![[For Kids] Indoor Fun! Large-Group Recreational Activities and Games](https://i.ytimg.com/vi_webp/kZNMYZa8AuQ/maxresdefault.webp)
[For Kids] Indoor Fun! Large-Group Recreational Activities and Games
Spending time with children, indoor fun time is important, isn’t it?
Even when the weather is bad or when you can’t go outside due to coordinating spaces with other classes, kids can refresh and have a fulfilling time if you enjoy doing recreations and games indoors.
Here, we’ve gathered ideas for indoor recreations and games that work well with large groups.
We’ve divided them into activities for preschoolers and for elementary school children, so you’re sure to find ideas that suit the kids who will be playing.
Please use this as a reference!
[For Kids] Indoor Fun! Large-Group Recreations and Games (1–10)
Hand-holding relay
“Hand-in-Hand Relay” is a relay race you play cooperatively with friends.
When the first child starts, they run around a marker and return to the line.
Then they hold hands with the next child in line and run again.
After circling the marker, they now take the third child’s hand, and so on.
The team grows larger with each lap.
The challenging part of this game is that everyone must keep in step, or there’s a risk of falling.
Encourage children to sense their friends’ rhythm and be considerate.
It’s a play activity rich in learning.
Human Othello
Human Othello is a game that helps kids build teamwork.
It’s based on the Othello board game.
Players split into red and white teams, and if you get sandwiched between two opposing players, you’re flipped to the other team.
Since each person can only take three steps per turn, it’s fun for all ages.
You can’t win by wandering around aimlessly, so communicate with your teammates as you play.
By the way, having red-and-white caps makes it easier to tell the teams apart and is quite handy.
Rock-Paper-Scissors Tag
“Janken-oni” is a game for 5-year-old classes to help children understand winning and losing in rock-paper-scissors.
Draw three lines on the floor and have the children stand facing each other on both sides of the middle line.
Each pair plays rock-paper-scissors; the winner runs to the safe zone beyond the outer line, and the loser chases them.
It’s a race to see whether the winner reaches the safe zone first or the loser catches the winner first.
It’s sure to be a hit, since it requires not only speed but also quick decision-making.
Teleportation Game
The “Teleportation Game” requires teamwork with friends.
The rules are simple: stand in a circle holding sticks made from rolled-up newspaper.
At the signal, let go of your stick and try to catch your neighbor’s stick before it falls.
If everyone succeeds, each person takes one step back.
As the distance increases, the difficulty goes up.
If you fail to catch a stick, you’re out.
The last person remaining wins.
Quick movements and watching your friends closely are the keys to success.
Adjust the rules to suit the children’s ages and personalities, and have fun!
Cardboard Sandal Race
Let me introduce a fun activity you can play with everyday materials: the “Cardboard Zori (Sandal) Race.” You’ll need cardboard, shoelaces, paper cups, and a ball.
First, punch holes in the cardboard.
Thread the laces through, and you’ve got simple sandals.
Attach a paper cup to each sandal, and you’re done.
The game is to make it to the goal without letting the ball fall out of the cup.
Since you move slowly to keep the ball from dropping, there’s less worry about bumping into each other, which is nice.
You can also adapt it to your child’s age—for example, by using newspaper instead of paper cups.
Evolution Rock-Paper-Scissors
“Evolution Rock-Paper-Scissors,” a game recommended for kids who love rock-paper-scissors! In this game, everyone starts by moving while lying face down.
When you meet someone, you play rock-paper-scissors; if you win, you “evolve” from lying down to crawling on all fours, then to bear crawl, and finally to walking on two legs.
The first person to reach two-legged walking wins.
You can add rules like “if you lose, you devolve one stage,” which makes it harder to reach two-legged walking and adds a fun sense of frustration.
Moving on all fours and in a bear crawl is quite a workout, so it’s also great for beating lack of exercise!
epicenter
This is a game where you watch your friends and guess the “epicenter.” First, choose the guesser and have them stand in the center of the circle.
The other players sit in a circle around the guesser.
Then choose the “epicenter,” who will decide the motions.
The epicenter subtly picks the next action and gets everyone to follow, trying to keep the guesser from noticing who started it—whether it’s moving their body, clapping, etc.
When the guesser correctly identifies the epicenter, switch roles.
It’s a game that tests your acting skills.
Body Rock-Paper-Scissors
Introducing “Body Rock-Paper-Scissors,” a game that lets you move your whole body with dynamic actions.
Let’s break down each move: “Rock” is a small squat with knee bends, “Scissors” stretches and bends the Achilles tendon and arms, and “Paper” opens up the whole body.
These poses naturally cultivate balance and a sense of rhythm.
The best part is you can do it easily without any equipment, whether outdoors or indoors.
Give Body Rock-Paper-Scissors a try and have fun moving your body!
Monster Hunter Game
The game that incorporates rhythm play elements is the “Mōjū-gari Game” (Wild Animal Hunt Game).
The teacher becomes the leader and calls out, “Let’s go hunt wild animals,” and the children imitate it.
It gets more exciting if you add variations like, “We’re not afraid of wild animals,” or “We’ve even got spears!” During the game, when the teacher says the name of an animal—like “We found an elephant!”—the children group themselves into the same number of people as the number of syllables in that animal’s name.
You can also raise the difficulty by choosing animals with longer names to suit the children’s age.
Sinking Game
Imagine the room as the ocean, with adults or designated leaders acting as sharks.
When the game starts, children move onto mats to avoid being eaten by the sharks.
The mats are safe zones.
However, when the teacher signals “The ship is sinking!”, the mats are considered to be sinking into the sea, so children must move to different mats.
It’s a game that lets kids use their imagination while it unfolds.
Be careful not to get eaten by the sharks when moving between mats! This is a highly recommended game that lets kids move their bodies energetically even indoors.