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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Tag and chase play ideas (11–20)
Rescue Demon
This is a game called “Rescue Tag” that kids can enjoy even with an age gap.
First, make pairs of two, such as an older and a younger student, and decide within each pair who will be the Child (who runs from the tagger) and who will be the Parent (who protects the Child from the tagger).
One pair starts as the taggers, and they try to hit the other pairs’ Children with a ball.
The thrown ball can be dodged or caught.
If someone catches the ball, the pair holding the ball becomes the next taggers.
A pair is out if their Child is hit by the ball, but they can return to the game if the pair that knocked them out gets eliminated later.
Red Light, Green Light
Many people have played “Daruma-san ga koronda” at least once at school.
It’s fun even as you get older, making it perfect for parent–child recreation.
In the standard version you only have to freeze, but you can get creative—for example, the ‘king-style’ version where the tagger (the ‘demon’) calls out a specific pose for everyone to strike.
It’s a game that can be adapted so everyone can enjoy it, adjusting for age, physique, gender, and more.
Dodgeball tag
This is a variation of the classic chasing game, tag, that uses a ball: “Ball Tag.” The tagger (it) holds a ball and chases the other players, trying to hit them by throwing the ball.
Whoever gets hit becomes the next tagger and takes the ball, and the game continues like that.
Some kids who aren’t fast runners may struggle to catch others when they’re ‘it.’ But with Ball Tag, even kids who aren’t good at sprinting can have fun playing.
Reversi Tag
This is “Reversi Tag,” a game that combines Reversi and tag.
Place many double-sided mats with different colors on each side inside the court.
At the start signal, flip the mats to your team’s color.
If you get tagged by the opposing team, you must return once to the safety zone at the edge of the court.
Flip as many as you can, as quickly as you can, without getting tagged!
Tag (or Tag, holding hands)
In “Tetsunagi Oni” (Hand-holding Tag), the taggers hold hands and chase the children.
The taggers keep holding hands as they run after the others, and the line of taggers gradually spreads wider and wider.
As the number of taggers increases, the game becomes very thrilling for those being chased.
Figuring out how to escape from the growing line of taggers is the key, isn’t it? Try coming up with lots of clever ways not to get caught!
Evolution Rock-Paper-Scissors
“Evolution Rock-Paper-Scissors” is a game that helps children improve their motor skills.
First, lie face down.
Then, crawl along the floor, pair up with someone you meet, and play rock-paper-scissors.
If you win, you can evolve from lying face down to being on all fours.
Then look for another opponent and play again.
It’s called “Evolution Rock-Paper-Scissors” because you evolve each time you win.
The evolution order is: face down, on all fours, high crawl without knees touching the floor, and bipedal walking.
Give it a try with your whole class!
Tag/Chasing Game Ideas (21–30)
S-ken (traditional Japanese playground game)
“S-Ken” is a territory-capturing game you can play indoors.
It’s a thrilling activity that exercises not only your body but also your mind.
Here’s how to play: First, draw a large “S” on the ground.
The rounded parts of the “S” become each team’s territory.
Next, place each team’s “treasure” at the back of its territory.
Then, hop on one foot (kenken) into the opponent’s territory and try to steal their treasure.
Once you reach the territory, it’s okay to put both feet down.
You lose if the defending team pushes you out of their territory or if you put both feet down while moving.
It’s sure to turn into an intense battle!
In conclusion
Recreation games can be fun to play in the gym while building physical fitness.
There are many activities you can do in a gym and plenty of games where everyone can cooperate and play together.
When you can’t play outside, be sure to use this as a reference and make the most of the gym to have fun!