Indoor Recess Activities Teaching Resources
Do you need indoor recess ideas to take the stress out of those days when rain or snow keep the kids indoors at playtime? This teacher-created collection of activities, games and more is ready to save the (rainy) day!
From movement games that give students a way to get their wiggles out in small indoor spaces to coloring pages, drawing challenges and partner activities, there's something for every grade level in elementary and middle school and an option to fit every kind of student!
And we didn't stop there! Read on for some indoor recess ideas from our teacher team!
Our Favorite Indoor Recess Ideas for Teachers
The wind is howling. The rain is falling. And you have a bunch of kids who are bouncing of the walls. What do you do when you've got recess duty, and the kids are stuck indoors?
Explore this collection of activities, and peruse this list from our teacher team, of course!
- Create a Board Game Center — Ask classroom parents, friends and neighbors if they have extra board games that they no longer use to build a board game center in your classroom where students can turn on thosedays when it's too cold or wet to go out for recess. The advantage of filling your center with used board games is that you lose a lot less when pieces go missing! One member of our teacher team suggests putting all game pieces in large zipper plastic bags so when board game boxes start to fall apart it's easier to keep all those small pieces together.
- Build a Coloring Station — Print out coloring pages, add some crayons, and you have a quiet space for the kids who like to spend their recess quietly reflecting. Did we mention coloring is meditative for many kids?
- Create a Tournament — Are you a chess or checkers player? If the weather indicates that recess will be indoors for a while, why not teach your students to play and issue a tournament challenge to pass the time day after day?
- Turn to YouTube — Find a favorite (educational) show on YouTube that students can watch together. There are some great science-based shows that even we enjoy watching as teachers!
- Play Trash-Ket Ball. Have students ball up pieces of paper for a trivia game of trash-ket ball. Check our site for trivia questions you can use, or create your own. Each time a student answers a trivia question correctly, they get to attempt to make a basket in your classroom trash can.
- Create a Giant Rock, Paper, Scissors Game. Set students up in a circle, and select one student to go around the circle and play each student. When they lose, they take the seat of whoever beat them. that person continues playing around the circle until they lose. The first person back to their seat wins the game.
- Create a Class Drum Circle. Want to incorporate some movement into the day? Aside from the movement games in this collection, we suggest a class drum circle using their desks!
- Make Indoor Recess Bags. There's something extra exciting about bringing a toy from home, so why not lean into that excitement for indoor recess? Send parents a note asking them to create small plastic zipper bags with (quiet) toys that students are allowed to bring to school and store in their desk or cubbies to play with on indoor recess days.
- Set Up STEM Stations. Give your students a chance to stretch their STEM muscles with engineering challenges on the days they can't head to the playground.
- Indoor Snowball Fight. Throwing things in the classroom will never not excite kids. Roll up socks or pieces of paper for a simple snowball fight that won't make (too much of) a mess.
- Plus Plan
Winter Words Headbands Game
Introduce winter vocabulary words with our picture and word card headband game.
- Free Plan
Mini-Mystery – Who Stole the Cookie?
A fun, logic puzzle activity where students read clues to solve a mystery.
- Free Plan
Last One Standing Active Game
An active game that allows students to build their vocabulary knowledge.
- Free Plan
Free Hidden Picture Puzzle and Activity Worksheet
Print a free hidden picture puzzle and activity worksheet that makes a perfect brain break for first or second grade.
- Plus Plan
Tricks in 60 Ticks Task Cards
A collection of 10 active games that take 60 seconds each!
- Plus Plan
Zip Zap Zoom! Active Game
A whole class active game that encourages concentration and listening skills.
- Plus Plan
Blank Game Board - Green - V3
A blank game board to use when making your own games.
- Plus Plan
Christmas Tree Coloring Page - Mindful Coloring
Celebrate the Christmas Season with a fun Christmas tree coloring page.
- Plus Plan
Funny Icebreaker Jokes - Task Cards
Start each day with funny icebreaker jokes with a set of printable Back to School Joke cards for kids.
- Plus Plan
Mindful Cat Coloring Sheets
Bring a sense of calm to your classroom with these delightful cat coloring sheets, “purr–fect” for mindfulness and creativity.
- Plus Plan
STEAM Challenges - Task Cards for 1st and 2nd Grade
Use our easy STEAM Challenges to inspire problem solving and creative thinking in your 1st and 2nd Grade classrooms.
- Plus Plan
Subitizing Bingo Games (Numbers 1 - 10)
Play these subitizing bingo games in your small groups to give your students practice subitizing numbers up to 10.
- Plus Plan
Sports Maze Worksheets
Give your students a much-needed brain break with a set of printable Sports Mazes for kids!
- Plus Plan
Paris Landmarks – Mindfulness Coloring Pages
Use this set of mindfulness coloring pages of Paris landmarks to celebrate the magic of Paris.
- Plus Plan
Picture-Based Sudoku for Kids
Use this set of sudoku for kids to enhance your students’ problem-solving and creative thinking skills.
- Plus Plan
Four in a Row Game
Use this four-in-a-row game to enhance your students’ logical thinking skills in a fun and collaborative way,
- Plus Plan
Backyard Games - Gross Motor Activities
Have your students pick a card to choose a recess game with printable Gross Motor Activity Cards.
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Verb Charades Active Game
Practice action verbs with this fun active charades game!
- Free Plan
Species Survival! Science Coloring Pages
Explore the importance of environmental conservation with a set of three inspirational quotes colouring pages.
- Plus Plan
Cooperation Puzzles - Team-Building Activity
Explore the benefits of cooperation with a tangram-style team-building activity.
- Plus Plan
Alphabet Coloring Pages - A to Z
Print a set of alphabet coloring pages to boost letter recognition skills.
- Plus Plan
We the People - Constitution Day Coloring Page
Introduce your students to the Constitution and the Preamble with a fun Constitution Day coloring page.
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How to Draw a Firefighter Directed Drawing Activity
Encourage creativity and boost fine motor skills with a pair of "How to Draw a Firefighter" directed drawing worksheets.
- Plus Plan
Oink, Meow, Moo Icebreaker Game
Break the ice with your students on Day 1 with this silly movement game.
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Science Lab Dramatic Play Kit
Create a dramatic play center with this science lab decor kit.
- Free Plan
Think Like Scientists! Science Quote Coloring Pages
Inspire creativity and encourage your students to think like scientists with a set of inspirational science quote coloring pages.
- Free Plan
Picture Puzzles - Team Building Activities
A set of 10 picture puzzles to use as a team-building activity.
- Plus Plan
Interactive Icebreaker Game
Looking for a fun interactive way for your students to get to know each other at the beginning of the school year? This is it!
- Plus Plan
Growth Mindset Inspirational Coloring Pages
Inspire creativity and encourage your students to think positively with a set of growth mindset inspirational coloring pages.
- Plus Plan
Basketball Memory Game
Discover the game of basketball and boost vocabulary skills with a fun basketball-themed Memory game.
- Plus Plan
Basketball I Spy Worksheet
Have a bit of counting and coloring fun with a basketball worksheet for Kindergarten.
- Plus Plan
Friendship Coloring Pages
Bring your students together for Friendship Day with a fun pair of friendship coloring pages.