[For Kids] Indoor Games and Activities Recommended for Winter Break
We’re introducing indoor activities for kids that are perfect for spending winter break with family and friends!
It’s important for kids to play actively outdoors even in winter, but when it’s too cold, that’s not always possible.
Plus, winter is the season when colds and other illnesses tend to spread, so to avoid getting chilled, indoor play naturally becomes more common.
So in this article, we’ve put together a list of recommended indoor activities for winter to help you when you’re wondering, “What should we do for fun during winter break?”
We’ve picked out a variety of activities, from brain games to those that get kids moving, so be sure to have fun trying them with your child!
- Fun winter activities: Recreations that children can enjoy
- [Part 2] Recommended Indoor Activities and Recreation Games for December
- [Play Right Away!] Exciting Recreation Games Recommended for Elementary School Students
- [Elementary School] Quick and Easy! Indoor Recreational Activities Perfect for Lower Grades
- [Children’s Club] Easy and fun indoor games. Exciting party games
- Play ideas kids can enjoy from 1st to 6th grade [indoors & outdoors]
- Recommended for upper elementary grades! Exciting indoor recreation and games
- Popularity ranking of recreational activities for children
- A big hit at after-school childcare! A special feature on group games and activities you can play without any equipment
- Exciting! Recreational Activities to Enjoy at a Christmas Party
- [Elementary School] Indoor Games and Recreational Activities Recommended for Upper Primary Grades
- [Elementary School Rec] Recommended Games and Performances for a Fun Party
- [List] A roundup of games and recreational activities kids love
[For Kids] Indoor Games and Recreational Activities Recommended for Winter Break (51–60)
Kendama
Many of you may have tried it when you were in elementary school, right? Kendama, which is strongly associated with traditional Japanese play, is now so popular as a sport that competitions are held.
Give some cool tricks a try!
Daikon Game
The “Daikon Game” is an indoor game that turns the action of pulling up a daikon radish into play.
Children lie on their stomachs in a circle and hold hands.
An adult says, “I’m going to pull up the daikon now!” and starts pulling on the children’s legs.
The children must hold on tightly and not let go of each other’s hands.
If their hands come completely apart, that means they’ve been pulled out.
Kids love games like this.
The adult doing the pulling can add to the excitement with feints and tricks.
Mikan Art
When you think of winter, you think of mandarins, right? I bet many of you end up absentmindedly eating them when they’re sitting on the kotatsu.
The usual way to peel them is to start from the stem or the bottom and peel in a radial pattern, but how about having some fun with the way you peel them? If I say that, I might get scolded with, “Don’t play with your food!”—but since we’re peeling and eating them anyway, let’s allow ourselves a little leeway.
Try peeling from the middle, or peel them in a way that makes them easy for everyone to share.
Let’s enjoy eating while showing off our own unique peeling styles.
menko (a traditional Japanese card-and-coin-flipping game)
It’s a game where you throw your own menko at your opponent’s menko, and if you flip it over, you win! The key to victory is throwing in a way that forces air under your opponent’s menko.
There are rectangular and round types, ones with characters drawn on them, and more—it’s fun to enjoy the different designs.
dance
A great recommendation for a recreation activity that kids can enjoy not only with each other but also with their grandparents is dance.
Especially if you dance together to children’s songs with a winter theme, it can help create a warm, friendly atmosphere.
If you can’t think of any songs, why not try the classics Yuki ya Konkon (Snow, Snow) or Ichigatsu Tsuitachi (January 1st)? Neither has fixed choreography, so feel free to use YouTube for reference.
Of course, coming up with your own original moves is also a great idea.
Trump ‘Speed’
How about trying “Speed,” one of the classic card games? You play by placing cards from your hand that are one number higher or lower than the cards on the table, and the first player to run out of cards wins.
Since there’s no set turn order, your quick reflexes and decision-making skills are put to the test.
Drop the Handkerchief
I think many children like playing tag, but it can be hard to do indoors due to limited space and other reasons.
In such cases, why not try “Drop the Handkerchief”? First, the children sit in a circle with their eyes closed.
The “it” drops a handkerchief behind one of them, and if they can make it around the circle once, they win.
On the other hand, the child who was dropped on wins if they catch the “it” before they complete the circle.
This way, it can be enjoyed even in a small classroom.
That said, there’s still a chance of bumping into objects or people, so please be careful.
mini table tennis
How about some mini table tennis you can play on a table? Small nets, paddles, and ping-pong balls are sold as a set.
Kids can play against each other, or adults can play against kids.
In fact, adults vs.
adults might get pretty exciting too!
indoor kite flying
When we think of kite flying, we tend to picture a New Year’s activity, but these days—partly due to space constraints—we don’t see people enjoying it as much.
This is a craft-and-play idea where you make a kite from scratch and try it indoors.
Since it’s for indoor use, the kite is small, with drinking straws forming the frame.
First, create a template, cut plastic to that shape, attach the straws, and then just add a toothpick and string! You can also add a tail or draw illustrations on the kite—making it is part of the fun.
indoor horizontal bar
The horizontal bar is something everyone must have used as a kid.
But it’s one of those playground activities where people are clearly split between those who are good at it and those who aren’t.
It was the same in PE class.
Speaking of horizontal bars, they’re usually found in schoolyards or parks, but it turns out there are indoor versions these days! You might think indoor bars are only for gymnastics schools, but they’re sold at reasonable prices and seem really useful for easing a lack of exercise.
If you have one at home, even kids who aren’t good at the horizontal bar might try it willingly, and it could help them overcome their reluctance.