Good indoor recess activities let kids socialize and recharge without chaos. Drawing games, a drawing station tub, speed challenges and step-by-step lessons on the board are easy to set up and work for a whole class, with kids choosing between social games and quiet drawing.
Indoor recess drawing games
- Pictionary. Teams guess drawings on the whiteboard.
- The squiggle game. Pairs swap squiggles and turn them into pictures.
- Exquisite corpse. Fold paper in three; each kid draws one part.
- Draw what I describe. One student describes a shape-by-shape monster; the class draws.
- Drawing telephone. Phrase, drawing, phrase, drawing.
- Speed sketch relay. Teams take turns adding to a drawing in 30 seconds.
Full rules: drawing games for kids.
Drawing station tub
Keep a tub ready for indoor recess days:
- A few activity books (step-by-step, grid, tracing).
- Printed free pages in folders by type.
- Colored pencils and crayons.
- Blank paper and comic templates.
- A prompt generator on the board.
Board lessons
Project a step-by-step lesson on the board and let anyone who wants to join follow along. Others can do their own thing. See directed drawing.
Quick brain breaks
- 60-second monsters.
- Draw with your non-dominant hand.
- Draw your neighbor as a superhero (with permission).
- Turn a circle into as many things as possible in two minutes. See drawing with shapes.
Keep it manageable
- Set stations. A drawing table, a game area, a quiet reading corner.
- Clean-up song. Five minutes before recess ends.
- Rotate supplies. New pages each week keep the tub interesting.
Related
See early finisher activities and the teacher resources.
The book that helps
A tub with a couple of Cool Stuff books gives indoor recess endless monsters, aliens and robots to draw.
How to Draw: Cool Stuff
Draw by Grid: Cool StuffAs an Amazon Associate, FirstArtBooks earns from qualifying purchases.
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Questions
What are good indoor recess activities?
Drawing games like Pictionary and the squiggle game, a drawing station tub, board lessons and building or puzzle stations.
How do you keep indoor recess calm?
Set clear stations, offer both social and quiet choices, and use a clean-up routine.
What supplies do I need for indoor recess drawing?
Paper, colored pencils and crayons, a few activity books and printed free pages.