A collection of simple indoor recreational games

Balloon release

Fly away, balloons! (Day-service recreation)

Use tape to mark a frame on the floor and place inflated balloons inside it.

Give each participant beanbags, and at the start signal, have them aim at the balloons.

It’s a success if they can knock all the balloons out of the frame! This game can be played while seated, so it’s recommended for older adults.

Also, beanbags don’t bounce or fly off like balls, making it easy to gather them after throwing.

You can compete for the fastest time to clear all the balloons, or have two people play simultaneously and see who can knock out more balloons.

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sasashina

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Strikeout

Strikeout B (rental)

Struck Out is a game where you throw a ball at a board with numbers on it.

When the section of the board you hit pops out, you earn the number of points written there.

The most common type uses a 3×3 grid of nine targets, and you often see celebrities try it on TV shows! You might think you need a special board to play, but you can easily make one yourself using cardboard or wooden boards.

Even if you don’t make a version where the numbers pop out, you can play endlessly by simply awarding points whenever the ball hits a numbered section.

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SAKI

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Balloon Trampoline

[Balloon Trampoline] Strengthen the core with crawling movements! #indoorplay #developmentalplay #childcare

Only two materials! Here’s an idea for a balloon trampoline.

The bouncy, springy feeling of a trampoline excites both kids and adults, doesn’t it? This time, let’s play with a DIY trampoline.

All you need is a large vacuum/compression storage bag and balloons.

Inflate the balloons and pack them into the storage bag.

Seal the bag, compress it, and you’re done! A balloon-made trampoline is colorful and sure to capture kids’ attention!

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.

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Guess the letters written on the balloon

Balloon Letter Guessing Game

Participants form a circle, and one representative stands in the center.

Prepare balloons with hiragana written on them and toss them around.

Work together to keep the balloons from falling while simultaneously guessing the characters written on them.

If there are only a few participants, you can skip having someone stand in the center.

The characters on the balloons can be random hiragana, or you can choose ones that form words when combined.

Reading the characters while keeping the balloons in the air is quite challenging, but it’s a lot of fun—give it a try!

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sasashina

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