[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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- [Elementary School Rec] Recommended Games and Performances for a Fun Party
- February: Liven up childcare! A collection of ideas for indoor play and physical activities
- Indoor games and recreational activities recommended for daycare and kindergarten
[For Kids] Indoor Fun! Large-Group Recreations and Games (41–50)
A Hit with Toddlers! The Traffic Light Game
Let’s play the ‘Traffic Light Game,’ which also helps you learn traffic rules! Everyone except the leader stands at the start line.
When the leader says ‘Green,’ jump forward one step with both feet.
When they say ‘Yellow,’ jump back one step with both feet.
If they say ‘Red,’ you must not move.
Listen carefully to the leader’s words, move accurately, and cross the crosswalk safely.
The rules are simple, but thinking with your head and moving your body instantly is surprisingly challenging.
Once you get used to it, speed things up and try increasing the difficulty!
[For Kids] Indoor Fun! Large-Group Recreational Activities and Games (51–60)
Spoon Relay
Let’s try playing the ‘ladle relay,’ where you balance a ping-pong ball on a ladle and carry it.
Prepare a cooking ladle and a ping-pong ball.
You can easily get both at a 100-yen shop.
Set up a turnaround point and run a relay without dropping the ping-pong ball.
If you go too fast, the ball will fall, and the curve at the turnaround point needs extra caution too.
Spinning Mat Demon
For a high-intensity mat activity, we recommend “Spinning Mat Tag.” In this game, mats are lined up lengthwise to form a loop, and players move around them imitating animals—much like a game of tag.
The tagger stands outside the circle and gives a signal; in response, players inside the circle must hide part of their body under the mat.
Until they manage to hide, they can be caught by the tagger.
Enjoy the fun of imitating animals and the thrill of possibly being caught!
Telephone game
When it comes to classic large-group recreation, “Telephone” is a staple! Participants line up in a single row, and the prompt is whispered from the person at the front all the way to the last person.
If the last person can state the prompt accurately, you win! But it’s surprisingly hard, and most of the time the prompt changes into something funny along the way (lol).
Lately there are lots of fun variations, like the “Earphone-Blasting Telephone Game,” where you play while listening to loud music, and the “Gesture Telephone Game,” which mixes in charades.
Try making your own original rules and have fun playing!
Rock-paper-scissors is fun even in the rain
Here are some rock-paper-scissors games you can enjoy indoors with kids even on rainy days.
“American Rock-Paper-Scissors” reverses winning and losing, so it makes you think.
“Body Rock-Paper-Scissors” is a game where you use your whole body to show rock, paper, or scissors.
It’s recommended to decide in advance what movements will represent rock, scissors, and paper before you start.
In “Newspaper Rock-Paper-Scissors,” you stand on a sheet of newspaper while playing; if you lose, you fold your newspaper once and make it smaller each time.
In “Rock-Paper-Scissors Train,” the loser lines up behind the winner, and the train of players gradually grows longer.
Try these and find your favorite rock-paper-scissors game!
Card-flipping race
A card-flipping recreation game that lots of kids can play together.
First, split into a Red Team and a White Team, and wear red-and-white caps so everyone can tell which team they’re on.
Next, lay out cards that are red on one side and white on the other.
Once you’re ready, start the game! The Red Team flips cards to show the red side up, and the White Team flips cards to show the white side up.
When the time limit is up, the team with more cards showing their color wins.
Try it with a big group and have fun getting excited together!
Drop the Handkerchief
A simple game you can play anywhere as long as you have a handkerchief: “Handkerchief Drop.” It works with a small group or a large one.
Everyone sits in a circle while the tagger walks around behind them holding a handkerchief.
The tagger quietly drops the handkerchief behind someone; the person it’s dropped behind becomes the next tagger.
If that person notices quickly and tags the tagger, they’re safe; if not, the handkerchief gets dropped behind someone else.
It’s exciting wondering when the tagger will drop the handkerchief behind you.