Elementary School Fun Day a Big Hit! Indoor Game Idea Collection
Here are some active indoor games that will get elementary school students excited at their fun party! Even on rainy days or in cold seasons, if you have games you can really enjoy in the classroom, everyone can have a great time together.
From relay-style games that build teamwork, to brain-teasers that get minds working, to physical activities that get everyone moving, we’ve gathered games the whole class can dive into while cooperating.
Preparation is simple, and they all use familiar materials, so there are plenty you can start right away—give them a try and have fun!
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Rock-Paper-Scissors & Variety Games (21–30)
The say-the-same, do-the-same game
@soramame.sensei Hello! This is Kotoba no Kyoushitsu Soramame Kids 🎵 Today we’re introducing a game with endless ways to play: “Say the Same, Do the Opposite”! 😆💛 The rules are simple! Just like the name says: say the same thing, but do the opposite! 🤣🤣 If you change the rules, the ways to play are infinite∞‼ Try switching it to “Say the Opposite, Do the Same 🎵,” do team battles, individual matches… and more! If you have other ideas like “We tried it this way!”, please share in the comments 😍 Watch till the end of the video to see the goals of the activity 🎵 If you think, “I want to try this♡,” please like, comment, and save! Thanks so much 🥰 Check out our other posts here ↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓ @soramame.senseiKotoba no Kyoushitsu Soramame KidsSoramame Kids Child Development Support Service, After-school Day Service, Kagoshima Therapy, Kagoshima Child Development/After-school Day, Recreation, Indoor Play, Childcare, Education, Nursery Teacher/Early Childhood EducatorTeacher
♪ Original Song – Kotoba no Kyōshitsu Sora Mame Kids – Teacher Sora Mame
Sharpen reflexes and concentration! Here’s an idea for the “Same Words, Opposite Actions” game.
The game is played with a commander and players.
Until everyone gets used to it, it will go smoothly if the teacher is the commander and the children are the players.
After the commander calls out “Same words, opposite actions,” they give directions like “front” or “right” that indicate forward, backward, left, or right.
The players say the exact same words as the commander, but they must move in the opposite direction, making it a unique game where you’ll make mistakes if you’re not fully focused.
King Janken
A King Rock-Paper-Scissors game everyone can get excited about.
The rules are simple: everyone plays rock-paper-scissors, and the child who keeps winning until the end becomes the first King.
If a participant loses to the King, they go to the back of the line.
If they beat the King, they switch places and become the new King.
The child who remains King at the end of the time limit is the winner.
The thrill of competition and cheering will further boost the atmosphere.
It’s also recommended to prepare a crown for the King to wear.
Team-based games emphasizing cooperation and communication (1–10)
Find the Snacks! Treasure Hunt Game
Work together with your friends to crack the codes! Hunt for snacks! Here are some treasure-hunt game ideas.
They’re perfect for building teamwork and reasoning skills! It’s thrilling to pool your wits to solve the ciphers and finally discover the treats.
Even in heart-pounding moments, you’ll learn to calmly interpret clues, and by collaborating toward a shared goal, you’ll naturally develop coordination and communication skills in group activities.
With clever cipher design, the fun of puzzle-solving doubles!
High-Energy Prince Shōtoku Game
The “Age-Age Prince Shōtoku Game” is a game based on the legend that Prince Shōtoku could listen to several people at once.
First, choose one person to be the answerer.
Everyone else secretly decides a sentence to say, without letting the answerer know.
Then, all at once, they speak to the answerer.
The answerer tries to identify who said what.
The more people there are, the harder it gets, so try using simple words and sentences.
It’s sure to liven up any party or class event!
Don Janken
A game everyone can enjoy, from kids to adults! Here’s an idea for “Don Janken.” Split into two teams; the team that reaches the opponent’s territory first wins.
When you do rock-paper-scissors, the chant is “Don janken pon!” This idea requires almost no preparation and works great with large groups—that’s the key recommendation.
However, because players can get too fixated on winning, disputes may arise near the territory line, so it’s best for adults to make the final call on wins and losses.
Give it a try!
Pose Matching Game
The more people you have, the more exciting it might get! Let me introduce a pose-matching game.
As the name suggests, everyone strikes a pose together on the count of “Ready, go!” to match a given prompt, and if every pose matches, you succeed.
Prompts can be anything everyone knows—animals, characters, different professions, or people you know.
With larger groups, you can make it a team competition where the first team to get a perfect match wins—that sounds fun too.
It’s a unique game that puts teamwork to the test.
Give it a try!
Signaling Game
Introducing the endlessly replayable “Traffic Light Game.” It doesn’t require much space, so it’s perfect for classrooms and similar settings.
How to play: cross the signal to reach the other side.
On the command “blue,” take one step forward; on “yellow,” take one step back; on “red,” stay where you are.
The trick of the game is getting tripped up by the shared initial sound in “blue” (ao) and “red” (aka) in Japanese, which makes players move—or not—at the wrong times.
Feel free to spice it up by slightly complicating the rules and incorporating various ideas to make it even more fun.