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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- [Play Right Away!] Exciting Recreation Games Recommended for Elementary School Students
- [Elementary School] Quick and Easy! Indoor Recreational Activities Perfect for Lower Grades
- Recommended for upper elementary grades! Exciting indoor recreation and games
- Get the Fun Going! Easy Classroom Games You Can Play at School: Recreational Activities for the Whole Class
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- A simple and fun co-op game that enhances teamwork
Team Competition Game (1–10)
Hula hoop down
It’s a game where several people support a hula hoop using only their index fingers and work together to lower it to the floor.
It’s simple, but it requires a lot of teamwork.
If each person moves at a different speed, the hula hoop will drop easily.
Communicate with each other, coordinate your timing, and move in sync!
Ball Passing Relay
Playing with a ball indoors would normally get you scolded, but this ball run relay can be enjoyed safely inside! Each person holds a stick like a bamboo flume for nagashi somen—basically a tube cut in half.
You roll the ball along it, and everyone stands in a circle or lines up in a row to connect their “tracks” so the ball doesn’t fall.
You can compete to see how many laps the ball can make around the circle you’ve created, or everyone can keep extending the path and race to see which team can carry the ball to the goal fastest—there are lots of ways to play.
The difficulty changes with the ball’s weight, so it’s a good idea to prepare balls of various weights!
dodgeball
Let me introduce dodgeball.
First, draw the field on the ground and split into two teams, with infield and outfield players.
The infield players position themselves inside the field lines, and the outfield players position themselves outside the lines.
One team starts with the ball; at the signal to start, they throw the ball at the opposing infield players, who try to avoid being hit.
If a player is hit, they move to the outfield.
Even after moving to the outfield, if they manage to hit an infield player with the ball, they can return to the infield.
The team that eliminates all of the opposing infield players first wins.
Team Competition Games (11–20)
Sukiyaki rock-paper-scissors
It’s a team-based rock-paper-scissors game.
But plain old rock-paper-scissors would be boring, right? In Sukiyaki Rock-Paper-Scissors, the winning team draws a card; each card has a sukiyaki ingredient on it, and you collect those ingredients.
The first team to collect all the ingredients wins.
If you lose the round, you can’t draw a card, and even if you win, you won’t necessarily complete your set so easily—you might keep drawing the same ingredient over and over.
It’s a suspenseful yet exciting game that keeps everyone engaged.
Beanbag Toss Battle
A game that’s easy to get everyone excited indoors is the Beanbag Goal Battle! Players split into throwers and blockers.
You’ll need beanbags, a basket or box to serve as the goal, and a handheld fan.
The rules are simple: throwers aim their beanbags at the goal, while blockers use the fan to block them.
You compete by the number of beanbags that end up in the box.
You can also swap the basket or box for a target marked with different point values to play it like darts.
It’s a fun activity that also allows participants to keep social distance!
Bingo Relay
When you think of a relay, you probably picture teammates taking turns running toward the finish line, where being a good runner gives you a big advantage.
This version adds a thinking element to the relay, making it more game-like and easier for people who aren’t good at running to join.
After running, you arrive at a set of spaces with holes in the middle; you place your team’s piece there and pass the turn to the next runner.
Repeat this, and the first team to complete a row wins.
It’s designed so that you can also block the other team and pull off a comeback by completing your row first.
Vinyl Umbrella Ball Toss
This is a game where you try a familiar sports day event—tamaire (ball toss)—indoors.
Use a vinyl umbrella upside down as the basket, and throw badminton shuttlecocks instead of balls.
That way, even small children can enjoy it.
The child holding the umbrella might get bored and start spinning it, but that could make it more challenging in a fun way.