A collection of simple indoor recreational games
Looking for team-based games that can get everyone excited indoors? Indoor recreational activities that use open spaces and simple tools actually hide a lot of charm.
From easy games using familiar items like balloons and plastic bottles to idea-driven challenges that make the most of teamwork, we’ll introduce a variety of fun options.
Why not discover new ways to play with your friends and family? Welcome to the world of indoor recreation, where everyone can smile!
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Handmade Craft Games (11–20)
Plastic Bottle Bowling
Here’s a popular indoor activity: plastic bottle bowling.
Prepare 10 empty plastic bottles and add a small amount of water to each to stabilize them.
Wrap construction paper around the bottles to decorate them.
Once ready, line up the bottles and get a safe rubber ball.
Let the children roll the ball and enjoy plastic bottle bowling.
Count how many bottles fall to determine the winner.
Adjust the rolling distance based on the children’s age by making it longer or shorter.
fishing
Let’s make a fishing game where you can catch all kinds of sea creatures—big fish, small fish, crabs, and jellyfish! We’ll create the fish using small empty containers and recyclables like plastic bags, yogurt cups, probiotic drink bottles, and toilet paper rolls.
Embed a magnet on the inside where the fish’s head or dorsal fin will be.
For the fishing rod, attach string (like cotton twine) to a pair of chopsticks and add a magnet to the end of the string.
You can wrap the chopsticks with masking tape to make them cute.
Make your kids’ favorite sea creatures and have fun playing!
Whack-a-mole with paper cups
Instead of whacking moles, this is a new kind of whack-a-mole game where you capture them by covering them with a hammer! Draw mole pictures on several paper cups, then make hammers by attaching handles to paper cups of the same size.
After that, just cover the moles that are placed out with your hammers, stacking them up as you go.
The person who captures the most moles wins! You don’t need a special base—just place the mole cups upside down on a table or the floor—so you can set it up anytime and enjoy it easily.
Balance game
This is a balance game where you hang fruit on a wobbly tree without letting it topple over! Bundle a few bendable straws together to make a tree, and clip a clothespin to the base to keep it in place.
Prepare either the top or bottom half of a capsule and glue a marble inside.
Attach the straw tree you made to the rim of the capsule, and the main body of the balance game is complete! Draw fruit on paper, add rubber bands, and hook them onto the straw branches so the tree doesn’t fall.
The depth of the capsule changes how wobbly it is, so adjust the difficulty and have fun experimenting.
Indoor basketball hoop craft
Let’s play with a handmade basketball set! Here are some ideas for crafting an indoor basketball hoop.
After watching Olympic basketball, many kids probably started admiring the players, right? This time, let’s try making an indoor basketball game you can build and play with.
You’ll need two hangers, yarn, cardboard, scissors, and more.
It’s great because the steps are simple.
This is also a recommended idea for when you want to get moving indoors!
indoor hockey game
Kids are guaranteed to be hooked! Here’s an indoor hockey game idea.
Hockey, which was a big hit at the Olympics, is played with sticks and a hockey ball.
This time, let’s try an indoor version you can enjoy at home.
All you need are marker cones.
Set up two red and two blue marker cones facing each other as goals, then use another color of marker cone as the “ball.” Slide it along the floor and aim for the goal—game on!
Playable Archery Craft
Let’s make a bow and arrow that flies well! Here are some ideas for a playable archery activity.
Archery is a sport where you use a bow and arrow to hit a target.
This time, how about getting involved from the making process and having fun by using plastic forks, straws, and rubber bands? You can stack paper cups to make a target, or draw a picture on paper to create one.
Try playing together with a parent or guardian, experimenting with timing and how you launch the arrows.
It’s sure to become a valuable time for communication.
Tetris game
Tetris is the classic puzzle game where you combine randomly falling block shapes to complete lines.
How about making a Tetris-inspired puzzle using cardboard? Prepare a piece of cardboard with a grid of squares and a set of randomly shaped blocks, and aim to fill the grid perfectly, just like in Tetris.
If you decorate the blocks with bright colors, the different shapes will be easier to tell apart and it will make the game more fun.
It’s also great to split the playfield into two sections and play head-to-head as a versus game.
Cardboard Badminton
Let’s have fun using recycled materials! Here’s an idea for cardboard badminton.
When you think of badminton, you use a racket and a shuttlecock, right? This time, let’s make both pieces of equipment using scrap materials you can find at home, like cardboard.
What you’ll need: cardboard, an A4-size clear plastic file, tissue paper, a permanent marker, tape, a ruler, scissors, and more.
The way the shuttlecock spins around as it falls is unique and really fun to watch!
Wordplay & Quiz Game (1–10)
Who am I? game
A “Who am I?” game you can enjoy with family and friends! It’s a guessing game where the host thinks of a person or an object, and everyone asks questions to figure it out.
No supplies needed—you can start right away.
Ask things like “Is this person real?” or “Where is this item used?” and work together through different questions.
The best part is that satisfying “Ah-ha!” moment when you crack the answer.
You can play at home without a large space, so it’s perfect for rainy days or when you can’t go out.
It’s a great indoor activity that deepens communication, too.