Recommended Recreations and Indoor Games for High School Students
When you become a high school student, you get busy with studying, club activities, romance, and more.
Even so, there are times when you end up with a little free time while hanging out with friends during breaks or on days off.
In this article, we’ll introduce some easy and fun activities you can enjoy in those moments!
This time, we’re focusing on indoor recreation and games, ranging from things you can do right away without any equipment to card games and board games.
There are options for different group sizes and time lengths, so try finding the ones that suit you best.
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Recommended Recreational and Indoor Activities for High School Students (71–80)
Escape Game
Let’s work together to solve puzzles and aim for a clear! Here are some escape room ideas.
An escape game is a game in which players solve riddles and puzzles with the goal of escaping from a certain room or place.
If you have classmates who love quizzes, it could be fun to start by creating riddles and give it a try! If you take on the challenge in teams, it will definitely strengthen the team’s unity! By getting the teacher involved and working together, you’re sure to have a wonderful time.
Ogiri (Japanese improv-style comedy wordplay game)
If you have lots of friends who love comedy, trying an ogiri (improv gag) game can be really fun.
In ogiri, the quality of the prompts matters too, so why not have everyone help create them? “Ogiri” covers many formats—like making jokes based on images, writing witty karuta clues, or creating acrostics—so give it a try in whatever style you like.
Vague Memory Drawing Game
It’s a game where you recall the exact shape of the prompt you were shown and compete to see how high-quality an illustration you can draw.
It tests not only your drawing skills but also your memory—how precisely you remember the fine details of the prompt.
Let’s consider a variety of categories, such as things with tricky color placements like a panda, or logos you see around town.
Even if no one reproduces it perfectly, we recommend deciding the winner based on whose drawing is closest to the real thing.
A game where everyone matches their answers
This is a game where everyone thinks of an answer to a given prompt and tries to match those answers.
Since the prompts allow for multiple correct answers, your teamwork in aligning responses will be put to the test.
If you can discuss too thoroughly, it becomes easier to match answers, so it’s recommended to set clear boundaries for how much discussion is allowed.
It’s not only about testing whether your thoughts align; progressing with strategies—such as choosing to match a specific person’s answers—may also be important.
Human finger smartphone (likely shorthand for smartphone operated by human finger)
With a numerical count, participants simultaneously show their thumbs and try to guess the total number—this is the classic “finger sum” game, but advanced through full-body movement.
Participants wait while bowing, and with each count, they freely decide whether to raise their upper bodies.
If someone correctly guesses how many people have raised their upper bodies, they clear the round.
The key excitement comes from reading and outmaneuvering how others will move.
Since each person can only choose 0 or 1, it’s best played with a large group to broaden the range of possible totals.
Dragon Quest Dodgeball
This is a game that adds role-playing elements, like those in the Dragon Quest series, to dodgeball, where the goal is to hit opponents with the ball.
Each team has exactly one King, and the other members are assigned different roles.
While making full use of the abilities tied to each role, players aim to protect their own team’s King and defeat the opposing team’s King.
Since players also discuss how to use their abilities during the game, judging the right timing for actions may be crucial.
Impressionist (Impersonation) Champion Showdown
The celebrity impersonation contests you see on TV can become great entertainment in the hands of high schoolers.
Even impressions you’d normally be too embarrassed to try can be done without shyness among friends and really liven things up.
No preparation is needed, so give it a try!
Came Alone Game
@mimasakadaigaku I came alone game! It’s guaranteed to get everyone hyped, so give it a try! If you watch the video, I think you’ll understand the rules!#Mimasaka UniversityIcebreakerRecreation
Heaven and Hell – Offenbach
Recommended games that are fun even with large groups! Here are ideas for the “I came alone” game.
These are large-group ideas you can play in class recreation, too.
Once everyone sits in a circle so you can see all the participants, you’re ready to start! The first person raises a hand and says, “I came alone!” Then the next two people raise their hands and say, “We came as two!” Next, three people, then four, and so on; after reaching five, it goes back to one.
Once you get used to it, it’s also fun to arrange it as 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1!
30-second guessing game
This is a game where you rely solely on your internal body clock to try to stop a stopwatch at exactly 30 seconds.
The rule is simple: press start and stop using only your sense of timing, without looking at any numbers, so you can add all kinds of variations.
You could keep a conversation going while measuring the time, or have people around you call out random numbers to distract you—both would likely make it more exciting.
You can also try closing your eyes to sharpen your senses, or keeping a rhythm to feel the passage of time.
Experiment with whatever method works best for you.
Beef Tongue Game
All you need are your hands! This is a beef-tongue rhythm game you can enjoy with no props.
Start with both hands together.
After someone says “gyu” (cow), the next person claps once to say “tan” (tongue).
Go clockwise in time with the chant “gyu-tan gyu-tan gyu-tan tan,” and on the second, third rounds and so on, increase the number of “tan” claps you add at the end.
If you say “gyu” at the wrong time, clap at the wrong moment, or fall off the rhythm, you’re out! The rules are simple, but when you actually play, you’d be surprised how easily you panic.
It’s a game you can start right now, so give it a try!
