No worries even in the rain! Fun recreational activities you can do in the gym
Introducing fun recreation activities you can enjoy in the gym! When you hear variety games or cooperative games, you might imagine playing outside, but there are plenty of activities and recreations you can enjoy in a gym.
Even when rain or snow keeps you indoors, you can still build your fitness in the gym.
Basketball, futsal, dodgeball—there are tons of games and activities everyone can enjoy together! Try making time to be active in the gym with friends or family while having fun.
Exercise energizes both your mind and body!
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Variety Games and Cooperative Party Recs (1–10)
Drop the Handkerchief
I imagine many people played this at least once when they were children.
Everyone sits in a circle facing inward, and “It” walks around the outside holding a handkerchief.
They quietly drop the handkerchief behind someone; if they can make a full circle and tag that person before being noticed, they succeed.
The tagged person becomes the next “It.” If the person notices the handkerchief was dropped behind them, they pick it up, chase “It,” and try to tag them.
Hula Hoop Crawl Relay
The “Hula Hoop Pass Relay” is a game that boosts both brain and body flexibility while having fun.
All you need is a hula hoop.
First, have all participants stand in a circle and hold hands with the people next to them.
Then, have the person at the starting point pass through the hula hoop.
Without letting go of hands, pass the hula hoop to the next person and have them go through it as well.
Changing the angle of your hands during the handoff, and whether the person receiving the hoop goes through head-first or feet-first, can make it easier or harder.
Once you actually try it, you’ll find it’s surprisingly challenging and quite addictive.
Newspaper Paste Dash
It’s a game where you run through without letting the newspaper fall off your body.
It seems that just being a fast runner doesn’t help much.
People tend to drop it on the turns, or it slips off their body.
Maybe those who are good at tight maneuvering have the edge.
In other words, athletic ability might not be the deciding factor.
If you’re usually not great at sports but good at fine, detailed tasks, you might really shine!
Variety Games and Cooperative Party Activities (11–20)
Rock-Paper-Scissors Train
The rock-paper-scissors train that’s a staple at end-of-day homeroom.
The organizer plays music and stops it at a random point.
When it stops, you play rock-paper-scissors with someone nearby.
The loser holds onto the winner’s shoulders, and they move around together.
You repeat this, and in the end, the person who’s at the front of the longest train wins.
It’s a pretty tough game to win.
Adults and kids can enjoy it together.
Anything Basket
In the game Fruit Basket, participants are divided into fruit groups like apples, mandarins, and bananas, but a variation of this is called “Anything Basket.” For example, someone calls out a shared trait like “people wearing black socks,” and if you are wearing black socks, you must stand up and move to a different seat.
The person who can’t find a seat stands in the middle and announces the next prompt.
There’s also a rule that when someone says “Anything Basket,” everyone has to change seats! It’s a group activity you can enjoy with multiple people, so be sure to give it a try together.
Ball-carrying game
The “Ball-Carrying Game” is played in small groups, where you work together to carry a ball.
You use parts of your body other than your hands to move the ball.
For example, you might carry it between someone else’s back and your own stomach.
Back-to-back works too, as does stomach-to-stomach, or even using shoulders or heads.
If the group isn’t perfectly in sync, you’ll drop the ball right away, so strong team cohesion is essential! The more people you have, the harder it gets, so it might be best to start in pairs.
Sport Yukigassen
When you hear “snowball fight,” do you think of a winter children’s game where you throw snowballs at each other? Did you know that snowball fighting has become a sport? It’s a sport with detailed rules: each player can hold up to two balls at a time; if you’re hit, you’re out and must leave the field; you try to capture the flag in the opponent’s territory; matches are three sets of three minutes each; and if there’s no winner after that, the result is decided by how many players remain on the court.
You can even play without snow using rubber balls or beanbags, making it a snowball fight you can enjoy year-round.
