Indoor recreation for children: A roundup of exciting games
We’ve put together recreational activities, games, and indoor play ideas that bring out children’s smiles.
You’ll find plenty of large-group games and activities perfect for preschools and schools, as well as lots of options families can enjoy at home.
They’re ideal for rainy days or any time it’s hard to go outside.
If you’re looking for recreations, games, or indoor activities to enjoy with kids, be sure to check these out.
Even if kids start out feeling, “It’s a shame we can’t play outside…,” by the end they’ll surely be saying, “That was fun!”
- Play ideas kids can enjoy from 1st to 6th grade [indoors & outdoors]
- [Play Right Away!] Exciting Recreation Games Recommended for Elementary School Students
- [Elementary School] Quick and Easy! Indoor Recreational Activities Perfect for Lower Grades
- Popularity ranking of recreational activities for children
- [Children’s Club] Easy and fun indoor games. Exciting party games
- [For Kids] Today's Recommended Recreation Idea Collection
- Recommended for upper elementary grades! Exciting indoor recreation and games
- [For Kids] Indoor Fun! Large-Group Recreational Activities and Games
- A big hit at after-school childcare! A special feature on group games and activities you can play without any equipment
- Elementary School Fun Day a Big Hit! Indoor Game Idea Collection
- [For Kids] Fun Indoor Game Ideas for After-School Day Services
- Indoor games and recreational activities recommended for daycare and kindergarten
- Indoor Games for Small Groups: Exciting Recreational Activities
Indoor recreation for children: A roundup of exciting games (171–180)
Treasure hunting with a treasure map
A treasure hunt game where you explore the house following a treasure map is fun to customize by adjusting the difficulty and length based on your child’s age.
Rather than simply searching the designated spots in order, progressing by thinking through clues also helps develop reasoning and problem-solving skills.
For older children, you can make it a bit more complex—such as hiding hints within the instructions they’ve collected so far—so they can enjoy it for longer.
It’s a recommended game that nurtures the ability to notice changes in the familiar home environment while having fun with deduction.
flour balloon
This is a fun, tactile activity recommended for young children.
It’s easy to make—just put flour into an inflated balloon.
Then decorate it by drawing a face or adding yarn for hair, and you’re done.
Even though it’s only flour inside a balloon, the texture feels intriguingly strange and super fun.
It’s similar to a squishy mascot toy, often called a “squeeze,” and you’ll want to keep touching and playing with it.
Since a burst balloon can be a mess, be sure to handle it gently.
Beef Tongue Game
The Gyutan Game is a simple activity that’s sure to captivate everyone from kids to adults.
It needs no equipment and really gets people fired up, so it’s perfect for camp recreation too! Players face each other with their palms together and clap in turn to the rhythm: “gyu, tan, gyu, tan, gyu-tan-tan…” As the number of “tan”s increases, anyone who falls behind the rhythm or messes up the order loses.
Once you get the hang of it, speeding up the tempo makes it even more exciting!
Fish Flipping Game
The Fish-Flipping Game treats teachers and children lying face down as “fish,” and the goal is to flip them over to cook the other side.
After flipping one person, you move on to flip the next fish.
If a fish is big and hard to flip, everyone should work together to turn them over! If you play as a team competition, those acting as fish must resist being flipped.
This play helps develop a sense of engaging the whole body and can improve core balance.
Be sure not to pull hair, clothing, or anything below the elbows.
To prevent injuries, we recommend playing on a mat.
The Little Bird’s Move
A game called “Kotori no Hikkoshi” where a tagger stands in the middle and everyone moves to avoid getting caught.
Players create safe zones using walls or objects; if they make it there, they won’t be caught.
The children start moving on the tagger’s cue, “Kotori no Hikkoshi.” They sit with their legs up in a triangle, bottoms on the floor, and move using only their leg power.
The tagger in the middle is a predator aiming for the little birds—chase the children while imitating the calls of various wild animals.
It’s a recommended game that can be played even in a small indoor space.
Indoor recreation for children: A roundup of exciting games (181–190)
Back text guessing game
The “back-writing character guessing game” is something many adults probably played when they were kids.
It’s a very simple game, but it surprisingly gets everyone excited! The rules are easy: trace letters on someone’s back with your finger, and have them guess what you wrote.
It sounds simple, but it’s actually quite hard to figure out…
If you’re playing with a large group, you can turn it into a telephone game and have only the last person give the final answer—that’s fun too.
Start with about two characters, and once you get used to it, try increasing the number of characters!
Catch
This is a game called “Catch” that you can play without any equipment and without worrying about the number of players.
Everyone forms a circle.
First, make your right hand into a tube shape.
Then extend only your left index finger and place it inside the tubular right hand of the person on your left.
At the command “Catch!”, use your right hand to grab the finger of the person on your right, while using your left hand to pull your finger out so it doesn’t get caught by the person on your left.
If your right hand catches and your left hand escapes, you succeed.
It’s simple but requires concentration, since you have to pay attention with both hands.
In conclusion
Indoors, we tend to think play is limited, but with a bit of creativity there are plenty of activities that bring out kids’ smiles and the words “One more time!” On rainy or cold days when it’s hard to play outside, if the children seem bored, show them this article and look for activities you can enjoy together.