[For Kids] Indoor Fun! Large-Group Recreational Activities and Games

Flip-over game

FY2015 Minami Nursery School Overnight Care Afternoon 3

Prepare many double-sided sheets of paper with different colors on the front and back, and lay them on the floor.

At the starting signal, everyone begins flipping them over.

Split into two teams and flip the cards to your team’s color.

It works well with high-contrast combinations like red and white or black and white.

It’s fun and easy to understand even for young children, and you can play with a small number of people.

Since you move around to flip the cards, it’s a game that also gives you some exercise.

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Human finger smartphone (likely shorthand for smartphone operated by human finger)

The finger-guessing game done with people that went viral on Twitter was super fun.

Ningen Yubisuma is a game where the members present form a circle, lower their heads, and then try to guess how many people will raise their heads on a given count.

For example, if there are 10 players, one person says “Yubisuma 5” and raises their head.

If, as a result, exactly five people have raised their heads, the guesser is considered to have cleared and leaves the game.

The role of the guesser should rotate in order, such as clockwise.

You can enjoy the thrill of “How many will raise their heads next?” and “I can’t get it right—what should I do?” When playing with children, adults should actively demonstrate as examples so everyone can feel comfortable and have fun.

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Birthday line

Game | Birthday Chain

The birthday line is a game where the people present line up in order of their birthdays.

With adults or elementary school students, it’s often played by communicating through gestures without speaking.

However, when playing with preschoolers, start by having the children accurately tell each other their birthdays using words.

You can choose to start the line with January or with April, but starting in April tends to be more familiar and easier for children to understand.

This game lets kids enjoy communicating with one another and gives them a chance to learn their friends’ birthdays, which they don’t usually think about.

The moment when you check the order after lining up is exciting! Even ending up with “Oops, we got it wrong!” can be part of the fun.

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Ball arranging game

Ball Arrangement Game (3×3, 4×4) [Indoor Physical Activity Example]

The “Ball Lineup Game” is a game where teams place two different-colored balls on a 3×3 grid, and the team that lines up their balls in a row first wins.

Each team only has three balls, so you reuse them by rearranging ones you’ve already placed.

You can also play on a 4×4 grid with four balls.

Each team tries to make a straight line; after placing a ball on a square, you tag the next teammate to switch turns.

It’s a thrilling game where teams race to see who can line up their balls the fastest.

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Cat and Mouse (Mousetrap)

Physical play to enhance children's motor skills: 4. Cat and Mouse (Mouse Trap)

For those who want to move their bodies to the fullest in a limited indoor space, we recommend “Cat and Mouse (Mouse Trap)”! Split into a cat team and a mouse team.

The cat team forms a circle around the mouse team, joining hands.

At the start signal, the mouse team tries to escape outside the circle, while the cat team uses their joined hands to block them so they can’t get out.

Set a time limit and then switch roles, competing to see which team’s mice manage to escape more.

It’s a fun game that gives you a full-body workout with lots of standing and crouching.

Give it a try!

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