large group, it might be good to set a time limit for giving clues.
It’s definitely a game I’d love for you to try at least once.
human disentanglement puzzle
This game is called the Human Knot.
Players start tangled together and try to untangle themselves back into a single circle.
First, form a group of four or more and stand in a circle.
Then, each person randomly holds hands with people who are not standing directly next to them.
You may not hold both hands with the same person, and you may not hold hands with either neighbor.
Keeping hands connected, step over and under arms to create a more complex tangle.
Start from that position, and the game ends when you’ve returned to a circle.
It’s also fun to have multiple groups race to see who can finish fastest.
Wild Beast Hunting Game
This is a game that even kindergarteners and other young children can enjoy.
Move your body to the song or chant, then quickly form a group and sit down with the same number of people as the number of letters in the animal the leader calls out.
Anyone who doesn’t make it into a group can imitate that animal or do a fun forfeit.
For small children, it’s also good practice for counting the number of letters in words, and forming groups helps participants communicate with one another.
It’s especially recommended for gatherings where many people don’t know each other.