Lovely Play & Recreation

Solo indoor play ideas for elementary school kids: a collection to turn boredom into fun time

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 as a kindergarten teacher for 10 years and as an after-school childcare instructor for 7 years, then took a position as a music teacher at an international school in Singapore. In addition to music education, I engaged in activities that introduced Japanese culture, traditional games, and recreational activities, working with many children. Later, through freelance writing, planning, and editing at Shogakukan, I met many delightful adults and experienced the joy of communicating and sharing. Drawing on the perspective cultivated in the field of education and my experience as an editor, I provide practical information with an emphasis on both input and output, mainly in areas related to music and children. My hobbies include instruments, singing, handicrafts, toys, drawing, traditional games, the outdoors, and books. My special skill is 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!

Wondering how to spend all that free time? For elementary school kids, discovering their own hobbies and ways to play is an important part of growing up.

With activities they can enjoy quietly indoors, even a boring rainy day can turn into something special! Here, we’ll introduce fun indoor activities like jigsaw puzzles and scratch art that can nurture children’s interests and talents.

They might even discover a new hobby or skill they can get totally absorbed in on their own!

Solo indoor play ideas for elementary school kids! A collection of boredom-busters that turn free time into fun (1–10)

Ball games you can play alone

[Indoors OK] Solo Ball Games: 5 Recommended Picks Even Toddlers Can Do

Ball games you can play alone

Here are five ball games you can play by yourself! First: kick the ball yourself, run, and pass it through your legs.

You’ll use your head, too, as you think about how hard to kick.

Second: toss the ball up and pass it through your arms—moving your body is the key.

Third: balance one ball on top of another and keep it still.

Fourth: hold the ball above your head, bend your body backward, pass it through your legs, and catch it—great for flexibility.

Finally, a game using a hula hoop: while the hoop is spinning, move the ball.

You don’t need to throw or kick hard to have fun with any of these, so give them a try!

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I tried harmonizing on the recorder.

'Dance at Home' by Gen Hoshino — An elementary school student tried harmonizing alone with a recorder

I tried harmonizing on the recorder.

After Gen Hoshino posted on Instagram, saying, “Could someone add instrumental accompaniment, chorus, or dance to this video?”, videos combining singing, dancing, and performances with ‘Uchi de Odorou’ began to spread.

Through video, you can feel like you’re performing together with others while staying at home, and you can practice as many times as you like without worrying about mistakes.

Anyone can do it—so it’s great for children who are beginners on the recorder, and for kids who struggle with the recorder, trying other instruments is also recommended.

Choose your favorite song and have fun!

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Pocket Coloring Book

http://www.lemon8-app.com

Pocket Coloring: print your favorite drawings on small sheets of paper and take them anywhere.

Kids can easily enjoy them while out and about or during wait times, like on the train.

Coloring with their fingertips helps develop fine motor skills and pencil control, which leads to better handwriting.

Choosing colors nurtures imagination and a sense of color, and the sense of accomplishment when they finish builds confidence and self-esteem.

Prepare a variety of illustrations kids love, and keep them together with colored pencils in a pouch so they’re easy to carry.

As children naturally build the habit of focusing, both kids and adults can enjoy coloring together!

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Solo indoor play for elementary school kids! A collection of ideas to turn boredom into fun (11–20)

My First Fake Sweets

Let me introduce some super cute-looking fake sweets.

These days, you can find all kinds of candy-themed items at 100-yen shops, so it’s easy to enjoy.

How about decorating your favorite shaped motifs with whipped cream for sweets deco and adding dragees? You don’t even have to make the motifs yourself to have fun, so it’s perfect for your first fake-sweets project! Thinking about colors and shapes and handling tiny parts helps develop fine motor skills and boosts concentration.

You’ll nurture many abilities while having fun making them, so give it a try!

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Trump Tower

Funabashi City Children's Home “Let’s Play at Home” – Playing Card Tower

Trump Tower

A heart-pounding, nerve‑racking card tower where you carefully stack playing cards.

It’s great fun with a crowd using rules like “whoever knocks it down loses,” but you can also enjoy it solo with quiet tension.

Because you can focus entirely on your own world, it naturally nurtures concentration and dexterity.

Even if it collapses, if you don’t give up and try again, you’ll experience the joy of success—“I did it!” The more you find your own tricks and stack it higher, the more fun it becomes.

You can take it slow at your own pace, build confidence, and it’s a perfect recommendation for solo indoor play.

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Instrument performance

Shut Up!! [Recorder] Ado — with Do-Re-Mi Sheet Music

Instrument performance

Letting children interact with musical instruments from an early age is a meaningful way to nurture their sensitivity.

In recent years, a wide range of child-sized instruments and easy-to-use musical toys have become available, making it possible to introduce kids to the joy of making sounds.

For younger children, even instruments like drums that make sounds just by being struck can be exciting.

It’s a highly recommended way to spend time: they can start by playing on their own, get totally absorbed, and if it develops into a real hobby, it will surely make time at home even more fulfilling.

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Hoshino Takashi

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Shrinky dink crafts with everyday materials

Play before you throw it away!! Have fun with Shrinky Dinks using everyday materials • What can be used as Shrinky Dinks • How to make Shrinky Dinks ❤︎ How to make Shrinky Dinks idea ❤︎ #870

Shrinky dink crafts with everyday materials

Everyday items can actually be used as materials for shrink plastic crafts.

There are many types of plastic, and not all of them will work.

Polystyrene is fine.

Check the symbol on the container carefully when choosing.

Once you find something usable, draw on it just like you would with regular shrink plastic.

Polystyrene cups shrink and crumple into a rounded shape as they bake, which is fun to watch.

Be careful, though—aluminum foil can sometimes stick! You can turn them into coasters or make a toy wristwatch.

Before you throw containers away, be sure to check them and give this a try!

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