Ideas for indoor activities, games, and group play that 5-year-olds enjoy
At age five, children deepen their friendships through play—cooperating with peers and becoming aware of others’ feelings—while developing social skills and teamwork.
In this article, we’re sharing indoor play ideas that are perfect for the developmental needs of five-year-olds.
We’ve gathered a wide range of activities: energetic games that get kids moving, activities that nurture thoughtful problem-solving, and simple DIY toy-making ideas that are easy to create and fun to play with.
We’re focusing on activities that encourage communication with friends during play, so use these ideas as a reference and enjoy meaningful time with the children.
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Ideas for indoor activities and games, and group play that 5-year-olds enjoy (91–100)
Color Touch Game
Move your body while training your memory! Here’s a color touch game idea.
All you need are hula hoops and color markers.
It’s a simple and fun game that kids as young as three can enjoy! Using the hula hoops and color markers, the rule is to touch the color specified by the teacher and then return to your base.
It’s great because kids can move their bodies while memorizing colors.
Start with one color, and as they get used to it, increase to two or three colors to naturally boost memory and reaction speed.
Give it a try!
Clapping game until you drop
It’s a game you can play casually in a compact space, with no special preparations or large area required.
The rules are simple: first, each person takes a sheet of tissue paper and holds it.
Next, raise your hand above your head, drop the tissue, and compete to see how many times you can clap before it falls.
You’ll stretch your body to drop it from as high as possible and move quickly to pick it up, so it becomes a full-body exercise.
The lively clapping sounds fill the room, and it’s great to see everyone smiling and having fun!
Bug-catching game
Here’s a bug-catching game you play with a butterfly net.
The rules are very simple: cut origami paper into small pieces to make confetti, put it in a bowl, and get ready.
The person dropping the confetti stands on a raised platform and sprinkles the paper down.
The child below holds a butterfly net and tries to catch the confetti with the net.
It’s a fun game where you watch the confetti fall from above and move the hand-held net to catch it inside.
Try it in a spacious area and be sure to play safely!
Reverse hide-and-seek
The idea of adding a little twist to the usual game of hide-and-seek—reverse hide-and-seek—is really fun and highly recommended.
The rules are flipped: the seeker is the one who hides! Everyone else tries to find the hiding seeker.
If you’re lucky enough to find them, you then go hide somewhere yourself! The person who can’t find the last remaining hider loses.
You might feel like shouting “Found you!” when you spot them, but if you do, everyone else will rush over.
So in reverse hide-and-seek, even if you find the seeker, quietly go hide yourself.
It’s a thrilling game where you keep the joy of discovery to yourself.
Rock-paper-scissors is fun even in the rain
Here are some rock-paper-scissors games you can enjoy indoors with kids even on rainy days.
“American Rock-Paper-Scissors” reverses winning and losing, so it makes you think.
“Body Rock-Paper-Scissors” is a game where you use your whole body to show rock, paper, or scissors.
It’s recommended to decide in advance what movements will represent rock, scissors, and paper before you start.
In “Newspaper Rock-Paper-Scissors,” you stand on a sheet of newspaper while playing; if you lose, you fold your newspaper once and make it smaller each time.
In “Rock-Paper-Scissors Train,” the loser lines up behind the winner, and the train of players gradually grows longer.
Try these and find your favorite rock-paper-scissors game!