A roundup of games and recreational activities for relieving stress
Some of you may be looking for recreational activities or games that can help relieve everyday stress and lingering frustrations.
In this article, we’ve picked out a selection of stress-relief games that will leave you feeling refreshed.
You’ll find a wide range of ideas—from easy, no-equipment activities to creative twists on nostalgic games.
We’ll focus on options with strong game elements, like moving your body to music or competing for points, so be sure to use this as a reference when you need to blow off some steam.
A roundup of games and recreational activities for stress relief (1–10)
flour balloon
This is a fun, tactile activity recommended for young children.
It’s easy to make—just put flour into an inflated balloon.
Then decorate it by drawing a face or adding yarn for hair, and you’re done.
Even though it’s only flour inside a balloon, the texture feels intriguingly strange and super fun.
It’s similar to a squishy mascot toy, often called a “squeeze,” and you’ll want to keep touching and playing with it.
Since a burst balloon can be a mess, be sure to handle it gently.
Ping-Pong Shooting
Ping-Pong Shooting lets you enjoy an indoor version of tamaire, a classic school sports day game that always gets everyone excited.
As long as you have a homemade launcher, some ping-pong balls, and a container to use as the goal, you can start playing right away.
You can make the launcher with items like chopsticks, paper cups, clothespins, and zip ties.
It only takes about 10 minutes to put together, so it could be fun to collaborate on the building process too.
It’s a recreation activity that people of all ages—from children to seniors—can enjoy, so give it a try!
Paper cup pull
If you’re looking for a game that a large group can enjoy, we recommend the Paper Cup Pull.
Here’s how to play: First, gather the paper cups in one spot.
One person stands by with a basket, while the other participants each hold a string attached to a cup and wait.
Start the music, and the moment the music stops, the person with the basket tries to cover the cups, while the people holding the strings try to pull their cups away before they’re caught.
You’ll feel thrilled when you manage to catch a lot of cups with the basket or when you swiftly pull your cup away before it gets trapped! It’s great because it’s easy to set up—just a basket and paper cups with strings—and it’s fun for all ages.
ball whacking
A ball-slapping game that’s sure to be a hit in care settings.
All you need are a ball, a bucket, and a long stick made by rolling up newspaper.
First, split into two teams: one is the Bucket Team, the other is the Stick Team.
Within each team, relay the bucket and the stick by passing them hand to hand.
Once they reach the last person, the player with the bucket tries to cover the ball, while the player with the stick tries to hit the ball—racing to see who’s faster.
It’s exhilarating when you block the hit or manage to strike the ball before the bucket comes down! It’s also great because everyone gets into it and has a good laugh together.
Newspaper Tearing Game
If you’ve got lots of old newspapers at home, a great recommendation is the “rip-the-newspaper” game, where you tear up newspapers however you like.
Normally you might hesitate to scatter little bits of trash all over the floor, but when you play this game, don’t worry about the aftermath—rip away and make a mess! The sound of the paper tearing, the feeling in your hands, and the thrill of making a big mess can be really fun and might even help relieve stress.
It’s a game that little kids in particular are likely to enjoy a lot.
After you’ve had your fill of tearing, turn clean-up into a game too, and you can keep the fun going right to the end.
9-square tag
This is a great game for anyone who wants to relieve stress by moving their body or by laughing and having fun together.
First, prepare a 3×3 grid of nine squares, each big enough for two or three people to stand in.
Choose one person to be “it,” and the others will be runners.
At the signal of “Ready, go!” everyone moves from their current square to an adjacent square.
If you end up in the same square as the chaser, you lose; if the chaser manages to catch everyone within a preset number of moves, the chaser wins.
When moving, you can go one square forward, backward, left, right, or diagonally, and you may also stay in place.
However, jumping over a square (moving two squares at once) is not allowed.
It’s simple, but the mind games with your opponents make it a very fun activity.
Doobee-doo-badoo game
The Dubi-Dubadū game is something you can play on the spot without any props.
Someone says “Dubi-Dubadū” and points to a person; the chosen person says “Du, du, du.” Then they point to the next person, and it repeats—making it a party game that’s sure to liven up drinking gatherings.
However, there are special rules based on the shape of the hand when you nominate the next person: sometimes it’s a fake, and sometimes it’s an all-together call.
In a fake, the nominated person must not say “Du, du, du.” In an all-together call, everyone says “Du, du, du.” Especially during the all-together moments, the excitement really ramps up—you’re guaranteed to get hooked and have a great time!