Fun Indoor Games for Elementary School Kids Without Any Equipment
Looking for easy indoor games? Don’t miss this! In this article, we introduce indoor games for elementary school children that don’t require any equipment.
We’ve gathered a variety of activities—from energetic movement games you can enjoy indoors to word-based games.
Since you don’t need to prepare anything, they’re perfect for when you want to play right now! They’re also great for rainy days, extreme heat when it’s hard to go outside, or when it’s difficult to prepare enough supplies for everyone.
Give these a try and enjoy fun, never-boring time indoors!
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[For Elementary School Kids] Fun Indoor Games Without Any Equipment (11–20)
Evolution Rock-Paper-Scissors
Introducing Evolution Rock-Paper-Scissors you can enjoy while moving your body! Start face-down and play rock-paper-scissors with your opponent.
If you win, you “evolve” to all fours, then to standing.
If you lose, you “devolve,” so there’s plenty of suspense! The key is that you can play strategically.
It also helps build fitness, so parents can feel at ease.
It’s a perfect indoor game for rainy days or scorching heat when playing outside is tough.
No equipment needed—you can start right away.
Get everyone hyped and have a great time together!
riddle
Riddles that are popular with everyone from small children and elementary schoolers to adults.
It’s great that you can enjoy questions tailored to different ages.
For example: “What ‘ki’ flies through the sky at incredible speed?” “What ‘ki’ changes color to red, blue, and yellow?” You can group them by sounds/letters, or do fruit-themed ones like “Which fruit is hidden in ‘ka ki ku ke ko’?” and “babababababa—what fruit is it?” That “What will it be next?” sense of excitement really gets everyone going.
It’s also fun to set time limits, make it a team competition, or come up with penalty games!
Shiritori
Shiritori is a game everyone knows, right? You can start it anywhere, even indoors and empty-handed, so it’s fun anytime, anywhere.
You can set a theme, try using difficult words—there are lots of ways to tweak the rules.
It’s great for parents and kids or for getting lively with friends.
As you keep linking words, your vocabulary might naturally improve, too.
On rainy days or when it’s too hot to play outside, this is all you need to beat boredom! How about forming a circle and enjoying a fun round of shiritori together?
Catch
Catch is a game you can play without any equipment and without worrying about the number of players.
Everyone forms a circle.
First, make your right hand into a tube shape.
Then extend only the index finger of your left hand and insert it into the tubular right hand of the person to your left.
At the command “Catch!”, try to grab the right-hand finger of the person on your right with your right hand, while at the same time pulling your left index finger out so it doesn’t get caught by the person on your left.
You succeed if your right hand catches and your left hand escapes.
It’s simple, but because you need to focus on both hands, it’s a very engaging game.
Rock-Paper-Scissors Train
Here’s an introduction to “Janken Train,” a group game that’s widely enjoyed.
In Janken Train, two people play rock-paper-scissors; the loser moves behind the winner, places their hands on the winner’s shoulders, and joins the line.
Repeating this creates a long line like a train.
The excitement of winning and losing at rock-paper-scissors is part of the fun, and so is moving around in a line and cheering for the person at the front.
By the way, there are variations, such as “Kira-Kira Train,” where if the person at the front loses, the people who were connected scatter in all directions.
Without Katakana
We use katakana for many names in daily life.
Katakana is familiar, but let’s try playing without using it.
First, show items that have katakana names and have people describe them without using katakana.
For example, for “pen,” someone might answer, “something you write with that isn’t a pencil.” It’s a game where you shift your thinking a bit, describe the given topic without using katakana, and have others guess.
If the topic is “game,” you could describe it as “something where you use your fingertips to control characters on the screen.” From there, everyone tries to guess the topic together.
Explaining with your current vocabulary makes for a good brain exercise.
Look that way, hoi!
There’s a game called “Acchi Muite Hoi” that can be considered a variation of rock-paper-scissors.
Acchi Muite Hoi is based on traditional parlor games and has long been loved by the Japanese.
Its appeal lies in the excitement of quickly pointing a finger in some direction at the cue of “Acchi muite hoi,” and the thrill of deciding which way to turn your face.
By the way, in the original version, if the direction of the finger and the direction the face turns match, the pointer wins, but there’s also a rule set where the pointer loses.
That version is called “Kocchi Muite Hoi.”
Icebreakers that even elementary school students can enjoy
Both children and adults can feel a bit nervous when playing with someone they’re meeting for the first time.
Here are some recommended games for those moments.
For example, there are games like “Rock-Paper-Scissors Catch & Go,” “Mirror Stretch,” “Become a Stick,” and “Stand Up.” There’s also a game called “Guide the Way,” which has three levels so you can gradually increase the difficulty as you play.
By sharing the same goal of cooperating to reach the finish at the end, you might even deepen your bond.
A game about finding the correct moves
Act out the prompt’s movement and have others guess it.
For example, if the prompt is “forward roll,” the guesser should try various movements that come to mind.
The children around, who know the prompt, should react to each movement.
Decide in advance how to react when the movement is close to the prompt—for example, by cheering.
Using those reactions, the guesser narrows down the correct answer.
It’s also fun to have multiple guessers or to play team versus team.
You don’t need any materials, it’s a simple game, and it’s sure to get everyone excited.
Pin Pon Pan Game
How about trying the “Ping-Pon-Pan” game, which requires no preparation and can be played with any number of people? First, form a circle and choose the first person.
That person says “Ping.” The person to their left says “Pon,” and the next person to the left says “Pan.” The person who says “Pan” points at someone, and starting from that person, the sequence “Ping, Pon, Pan” continues again.
When you’re suddenly pointed at, you might panic and say the wrong word, so you can’t let your guard down.
It’s the kind of game that tends to be more fun with a larger group.
