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!”
- [For Kids] Indoor Fun! Large-Group Recreational Activities and Games
- 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
- 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] Have Fun at After-School Day Service! A Special Feature on Indoor Game Ideas
- 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 (51–60)
Fun indoors! Ice play
@nexus_official5 Makes you look forward to cold days?! We can’t wait for spring either, but try making this on a day when the forecast says it’ll be chilly the next day!#nexus#memorytree nursery schoolKids will love it#IcePlayWinter PlayNursery teacher / Childcare worker#MemoriesTree Nursery School
♬ Escort – MoppySound
Using tissue paper and food coloring to make “flower ice” is a beautiful winter-only experiment play.
First, place tissue paper in a clear cup, add water and your choice of food coloring or paint, and gently stir.
Depending on the color combinations, you’ll get patterns as lovely as flower petals.
Set the cups outside to freeze, and you’ll have “flower ice” with colors sealed inside crystal-clear ice.
It’s fun to hold them up to the sunlight or stack them to create an icy flower garden.
A winter art experience that captivates both kids and adults.
play sword-fighting (make-believe)
Little kids love playing pretend sword fights.
Since you can play it indoors, it’s perfect as a rainy-day recreation game.
It’s easy to make the swords using newspaper, and these days you can also buy soft foam sticks made for pretend sword fighting, which might be a good option to use.
Drawing Shiritori
Let’s play Drawing Shiritori, a game that combines everyone’s favorite drawing and shiritori! You look at the picture drawn by the previous person and then draw a picture of a word that follows from it, passing it on to the next person.
For example, if you’re shown a picture of a “neko” (cat), you draw something that starts with “ko,” then show it to the next person.
If someone misunderstands the picture and draws something unrelated, they lose.
Since some kids are good at drawing and others aren’t, you can offer hints if it’s too difficult.
Target shooting game
How about trying a target-hitting game like the ones you see at food stalls or festivals? When you think of target games, things like balls or shooting games might seem a bit difficult for small children, and you might need to prepare lots of balls.
But in this version, you aim at the targets with an easy-to-use “extendable sword.” The extendable sword can be made easily with just a straw, disposable chopsticks, and copier paper.
It would be fun for everyone to make their own original sword, too.
For targets, you can reuse materials like plastic bottles.
Indoor recreation for children: A roundup of exciting games (61–70)
Saying the same things, doing the same things.
This is a game that develops the ability to listen carefully and follow instructions—and it’s fun, too.
First, several people hold hands and line up side by side.
When the leader says, “Say the same, do the same: right,” everyone jumps to the right.
When the leader says, “Say the same, do the opposite: right,” this time you do the opposite, so you jump to the left.
You can also jump forward or backward! It builds a sense of unity, so it seems perfect as a recreational activity with new students.
Towel-Grabbing Game
It’s a simple, easy game where two people lightly hold each end of a towel, then pull hard on a signal; the one who manages to take the towel wins.
Children up to around preschool age should enjoy it, and it may also help improve their quick reaction skills!
Plastic Bag Carpet Race
This is a two-person game called “Plastic-Bag Carpet Race.” Prepare a plastic bag and place it on the floor; one person stands on it.
The other person crouches down and holds the edge of the bag.
On the cue “Ready, go!”, the standing person jumps slightly forward, and while they are in the air, the crouching person pulls and moves the plastic bag forward.
The jumper must land on the bag.
Progress little by little toward the goal.
If the jumper fails to land on the bag, you have to go back and start over from the starting line.