Indoor games and recreational activities recommended for daycare and kindergarten
Even on days when the weather is bad and the kids can’t go outside, they still want to move their bodies and play! At times like that, many teachers and parents wonder what indoor activities to do.
Here, we introduce indoor recreational activities that can be enjoyed at nurseries and kindergartens.
You’ll find lots of ideas that kids can dive into with sparkling eyes—full-body movement games, activities everyone can enjoy together, traditional games, and sensory play.
Have fun staying active with the children, even indoors.
These are also great as references for games at events!
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Recommended Indoor Activities and Recreation Games for Nurseries and Kindergartens (111–120)
Color Search Game
Let’s look for what colors are hiding around the room! Here are some ideas for a color-finding game.
This activity is appealing thanks to its simple and easy-to-understand rules.
Just color some paper with markers, put the pieces into a paper cup, and you’re ready to play! It feels exciting, like drawing lots.
As you play, it helps improve color recognition, making it a fun and educational activity.
Once you get used to the game, try drawing two pieces of paper and combining the two colors—that sounds fun too.
Give it a try!
Recommended Indoor Activities and Recreation Games for Nurseries and Kindergartens (121–130)
Colored water play
Let’s try a colored-water activity where you add color to clear water and enjoy both the feel of touching the water and the visual changes in color.
First, use colorful water-based markers to add color to a sheet of copy paper.
Next, dip the copy paper into a clear cup filled with water.
You can enjoy watching the color gradually spread, and you can look forward to the children’s surprised reactions.
Once you’ve made a few different colored waters, it’s also fun to mix them to create new colors.
Give this activity a try—it also helps train concentration and observation skills.
The ‘It fell, it fell’ game
Let me introduce a quick-reaction game called “It Fell, It Fell.” The teacher says, “It fell, it fell,” and the children ask, “What fell?” The teacher names what fell.
For example, if the teacher says “an apple,” the children should pose as if they’re catching an apple.
If the teacher says “a fist,” the children should protect their heads with their hands so they don’t get bonked.
If it’s “thunder,” they should hide their belly button with their hands.
It might be more fun if you teach the poses to the children beforehand and then start the game so they can join in easily.
Once they get used to it, it’s also recommended to have fun by changing up what “falls.”
Bug-catching game
Here’s a bug-catching game you play with a butterfly net.
The rules are very simple: cut origami paper into small pieces to make confetti, put it in a bowl, and get ready.
The person dropping the confetti stands on a raised platform and sprinkles the paper down.
The child below holds a butterfly net and tries to catch the confetti with the net.
It’s a fun game where you watch the confetti fall from above and move the hand-held net to catch it inside.
Try it in a spacious area and be sure to play safely!
Rolling Dodgeball
As the name implies, rolling dodgeball is a version of dodgeball where the ball is rolled.
Dodging a rolling ball is very effective practice for tracking moving objects with the eyes.
And because a rolled ball is slower than a thrown one, it’s less likely to cause fear such as “it hurt when I got hit” or “I was scared.” Another plus is that rolling dodgeball is perfect for indoor play.
Choose a spacious area with non-slip flooring, such as where mats are laid out, and make sure there’s plenty of room before you start.
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!
Balloon Play
Balloons floating softly in the air are very safe, so kids can play with them with peace of mind.
Here are some indoor games using balloons.
The “keep it off the floor” game naturally encourages kids to cooperate, calling out to each other to keep the balloon from touching the floor and getting excited together.
In the balloon passing game, form groups of about six and split into teams.
Enjoy sending the balloon from front to back, or passing it under the knees.
The team that can pass the balloon the fastest wins.
You can also stick a strip of plastic tape across the middle of the room and enjoy balloon volleyball or soccer.
Please choose and enjoy games suited to the children’s ages.