Winter is here and that can only mean one thing in a kindergarten or first grade classroom. It's time to start thinking about indoor recess activities. Once that cold weather or rainy day hits, indoor recess is inevitable. How can you keep your entire class occupied and under control on indoor recess days? Here are 50 ideas to use when inclement weather is here:
Indoor Recess Ideas For Kindergarten And First Graders
Toys For Indoor Recess
There are lots of ways to entertain your class during indoor recess but the best way is with toys. During recess children just want to play and although directed games can be a great way to keep kids occupied, they'll be the happiest if you just let them have free play with toys.
It's not necessary to purchase brand-new toys for your indoor recess days. Shop around at garage sales or your local thrift stores for bargains. You can often get used toys for less than $1 and your students will love them! You can even ask parents for donations of old toys their children no longer play with. The toys that one child is bored with at home might make other kids super excited! So what are some good indoor recess toys?
- lincoln logs
- blocks
- legos
- barbie dolls
- matchbox cars
- transformers
- wooden puzzles
- Polly Pockets
- Housekeeping and dress up toys
- dollhouse
- small plastic animals
- toy trains
- large floor puzzles
- waffle blocks
- pick up sticks
- puppets
- stringing beads
Indoor Recess Art Activities and Fine Motor Skills
Many students love to draw and color and really enjoy some free art time during indoor recess. Although it doesn't add to their physical activity working with a friend at your art table can be great for social skills and one of the best ways to keep kids occupied in an easy way. Put a few of these activities at your art center or in some plastic bins on a shelf. Students can take these simple activities back to their own desks or sit on the floor with a friend and get creative!
- Coloring books
- Watercolor paints
- Playdoh with cookie cutters and rolling pins
- Beads and pipe cleaners
- Directed drawing activities
- Free drawing on white paper
- White boards with Expo markers
- Foam stickers
Indoor Recess Math And Literacy Games
Indoor recess can be a great time for unstructured play and a fun way to practice some math and literacy skills. This is a great time for students to pull out the math manipulatives from your math center and play with the materials in small groups. If you have a small space in your room and don't have the space for lots of movement these activities can be some great indoor recess ideas while kids practice their literacy and math skills.
- Card games
- Snap cubes
- Pattern blocks
- Dice games
- Dominoes
- Seasonal math and literacy games
Indoor Games For Recess
One way to keep kids engaged during indoor recess is with whole class activities. Kids love these classic games and they can be really fun indoor recess ideas. Choose one student to stand at the front of the room to lead the game or you can be the leader yourself. One thing to keep in mind with these games is that you will need a lot of space unless you just play with a small group of students.
- Scavenger hunt
- Red light green light
- Musical chairs
- Simon Says
- Hula hoops
- Seven Up
- Four Corners
- Who's Missing
Indoor Recess Dance And Exercise Videos
Other favorite indoor recess games include any kind of movement, dance, or exercise. It's a great opportunity to get kids moving and get rid of some of their excess energy. Dance and exercise videos can be great for hand-eye coordination and are a personal favorite of mine. Here are a few videos you can add to your rainy day schedule:
Technology For Indoor Recess
Another great option for indoor recess is to allow students to use computers or tablets during this time. I would caution that too much screen time isn't great for any child so this should be limited to maybe 10-15 minutes. There are many great websites that can be used for brain breaks or indoor recess time including:
Indoor Recess Movies
When all else fails and you just need some free time for yourself, you can always show a movie. It can be a great indoor recess activity when you've had a busy week or just before a holiday. Here are my top ten favorites that are suitable for young children.
- Monsters Inc.
- Finding Nemo
- Toy Story
- The Lion King
- Aladin
- Cars
- Winnie The Pooh
- The Little Mermaid
- Charlottes Web
- Peter Pan
Toys From Home
If you don't have many toys or other supplies in your classroom, you can always have students bring in toys from home for your indoor recess days. Send home a ziplock bag with every student labeled “recess bag” or have students bring in a shoebox. You can have students decorate their box and label it their “Rainy Day Box”. Send the bags or boxes home and ask parents to fill them with small toys from home that their child would like to play with on a rainy day in school.
Make sure to send a note explaining to parents that they should send in items that are inexpensive and that you're not responsible for items that get lost or broken. Students can bring in small toys like matchbox cars, blocks, old barbie dolls, or their own board games. Students love playing with their own toys and even swapping with other students when they get bored with the things in their rainy day box.
Looking for other classroom management ideas? Take a look at these posts:
SAVE THESE IDEAS
Take a minute to save these tips to your favorite elementary Pinterest board so you can remember them later!
