Scorching summer afternoons or rainy days can be such a boring time for children itching to play outdoors. Whether at home or there’s a free period in class, indoor games are the perfect answer to this conundrum. If you are looking for fun classroom games that are not too disruptive, or indoor games for 6-12 year olds, we have compiled a list that will surely pack in fun, excitement, learning and laughter and keep those busy minds occupied for a while.
An age-old guessing game that children never fail to enjoy! Simple clues have to be acted out, only actions allowed without speech, while the rest of the group has to guess the answer. The clues can be based on movie titles, songs, animals, places or actions, increasing the level of difficulty based on the age group.
Why this game works: Encourages expression, teamwork and a good dose of silliness.
A board or sheet of paper. Clues or simple imagination. That’s all you need to get this game going. One child draws and the rest guess.
Perfect for: Vocabulary revision and quick classroom games between lessons.
Play music, let kids dance. Pause the music suddenly. When the music stops, they freeze!
Fun factor: Laughs guaranteed.
A listening game that never goes out of style. Mostly an action-based game, which ‘Simon says’ to do. This simple game that needs no props whatsoever keeps everyone alert and active and occupied for quite some time.
Teacher’s tip: Great as a warm-up or brain break.
To play the word chain, one player says a word and the next player needs to think of a new word that starts with the last letter of the previous word. You can add a category, like "animals," to make the game more challenging.
Fun learning: Builds vocabulary and focus. Simple, fun, and zero prep required.
No ball? No problem. A balloon will do. No balloon at hand, ball up a few old newspapers and enjoy the game. Perfect for younger kids.
Teaches: No prop fun games, as well as being innovative.
Hide items around the room and hand out clues or riddles to find them. You can create it on a theme or simple, relatable, age-appropriate topics.
Great for: Teamwork and observation.
Play random sounds. Be it crinkling paper to clinking spoons. Let kids identify them. The stranger the sound, the more hilarious the responses.
Good for: Hearing, comprehension and relatability with daily use items or regular sounds.
Read More: 50 Fun Brain Teasers for Kids with Answers
One child starts a story, relates maybe 2 lines of it. The next up has to continue with it using their own twists and imagination.
Helps with: Collaborative storytelling that brings out imagination and quick thinking.
Paper and pencil or even the classroom board and chalk, have never made for a more fun moment. The ‘board’ can be drawn at the start of every game. One plays with X and the other with O. The first player to get 3 of their marks in a row (up, down, across, or diagonally) is the winner. When all 9 squares are full, the game is over. A staple among games to play in class.
Guaranteed fun: Quick, competitive, and fun.
Stack cups, balance spoons, or sort coins. All under a minute! Anything that requires hand-eye coordination, motor movements or simply a test of agility is a game!
Ideal for: Building focus and friendly competition.
One child sits facing away from the board or maybe someone holding up a paper with the words being written on it. This is the ‘hot seat’. The children facing the word have to describe it using synonyms/ antonyms, definitions, etc. The person on the hot seat has to guess the word with the given hints.
Learning and fun combined: Boosts vocabulary and critical thinking.
Read More: Sight Words for Kindergarten: A Quick Learning Guide
Simple yet addictive. A bin, a few paper balls, and endless fun.
Teaches them: To think up games with items around, be imaginative and test their motor skills.
Place 10 objects on a tray, show for 30 seconds and move them away. See who remembers the most.
Encourages: Memory and observation skills.
To play "Would you rather," one person presents two hypothetical scenarios. The other players choose which one they would rather do.
Fun factor: Great icebreaker that sparks curiosity and laughter.
This is an age-old spelling/word-guessing game. Spell out a word, leaving blank spaces for letters. Have the other players guess the letters to complete the word. If the letters are guessed correctly, fill them into the blanks. If it is wrong, draw one part of the hangman. Once the ‘hanging man’ figure is complete, the game is over.
Why it’s great: Educational yet entertaining, this is an ideal game for elementary students.
Read More: 10 Simple Art and Craft Activities for Your Preschooler
An all-time classroom favourite. Seven players stand, others put their heads down on the desks and thumbs up. The seven move among the group, touching their thumbs at random. Once their thumbs are tapped or touched, the children raise their heads. They have to now guess who touched their thumbs.
Perfect for: Group play and observation skills.
Challenge kids to stack cups into a pyramid and back down again as fast as possible.
Boosts: Hand-eye coordination and focus.
Place paper or any objects to stand on around the cleared out area. Kids must move around walking on them without touching the floor. If they lose their balance and touch the floor, they are out of the game.
Fun level: Instant chaos and laughter.
Give every student a bingo card. Call out the definition, word, phrase or question. Students must then identify the word or picture on their bingo card and cover the space. Use math problems, vocabulary words, or images instead of numbers for a learning twist.
Learning or fun: This is an easy way to reinforce vocabulary or simple math problems.
Read More: 11 Easy and Fun Crafts for Kids to Make at Home
Wrap layers of paper or old ribbons, etc, around a small prize. Kids pass it as music plays. Unwrap a layer when it stops! The last one to peel the layer, to reveal the prize, gets it. A variation of this game can also be played without a prize. A simple object (if at home, a pillow is good enough) can be passed around the group and when the music stops, the child left holding the parcel is ‘it’. They are then made to act out some word or action as punishment.
Great for: Parties or classroom celebrations.
Give each team a puzzle to complete. The fastest wins. You can increase the level of difficulty from jigsaw puzzles or word puzzles to make it more challenging.
Develops: Patience, problem-solving, and collaboration.
Call out an alphabet. Ask kids to find objects around the room, starting with the letter.
Adapt for class: Use it as a quick warm-up or literacy booster.
Use rolled-up socks and buckets or boxes as targets. Similar to paper toss and an adaptation if you can’t find paper to roll into a ball.
Perfect for: Small spaces and safe indoor play.
Read More: 20 Fun Math Games for Kids to Enjoy and Learn
Kids stand in a circle, grab random hands, and try to untangle without letting go.
Lesson learned: Teamwork makes the dream work.
Indoor games are proof that fun does not always need wide open spaces or the outdoors. Start with the fun indoor games from this list and then make up your own. These cover a wide range of games for elementary students or classroom games for students to keep them occupied and reinforce their learning without realising it.
It has been proven that indoor games blend learning, fun and a lot of chaos that make for the best childhood moments.
At the Premia Academy, we ensure that our children are taught to remain mentally and physically occupied even when there are no lessons, to be agile and attentive with games and activities. Even the games we encourage teach them in the house of fun. Keeping your mind occupied, be it outdoors or indoors, it is a matter of choosing the right “fun” that encourages healthy minds.
