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 Activities (31–40)
Rock-Paper-Scissors Game Jump!
Participants split into two teams and face each other from opposite ends of the room.
When the signal to start is given, play rock-paper-scissors with a teammate; those who win move toward the opposite side by jumping.
Once you reach the other side, play rock-paper-scissors again, and repeat.
It’s a very simple game, so incorporate different types of jumps for the movement: a “rock” jump where you hop with both feet together, then a “scissors” jump that’s like practicing skipping, and next a “paper” jump with your legs spread wide.
It feels like you’re evolving as you go, and it’s a lot of fun.
Outdoor activities: fun games everyone can play together!
This is a game called “Catch.” Choose one person to be the leader, and have the other participants form a circle.
Hold out your right hand with the palm facing up toward the person on your right, and place your left index finger on the palm of the person to your left.
When the leader says “Catch,” quickly close your right hand, and with your left hand, try to pull your index finger away so it doesn’t get caught.
The leader should vary the timing by stretching out “Ca, ca, caaaatch…” or throw in feints by saying something like “Cat!” instead.
It’s a simple game that helps break the ice and get everyone excited, even with people you’re meeting for the first time.
Tag, where kids and adults both have fun: “Hand-Holding Oni (Tag)”
Participants are divided into one “it” and the “children.” The children form pairs and hold hands.
At the start signal, the children run away, and “it” chases them and tries to touch their joined hands.
When a pair is touched by “it,” they must let go, find a new partner, hold hands again, and keep running.
At the finish signal, any child who is in a pair is safe; any child left alone loses.
If there are many children, you can increase the number of “it” players.
It’s a game everyone can enjoy, and it helps people get friendly even if they’re meeting for the first time.
Finding commonalities
Common-ground finding is a fun game that helps you talk with people you’re meeting for the first time and feel closer to them.
There are various ways to play: for example, participants form pairs or groups and, within a time limit, look for things they have in common through conversation; or they present common points they’ve written down in advance—those are standard approaches.
Conversations can stall without a prompt, so set simple topics like “How you spend your days off” or “Favorite foods.” It’s also a good idea to set a target number of commonalities to find beforehand.
Play the Signal Game Indoors!
The “Traffic Signal Game,” where everyone follows the leader’s instructions, is a play activity that can help develop the ability to listen carefully and the judgment to act immediately.
When the signal is blue, take one marching step; when it’s yellow, shake your head left and right and look around; when it’s red, squat down.
Listen closely to which color the leader calls and act accordingly.
If the leader calls a color other than the three, everyone says “nai-nai” (meaning “no such color”).
There’s no winning or losing in this game, so just have fun moving your body!
Variety Games and Cooperative Party Activities (41–50)
Holy Night Cake Shop
The owner of the cake shop instructed the manager, “Please don’t make more than 200 Christmas cakes this year.” The reason was that every year they made too many and ended up in the red.
However, on Christmas Eve, the manager told part-time workers A-kun and Ms.
B to make 400 cakes.
Since any unsold cakes would have to be bought by the staff, A-kun was reluctant.
Ms.
B agreed with the manager, and in the end they made 400 cakes, resulting in a large number of leftovers.
The manager apologized to A-kun and gave him the money for the buyback.
Now, among the “owner,” “manager,” “A-kun,” and “Ms.
B,” who acted wrongly? Let’s also consider the order from most to least wrong.
No equipment needed! Air catch ball
“Air Catch,” a make-believe game of tossing an imaginary ball without any props, is a very simple team-building activity.
Participants form a circle.
Someone calls another person’s name while miming a throw of the “air ball,” and the next person pretends to catch it and continues in the same way.
The rules are: make eye contact and call the person’s name before you throw.
Once everyone gets used to it, you can increase the difficulty by tossing multiple balls at once or speeding things up.
It builds communication skills and concentration and gets people laughing, making it great for training icebreakers and strengthening team cohesion.
It takes about 5–15 minutes, so give it a try!
