[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!
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[For Kids] Indoor Fun! Large-Group Recreations and Games (1–10)
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!
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.
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.
