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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Wordplay & Quiz Games (21–30)
Count-up game
Feel the vibes and play! Here’s an idea for a count-up game.
In this simple game, you face each other with your eyes closed and count numbers one by one without deciding an order.
If two people say a number at the same time, start over from 1.
With a small group, aim for 20! If you have a large group or once you get used to it even in a small group, try raising the goal to 30 or 50.
Reaching the goal is sure to build a sense of connection among teammates.
Balloon and Ball Play (1–10)
Ping-pong ball game
It’s an easy game you can play with just a ping-pong ball and paper cups.
Line up paper cups along a wall and bounce the ping-pong ball once so it lands in a cup.
Decide how many balls each person gets, and whoever lands the most wins.
A nice feature is that you can freely adjust the number of cups and other elements to match the players’ ages and group size.
Since longer throwing distances make it harder, try changing the course length and the spacing of the cups based on age.
Decorating the paper cups can also make it cute and more exciting.
balloon volleyball
If you find volleyball painful because the ball is hard, or if you’re not great at sports but still want to enjoy volleyball, we recommend “balloon volleyball.” It’s a fun game where you keep batting a large balloon over to the other side.
Since it’s a balloon, it doesn’t hurt when it hits you, and even if you miss, it won’t drop to the floor instantly, so people of a wide range of ages can enjoy it.
Give it a try when you want to be active with a big group.
Just be careful not to pop the balloon!
Balloon carrying race
How about a balloon-carrying race where the sight of balloons floating and bobbing in the air is part of the fun? All you need to prepare are a newspaper and a balloon.
Form pairs of two, and each person holds one end of the newspaper—imagine the two of you spreading it out.
Then place the balloon in the center of the newspaper and run while carrying it.
It looks simple at first, but the momentum makes the balloon take off, so it’s trickier than you’d think.
Part of the fun is trying different strategies, like moving very gently or tilting the newspaper to shield the balloon from the wind.
Balloon badminton
Let’s try playing ‘balloon badminton’ with handmade rackets! You’ll need paper plates, wooden chopsticks, and duct tape for the rackets.
Just tape the paper plate and chopstick together.
Decorate them with origami or masking tape, or draw on them to make them cute.
Inflate a balloon to use as the shuttlecock and play badminton.
Balloons are safe even indoors, so little kids can play to their heart’s content.
Balloon lifting
Try a juggling challenge using balloons that gently float up into the air—it’s an easy game to attempt even for people who find it difficult with a soccer ball.
Since the airtime is different from a soccer ball, those who are used to the latter might actually find this more difficult.
If you kick with too much force, the trajectory becomes erratic, so controlling your power may be important for getting in more repetitions.
We recommend adding various rules—like seeing how many touches you can do with a specified kicking style—as you play the game.
Drive out the UFO!
It’s a game where a big balloon stands in for a UFO, and you throw balls at it while being careful not to touch it.
The closer you get before throwing, the easier it is to land a hit, but you’ll also be more likely to touch the UFO, so you need to judge your distance carefully.
Another key point is that when someone else’s ball hits the balloon, its movement can become more erratic, making ball control even more important.
If you increase the number of UFO balloons, reading their movements gets more complex, which is also a fun option.