Lovely Play & Recreation

Indoor recreation for children: A roundup of exciting games

Composition nerdmutō
Started performing in bands in junior high school. Influenced by Japanese rock and UK rock, spent over 10 years continuing band activities while creating original songs. Later began producing Vocaloid tracks using Hatsune Miku, with total plays of released songs surpassing 10,000. Has five years of experience writing for music magazines. Currently works as a music writer, director, and composer, keeping a ground-level perspective on the scene by attending live shows across Japan. Now performs at live houses in Tokyo, showcasing guitar playing centered on acoustic guitar and informed by knowledge of chord analysis and guitar scales. Also writes leveraging a broad knowledge of music genres.
Deputy Editor of RAG MUSICsasashina
Deputy Editor of RAG MUSIC. JFC-certified fact-checker. I’m Sasashina, a mom currently raising an elementary schooler and a preschooler. During my student years at Kyoto College of Science and Technology, I studied a wide range of fields including sound, lighting, and video technology, building a foundation in comprehensive stage production and creative expression. After graduation, I joined a music production company, where I still work, consistently building experience in production and engaging in a variety of music-centered tasks. Currently, I mainly handle articles for children, drawing on what I’ve learned about parenting and what I feel and discover through daily interactions with my kids. I hope my work can be of help to you, even in a small way!

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!”

Indoor recreation for kids: A roundup of exciting games (21–30)

Rock-Paper-Scissors Train

Buu’s Visit to the Nursery School (Rock-Paper-Scissors Train)

Rock-Paper-Scissors Train

Janken Train is a game where the person who wins rock-paper-scissors becomes the leader, and the person who loses lines up behind them, forming a longer and longer train.

Music plays during the game, and when the music stops, you find a partner and play rock-paper-scissors.

You repeat this until everyone forms a single line.

The person at the very front of the train—in other words, the one who keeps winning—wins the game.

The line gets quite long toward the end, so please remember to walk slowly.

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Command Game

Command Game

Command Game

Many people, not just children, are probably looking for indoor recreation that can get a wide range of age groups excited.

For you, we recommend the “Command Game.” In this game, participants must act according to the commands given by the leader—that’s the rule.

The leader should mix in feints and tricks within the commands to make everyone slip up.

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Indoor recreation for children: A roundup of exciting games (31–40)

A game about finding the correct moves

Fun games you can play with friends

A game about finding the correct moves

Act out the prompt’s movement and have others guess it.

For example, if the prompt is “forward roll,” the guesser should try various movements that come to mind.

The children around, who know the prompt, should react to each movement.

Decide in advance how to react when the movement is close to the prompt—for example, by cheering.

Using those reactions, the guesser narrows down the correct answer.

It’s also fun to have multiple guessers or to play team versus team.

You don’t need any materials, it’s a simple game, and it’s sure to get everyone excited.

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Human Othello

Human Othello

Human Othello

A game played inside a square court where players split into two teams and try to increase the number of teammates in their own color.

First, after dividing into teams, everyone can move freely around the court for 10 seconds.

At the leader’s signal to stop, everyone freezes in place and the game begins.

In a predetermined order, if you and a teammate of the same color can sandwich a player of the other color between you, you can flip them to your color.

You may move up to three steps when doing this.

If you successfully sandwich someone, shout “Othello!” Work together by calling out to teammates and deciding whom to sandwich.

You win by wiping out the opposing team or by having the greater number of players at the end.

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The Falling-Falling Game

Hand Play: Introducing a hand-play activity you can turn into a game!

The Falling-Falling Game

If you’re looking for hand-play or rhythm games, how about the “Ochita Ochita” game? In this game, the leader says, “Ochita, ochita” (It fell, it fell), and the participants ask, “Nani ga ochita?” (What fell?).

Then, when the leader says, “◯◯ ga ochita” (◯◯ fell), everyone does a gesture to match the item that fell.

The rules are simple, so it’s great even for small children.

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Card-flipping race

At the Fukui City nursery school sports day, parent-child event: Card Flip! Try this popular game together at the sports day!

Card-flipping race

This is a game called “Card Flipping Race” using two-colored cards with different colors on the front and back.

Place many cards on the floor with red on one side and white on the other.

Split into the Red Team and the White Team and line up in single files.

At the start signal, everyone begins flipping the cards to their own team’s color.

Even if a card is flipped right in front of you, keep flipping it back to your team’s color.

Set a time limit; when time is up, return to the start line.

The team with more cards showing their color wins.

It’s fun even with a large group, and the more cards you have, the more exciting it gets!

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Clap-Clap Game

@mimasakadaigaku
A clapping game you can use for class activities! It’s super easy, so give it a try!#Mimasaka University #Pachi-Pachi Game Class party/activity
♬ Pretty and fun Marimba song – Azuline

Here are six quick games you can enjoy in short spare moments: “Pat-and-Rub,” where your left and right hands do different movements; the “Rock-Paper-Scissors Game,” where the right hand always has to win; and the “Command Game,” in which you move according to a leader’s instructions, among others.

All of these can be played indoors and work for small to large groups, so everyone can have fun together.

The simple rules make them suitable for children from the early elementary grades, and it’s great that they help develop motor skills.

Because the rules are simple, you can also add variations to adjust the difficulty.

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