Fun things to enjoy in January: from indoor games to traditional New Year’s pastimes
January, when we welcome the New Year, is the perfect time to enjoy activities that are a little different from the everyday! From traditional New Year’s games like karuta, fukuwarai, and spinning tops to easy, casual fun like charades and plastic-bottle bowling, why not try some seasonal games this time of year? In this article, we’re sharing plenty of ideas for January activities that will put smiles on the faces of family and friends.
Whether it’s games that get you moving indoors despite the cold or ones you can enjoy while connecting with older adults, discover the charm of each activity and make wonderful memories to start the new year.
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Fun activities to enjoy in January: from indoor games to traditional New Year’s pastimes (11–20)
bōzu-mekuri (a traditional Japanese card-flipping game)
This is Bouzu Mekuri, a traditional Japanese card game that has long been enjoyed.
Players take turns drawing from a face-down deck.
If you draw a “Lord,” you keep it in your hand.
If you draw a “Monk,” you must place your entire hand onto the table.
If you draw a “Princess,” you take all the cards currently on the table.
It’s a game that tests your luck.
oshikura manju (a children’s pushing game)
Human body heat is warm and comforting, and when you can move while touching each other, you feel an even greater warmth to get through the winter.
Oshikura Manju is a traditional game that combines movement and physical contact to help you stay warm in winter.
Participants form a circle, press their backs together, and gently push against each other while singing.
While trying not to lose balance, they create warmth in the moment.
Because it involves mindful, gentle contact, it can also help participants feel a sense of connection with one another.
Kendama
How about trying your hand at a traditional game, kendama? It’s great because you can play it even in a small space.
It originally started as a game unique to Japan, but nowadays it’s gained popularity as a sport to the point that world championships are held.
First, try practicing a trick called “O-ozara,” or the “big cup.”
Crawling race
When you’d rather not have kids dashing around indoors, I recommend a crawling race.
It’s fun even in small spaces.
It’s trickier than you’d think, and you can’t help but laugh.
It’s especially great for little ones of preschool or kindergarten age.
Shiritori
Isn’t it a game everyone has played at least once? Regular shiritori is fine, but by adding twists—like only allowing song or book titles, or setting a time limit—it quickly becomes a game anyone can enjoy regardless of age.
It’s great because everyone can have fun together.
Rock-Paper-Scissors Train
If you have a large group of elementary school kids, “Rock-Paper-Scissors Train” is recommended.
You play rock-paper-scissors, and the loser lines up behind the winner.
In the end, the person at the front is the champion.
Some people might have done this in school classes.
It’s an easy, exciting, and fun recreation activity.
menko (a traditional Japanese card-and-coin-flipping game)
Some of you might have been really into this when you were kids.
It’s a game where the look matters too—there are rectangular and round ones, and some with characters on them.
Making your own out of origami is also an option.
The trick is to throw it so that you send a gust of air under your opponent’s menko.
Gesture Game
It’s a game where you express a given prompt using only body movements without making any sounds, and the others try to guess what the original prompt was.
Your creativity is tested in how you imagine the prompt’s form and which movements you choose to convey it.
If you feel a single action doesn’t get the message across, switching up your movements is important—keep developing them into motions that are easier for others to understand.
Watching someone earnestly act out something that doesn’t come across, even if the guess is wrong, is exactly the kind of moment that gets everyone excited.
Plastic Bottle Bowling
It’s a game inspired by bowling where you line up plastic bottles and throw a ball to see how many you can knock down in a single throw.
Decorate the bottles—used as pins—colorfully, and all you need after that is a ball to start having fun.
To boost the challenge, try adjusting the weight by adding water to the bottles so they’re harder to knock over.
Customize the rules to suit the player—tweak the weight of the pins and the throwing distance, and so on.
Hyakunin Isshu
Hyakunin Isshu is a game strongly associated with New Year’s, and it’s also a perfect way to spark interest in classical waka poetry.
Let’s take on Hyakunin Isshu, experiencing both the enduring words that have been passed down through generations and the competitive aspect of the game.
Unlike the reading cards, the grabbing cards have the second half of the poem written on them, so recognizing whether the poem being read is one you know becomes an important point.
If there’s a big difference in how much each player remembers, the game can become one-sided, so keep that balance in mind as you play.