Image: Midjourney/ MomJunction Design Team
As parents, we know how teens like being occupied. They love some form of entertainment at all times. Teenagers tend to get bored soon, and hence, it is important for them to indulge in different types of activities. It makes them acquire a sense of purpose and value. In this post, we bring you a set of gaming activities for teens that will keep them engaged throughout the day. These games serve to strengthen social bonds and improve communication skills among teens. Whether it’s a small gathering or a larger party, these activities can create memorable moments and laughter. These games will help them bond with their peers and siblings and help them have a great time. So read on to learn more about these games and be your child’s hero by saving them from a boring day with the help of these activities.
Key Pointers
- Indoor games allow teens to bond with peers and siblings while enjoying themselves.
- ‘The Human Pretzel’ and ‘The Foot Volleyball’ games can be good options to encourage physical activity while being indoors.
- ‘Relay The Candy’ and ‘Asa’ are games that improve teamwork.
- Games like ‘The Orange War’ and ‘Give Me The Marshmallow’ foster competition and motivation to overcome challenges.
Top 17 Fun Indoor Activities For Teens
Check out these ten indoor group activities for teenagers that are a source of great enjoyment. These will spark your child’s imagination, make them feel cheery, and instill empathy and kindness for others.
1. Sing The Lyrics
Image: IStock
You Will Need:
- Paper
- Pen
- Song lyrics
How To:
- Write down one or two verses from popular songs. Ensure you leave a few words missing here and there and leave them blank.
- Write down the name of the song beside it so that you know the right answer.
- Divide the teens into teams.
- Give each team a chance to guess while you read out the clues that you wrote down as a verse. Set a time by which the players have to guess. If the team or player cannot guess the lyrics, pass it on to the next person or team. The team that gets the maximum answers right wins.
Infographic: Benefits Of Indoor Games And Activities For Teens
Illustration: Momjunction Design Team
2. Foot volleyball
You Will Need:
- Balloon
- A volleyball net
How To:
- Ask all teens to remove their shoes and form two groups.
- Hang the net in such a way that it is at least three to four feet above the floor. Let both the teams take their positions, on each side of the net.
- Your teen and his friends now need to play volleyball with the balloon using their feet instead of their hands! This exciting game will promote the desire in teens for socializing more. It will also strengthen their friendship and trust in one another.
3. The orange war
You Will Need:
- Oranges
- Plastic spoons to hold the oranges
How To:
- Place the oranges in the spoons and give them to two players at a time.
- The players have to tip off the orange of their opponent without touching them and while trying to keep their orange in their spoon.
- As soon as someone loses their orange, they are out of the game. The winning player may stand on one side.
- Keep repeating the competition until all players get a chance.
- Now give a spoon and an orange to each winner and ask them to play for the winning title. The player who has the orange in the spoon until the end wins. The game will boost their motivation and aspiration to overcome challenges and come out as a winner.
Quick tip4. Give me the marshmallow
Image: IStock
You Will Need:
- A bag for every second player
- Marshmallows
How To:
- Place equal amounts of marshmallows in each bag.
- Divide the players into pairs as tossers and catchers. The players have to toss a marshmallow into their partner’s mouth.
- Let both the partners stand at least five feet apart. Now hand a bag of marshmallows to each player from the tosser’s side. At the signal, the tossers have to throw the marshmallows into their partner’s mouth. Time the game.
- The duo that collects the maximum amount of marshmallows wins.
5. I never ever
You Will Need:
- Candies
How To:
- Hand out an equal amount of candies to each player.
- Let all players sit down in a circle.
- Now walk around the circle and say things that begin with the phrase ‘I never ever.’ For instance, ‘I never ever had a full chocolate bar at night.’
- After every sentence, whoever did that activity has to eat one candy from his pile. The person who finishes all the candies first is the winner.
6. A lie and two truths
You Will Need:
- Candies
How To:
- Give an equal number of candies to each player. Ask each player to take turns at the game. One player says three sentences about himself, a lie, and two truths. The others have to guess which one is the lie. If someone guesses right, they get candy. For every wrong guess, the teen has to give candy.
- The player who collects the maximum number of candies is the winner. The game will strengthen relationships that will increase your teen’s self-esteem and confidence.
7. The human pretzel
Image: IStock
How To:
- Ask all players to stand in a circle.
- Each player has to grab the hands of another player, except for the players standing on either side.
- Now everyone has to try and untwist themselves in such a way that they end up making a circle. The game is ideal for the development of creative expression and initiating communication.
8. Balloon hitter
You Will Need:
- A balloon for each player
- Some objects that will be the target
How To:
- Hand out a balloon to each player and ask them to inflate it.
- Place the targets at a considerable distance on the floor and ask all players to stand on one side. At the signal, the players have to hit their target with their balloon. You can decide the amount of tries the players are allowed, or base it on time.
- The player who can hit the target first and make an impact with the balloon will win.
9. Relay the candy
Get ready to see your teen smiling with excitement playing this game. It’ll also boost teamwork among your teen and their friends.
You Will Need:
- A candy with a hole in the center – you will need one candy for each player
- A toothpick for each player
How To:
- Ask the teens to form teams of four players each.
- Hand out a toothpick to each player. One player from each team begins the game by inserting the toothpick in the mouth and trying to pick up a candy with the same. Once the player gets the candy, the next teen takes over.
- Set a time and the team that picks up all the candies fastest is the winner. The game will give a good sense of achievement to the winning teen.
10. Pick up the cotton balls
You Will Need:
- A bag of cotton balls
- A spatula
- A blindfold
- A pan
- A table
How To:
- Place the cotton balls and the pan on the table. Blindfold the teens by turn and hand them the spatula.
- Each teen has to try and pick up as many cotton balls as possible and place it in the pan.
- The teen who collects the maximum number of cotton balls using any strategy is the winner. The game serves as an inspiration to moving quickly and being agile.
TriviaFun Indoor Games For Teens
11. Scissors
You Will Need:
- A pair of ordinary scissors.
How To:
- Ask all players to sit down in a circle.
- The leader will hand over a pair of scissors to a player sitting on his left and will say ‘Crossed’ or ‘Uncrossed’.
- The person receiving the scissors repeats the same while passing it to someone on his left. Continue this till everyone gets a chance of passing the scissors.
- The secret of the game is that it has nothing to do with scissors. Cross or uncrossed refers to the position of a person’s feet or legs when they receive and pass the scissors.
- It is a game that creates a discussion on looking past the obvious and enhancing the evolution of creative thinking and innovation.
12. I went to camp
Image: Shutterstock
How To:
- The leader begins the game by saying ‘I went to camp, and I took a/an (object)’.
- The player sitting next to him will repeat the same phrase but with another object.
- The trick is, the objects should follow a pattern such as alphabetical order.
- Object criteria can vary like it can begin with the first letter of any person’s name, two syllable words, etc.
13. Who am I?
You Will Need:
- Sticky notes
- A pen
How To:
- Write down a famous character or celebrity name on a note.
- Stick the note on one player’s forehead so that he cannot see what is there on it.
- The player then asks questions to his group members for which they should either answer yes or no.
- He should finally try to guess the character.
- Each player gets a maximum of three attempts to guess the name. You can also give a reward to the winner. It will boost the satisfaction of winning.
14. Mafia
Get ready for a game that will promote relaxation and amusement in your teens and their friends. It also strengthens bonding and gives quality time.
Image: Shutterstock
You Will Need:
• Pack of cards or paper
How To:
- Players should divide themselves in the ratio of 7:3, the civilians and mafia. There should be a narrator as well who calls out.
- All the players will be sleeping, and the narrator calls out ‘Civilians wake up’ or ‘Mafia wake up’. The group members open their eyes and decide whom to kill in the other group.
- If the number of civilians surpasses the number of the mafia, the civilians win, and vice-versa.
- There are also special players in the team:
Doctor – a civilian who will protect a player from being killed
Barman – a mafia man who will cancel the effect of another player’s ability to kill
Vigilante – a civilian who kills a player every night
15. Asa
It is one of the fun and joy-filled indoor games for teenagers where all the players maintain a rhythm by tapping legs, clapping hands, or clicking fingers (twice – right and then left).
Each player takes their name and motion. You should pick such a motion that syncs with the name.
How To:
- One person will begin the game by taking his/her name and a rhythm, followed by the name and motion of another teammate.
- The next player will be the one who was named by the previous player. He will now take his name and a rhythm followed by someone else’s name and motion.
- You can also play a variation of the game by just pointing out two players with your finger saying ‘you, you’. These two will at a time start saying their name with some motion.
- To make the game harder, you can pick more than two players or say, everyone. Here everyone will start saying out their names with motions.
- The hardest variation or change is when players stop saying names but only perform movements, and the other players need to recognize the motion and relate it to their name.
In case they want something fresh, they can use technology-oriented games that involve virtual reality offering engagement and exploration to a different extent. When a teen indulges in games, they can get away with their addiction or obsession to negative elements. Eventually, teenagers can learn the art of acceptance and satisfaction in life that can lead them on a path of growth and empowerment. They can even learn practical life lessons like responsibility and independence, which can amplify their intelligence.
16. Four corners game
It is easy and suitable for all ages, requiring minimal materials.
You Will Need:
- Markers or tape
- Blindfold
How To:
- To set it up, designate corners in a room as 1-4.
- One person is blindfolded and moves around, attempting to tag others at the corners.
- The blindfolded individual must announce their current corner, and if correct, the person in that corner is eliminated.
17. Human knot
This popular icebreaker is a fantastic team-building activity, encouraging teens to collaborate closely and work together effectively.
How To:
- In this game, participants create a circle by holding the right hand of someone opposite them and the left hand of another person.
- The objective is to unravel the human knot without releasing any hands.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What are some differences between teen games and those for younger children?
Indoor recreation games are different for younger children and teens in terms of skill and maturity. Younger children can play simple games to encourage cooperation, show their talent, and have fun with their friends. Teenage leisure games can be more difficult and challenge players to apply their skills while focusing on forming teams and acquiring new skills. These also lead to an improvement in their current skills and functions as a good pastime.
2. What are the benefits of playing games for teens?
Playing games has immense significance for teens. Some potential benefits include building new social connections, progress in problem-solving skills, fostering creativity, reducing stress, and encouraging new experiences.
3. How can parents ensure that the games their teens play are safe and supervised?
Parents can ensure that the games their teens play are safe by ensuring that the area where they play does not have any potentially hazardous objects. There shouldn’t be any sharp tools or ladders in the playing space. Although teens are mature, they still need protected spaces. You may confine the area and mark certain boundaries where you feel no dangers. Teens can understand logical reasoning and talk to them about the importance of safety. You must also be a part of the indoor games with your teens. This will ensure that you are supervising them adequately.
4. Can games for teens be used as icebreakers for groups who don’t know each other well?
Indoor games can be icebreakers, particularly if their friend circle is big. For some teens, interacting with others can be stressful. Games encourage them to communicate with each other and create an environment where they feel comfortable. Some good examples of such games include ‘Two Truths and a Lie,’ ‘Human Bingo,’ and ‘Name That Tune.’ These fun activities for teens also enable them to find out the likes, dislikes, and preferences of one another. Thus, they can use these insights to start a conversation and build better relationships.
5. What types of indoor games promote teamwork among teens?
Games like Relay the Candy, The Orange War, I Went to Camp, and Human Pretzel are excellent choices that require teens to work collaboratively towards a common goal. These games encourage active listening, communication, problem-solving, coordination, and strategic thinking, enhancing their ability to function as a team.
6. How can parents make indoor games more engaging for teens?
Parents can enhance the experience by introducing themes or challenges that follow teens’ interests. They may try organizing small competitions testing their creativity and strategic thinking, incorporating rewards for winners. Making it a family affair can also encourage the participation of all members and strengthen family bonds.
Indoor group games for teens help them interact with peers, respect rules, gain a sense of belonging, and avoid boredom. They also reduce the stress of academic activities or other work. These also promote the learning of various skills and help them explore various teenage hobbies or a specific interest or passion. Games during sleepovers or indoor birthday parties can be fun and exciting. Singing the lyrics, the orange war, a lie and two truths, the human pretzel, balloon hitter, and relay the candy are some of the games for teenagers. They may also try virtual games with their peers if they cannot gather in one place. You should also encourage outdoor games for teens. It is best not to ignore their importance in promoting physical health and social skills.
Illustration: Top 17 Fun Indoor Games And Activities For Teens
Image: Dall·E/MomJunction Design Team
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