Ahhh, the dreaded announcement over the loudspeakers… indoor recess today! We all know that inclement weather can be stressful for teaching staff and students as it means a shift in the normal routine. For some teachers, this means that their room will be used during recess, which makes it hard to get some work done. Not to mention, this also means that children will not get fresh air or time to run around. Ultimately, this creates antsy students who have a hard time focusing in the afternoon! Hence, it is so important to get creative with indoor recess. Thankfully, the 5 fun indoor recess activities below will ensure teachers get some work done while students burn off energy!
Planning a Successful Indoor Recess Period
As I mentioned above, indoor recess has its challenges. But the good news is that there are some things you can do to make it run much more smoothly for you and your students. The biggest thing to remember when it comes to indoor recess is to choose structured activities. This will help make sure that indoor recess doesn’t get overly loud or rowdy – which can be a common issue.
Another important factor is to choose FUN activities. Recess is a break from learning and should be just that. We don’t want our kiddos getting burned out due to a lack of brain breaks! So make sure to choose and provide activities that they will actually want to participate in.
Finally, consider how you’d like to structure indoor recess and make sure students know the expectations. In my room, I like to start with a fun group activity, then break off into centers, and finish with a final group activity. This is a great structure for my kids and allows for student choice during the center-time portion, which is essential for success!
Now, if you’re tapped out on indoor recess ideas, don’t worry- I’ve got you covered! These 5 fun indoor recess activities will allow students to stay engaged while maintaining composure in the classroom.
1. Board Games
Board games are a great way to keep students engaged while building collaboration skills! Thankfully, there are a ton of great games out there to choose from. I love these because they provide a break from traditional classroom learning, encourage teamwork, and allow students to have fun in a structured format. Plus, students will have a blast while working with others! Some of my favorite board games include:
When it comes to indoor recess, be sure to choose a variety of games to play. Choose some that are super simple and require no reading for young students, and include some more challenging ones for older kids. I also like to choose some games that are perfect for partners, as well as a few for groups. You’ll also want to make sure you provide clear expectations on playing games and cleaning up game pieces to ensure a smooth indoor recess period.
2. CVC Words Snowball Fight
Being inside does not mean students lose all opportunities to be active. At least, that’s the case with this FREE CVC Snowball fight activity! For this activity, you’ll need to grab some plain white paper, pencils, or smelly markers (Mr. Sketch is amazing!). If you prefer to conserve some paper, you can cut pages in half or fourths. Next, have each student write a word on their paper. Then, have students crumple up the paper to make “snowballs.” You’ll want to repeat this so that you have a good supply of snowballs for each person.
After this, it is time to get the snowball fight going! First, divide the class in half and have them stand on separate sides of the room. Second, inform students how they will know when to throw snowballs and when to stop. I love playing music to cue the start of the snowball fight and having kids freeze when the music stops. However, you can also simply yell, “Stop!” As they throw the “snowballs” they can gather more to throw from the ground. Once students stop, they will snag a snowball near them, open it up, and read the word on the paper. You can have them do this independently, or read their word aloud.
The possibilities are endless with this fun activity! You can use sight words, numbers, letters, or addition and subtraction facts. Honestly, it can work with any type of skill or subject area. For some extra practice, students can even record the skill they are working on using this free snowball fight worksheet! Have them grab 4 snowballs from the ground to take to their desk and record on their sheet. This is a fun activity that everyone really enjoys!
3. Read Winter Books
Reading aloud and independently is another great option for indoor recess time. Whether you choose to create a reading “station” with a variety of books to flip through independently or read aloud to the whole group, this is a great indoor recess activity to include. There are so many books students can read during every season but when indoor recess is common, I like to lean into fun winter books!
This blog post is filled with my favorite winter books and will provide plenty of inspiration for your snow day reading and allow students to have some calming reading time before continuing the school day. I like to end indoor recess with a read-aloud to help everyone take a breath and ease back into learning.
4. Color by Code Activities
There’s no denying it, students love to color! Coloring is the perfect activity to provide a bit of a brain break while also allowing students to create something they are proud of. Color by Code is my favorite “sneaky” way to let kiddos color by while getting in some skills practice too. After all, color-by-code activities are so engaging that students don’t even realize they are practicing important skills and concepts!
If you know me, you might already know how much I love Color by Code activities! When it comes to indoor recess, I love this Winter Color by Code Bundle because it’s got seasonal pictures that students love. Not to mention, you’ll be able to easily target letters, numbers, sight words, and number sense with this bundle!
Alternatively, if students want an extra challenge in their coloring, mystery pictures are another great option. With these, the picture is not as obvious. Students will have to complete the whole activity before the picture is revealed. To give these a try in your room, grab a free sample of my Winter CVC Word Mystery Pictures here!
5. Movement Videos
If students are already struggling to stay in their seats during the morning, they need time during recess to let their energy out! That’s exactly why I like to use dance and movement videos for indoor recess time in my classroom. GoNoodle is a great option that students will love! You can create a free account to get started and test out the videos.
YouTube is another option I use a lot in my room and has TONS of free videos! One caveat is to make sure you watch videos all the way through before showing them in your classroom to ensure they are appropriate. I also wait to turn on the sound until after the ads at the beginning play just in case something less than kid-friendly is being advertised. Here are some of my favorite videos for indoor recess time in the winter months:
Whether you’re looking for trivia, dancing, or exercise videos, there are tons of great options on YouTube! Consider kicking off your indoor recess time with a group video to help shake out some wiggles before you break off into stations or centers. This is a great way to make sure that students are getting an opportunity to release excess energy!
I hope you enjoyed these indoor recess ideas! I know with a little careful planning, you’ll survive indoor recess too! Have fun choosing activities to keep your kiddos engaged this winter.
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