Lovely Play & Recreation

Recommended Indoor Activities and Recreation Games for July

10 years as a kindergarten teacher / elementary school teacher / junior and senior high school teacher / childminderkepiko
Graduated from Kunitachi College of Music, Faculty of Music (now: Department of Music Culture and Education, Early Childhood Music Education major). In elementary school, my homeroom teacher was Jun Kusaba, a game researcher. After graduating from university, I worked for 10 years as a kindergarten teacher and for 7 years as an after-school childcare instructor, then took a post as a music teacher at an international school in Singapore. In addition to music education, I also engaged in activities that shared Japanese culture, traditional games, and recreational play, working with many children. Afterwards, through freelance writing, planning, and editing work at Shogakukan, I met many delightful adults and experienced the joy of communicating and conveying ideas. Leveraging the perspective cultivated in educational settings and my experience as an editor, I aim to deliver practical information—focusing on fields related to music and children—that values both input and output. Hobbies include instruments, singing, handcrafts, toys, drawing, traditional play, the outdoors, books, DIY, and crafts. Special skill: spinning-top tricks.
Deputy Editor of RAG MUSICsasashina
Deputy Editor of RAG MUSIC. JFC-certified fact-checker. I’m Sasashina, a mom currently raising an elementary schooler and a preschooler. During my student years at Kyoto College of Science and Technology, I studied a wide range of fields including sound, lighting, and video technology, building a foundation in comprehensive stage production and creative expression. After graduation, I joined a music production company, where I still work, consistently building experience in production and engaging in a variety of music-centered tasks. Currently, I mainly handle articles for children, drawing on what I’ve learned about parenting and what I feel and discover through daily interactions with my kids. I hope my work can be of help to you, even in a small way!

July is a time when heatstroke is a concern, so it’s not ideal to spend long hours outside.

So, here we’ll introduce activities you can enjoy indoors! We’ve gathered games and activities that people of all ages can enjoy.

From drawing and board games to crafts, there are plenty of ways to have fun inside.

There are lots of recreational activities that both kids and adults will love.

Spend a fun time with your family and friends.

Be sure to give them a try and make cool, refreshing memories in a comfortable place!

Recommended Indoor Activities and Recreation Games for July (11–20)

Fishing game

[Easy] Play fishing with origami♪ Make it and have fun!! Enjoy it at home or in kindergarten/daycare!!

Fishing game

On rainy days, it’s hard to go to nearby seas or rivers to catch or even watch fish.

At times like that, enjoy homemade indoor fishing.

One way is to attach magnets to fish cut out of construction paper and to a fishing rod made from a chopstick; the magnets stick together so you can “catch” the fish.

Another way is to make fish out of origami, punch a slightly larger hole in them, and hook them with an origami fishing rod.

You can also cut milk cartons into fish shapes and float them in water to enjoy a scene that’s a bit closer to real fishing.

Try indoor fishing in whatever style you like!

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Making ice cubes

Ice Cubes: Cute ice cubes with mixed berries captured inside

Making ice cubes

Because summer is hot, we crave something cold.

At times like that, why not make some beautiful, icy-cold cubes? It’s even more fun if everyone makes them together.

In this video, they add berries so you can eat them after they melt, creating cubes that look and taste lovely.

It’s fun to drop them into your drinks, too.

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Hirakawa Masako (Bōkarisuto: Sakata Mizumako)

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Make ice cream

Just knead it in a bag! 4 easy ice cream recipes

Make ice cream

When you think of summer, you can’t help but crave an ice-cold frozen treat, right? Ice cream is easy to buy, so making it yourself might not even cross your mind.

But there’s actually a fun, simple way to make delicious ice cream—even kids can do it.

All you need is a food storage bag.

Just put the ingredients for the flavor you want inside the bag.

For example, for a yogurt-kiwi ice, add yogurt, kiwi, lemon juice, and honey to taste into the food storage bag, then squeeze and mash it with your hands.

Pop it in the freezer, and you’ll be amazed at how easily you can make a tasty ice treat! Try it with whatever flavors you like.

It’s a safe and fun indoor activity—and delicious, too.

Highly recommended.

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agar play

[Nursery/Kindergarten] Agar Play That Even Infants Can Enjoy! Sensory Play to Relieve Stress ✨ [Aims and Effects]

agar play

Enjoy a cool, jelly-like agar play using gelatin, perfect for indoor fun! You can safely add color with food coloring to create agar in a variety of hues.

The clear, jelly-like agar looks as beautiful as gemstones.

Then, tear it apart, press it into molds, and play! You can put it in a cup to make it look like a parfait, or place small clay creations inside—both are lovely ideas.

It’s also nice that you can display your creations and keep enjoying them afterward!

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Murakami Shinpei

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Drawing with ice

[Nursery & Kindergarten] Drawing with ice!? Perfect summer-colored water play ❄️

Drawing with ice

There are many ways to draw, but if you’re doing it in summer, we recommend this ice painting activity! Put various colors of paint into an ice tray and mix them.

Then cover the tray with aluminum foil and poke holes aligned with each compartment.

Insert a straw into each hole to use as a handle.

This way, you’ll make ice sticks you can draw with.

It’s a cool and super fun way to paint.

If you have children in daycare or kindergarten, give it a try!

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Badminton with balloons

On hot days, play indoors! Let's play balloon badminton♪

Badminton with balloons

Energetic children naturally want to play outside, but when it’s extremely hot, things like heatstroke and photochemical smog become a concern.

In such cases, here’s an indoor activity that lets them play to their heart’s content.

Make rackets out of paper plates and chopsticks, and play balloon badminton by batting a balloon back and forth.

It’s safe even in small spaces and highly recommended for kids.

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Hirakawa Masako (Bōkarisuto: Sakata Mizumako)

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Recommended indoor activities and recreation games for July (21–30)

Tanabata Magic

[Elderly Care Recreation] Authentic with Simple Tricks! Tanabata Magic

Tanabata Magic

We present two tricks perfect for Tanabata events: the Bamboo Leaf Magic and the Milky Way Magic.

In the Bamboo Leaf Magic, an ordinary bamboo leaf instantly transforms into a beautiful Tanabata decoration.

In the Milky Way Magic—how mysterious!—water turns into a flowing Milky Way.

Give these seasonal tricks a try.

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