Ideas for indoor activities, games, and group play that 5-year-olds enjoy

Mukkuri Kuma-san

[Group Game] “Mukkuri Kuma-san” | How to Play “Mukkuri Kuma-san”

Let’s enjoy traditional nursery rhymes! Here’s an idea using “Mukkuri Kuma-san.” Warabe-uta are traditional Japanese children’s songs that are fun because adults and kids can sing and play together.

They have a good rhythm, simple lyrics and melodies, and are easy for children to remember.

For Mukkuri Kuma-san, choose one child to be the bear, and have the other children hold hands and walk in a circle around the bear.

When the song ends, the bear chases everyone.

The person tagged by the bear becomes the next bear.

Lick of ice cream

Tomobe Kindergarten Sports Day Event Description No. 6: “Lick the Ice Cream”

Aim for the goal while keeping your balance! Here’s an idea for “Ice Cream Lick.” It’s a fun relay perfect for a 5-year-old’s sports day, featuring a quirky, eye-catching ice cream with lots of impact.

Place a large ice cream made from colored plastic bags on a giant cone, and carry it to the finish while maintaining balance! Kids can enjoy it as a relay on their own, or you can adapt it into a parent-child event.

Work together and head for the goal!

Hula hoop relay

Hula hoop relay

Let’s clear the game by cooperating with friends! Here’s an idea for a hula-hoop relay.

It’s perfect for a sports day event for five-year-olds and is a great game for building teamwork.

Everyone holds hands and, without letting go, passes the hula hoop from person to person—working together is the key! Children will learn the importance of cooperation as they value teamwork and call out to encourage each other.

Through this event, they’ll deepen their bonds with friends and experience a real sense of accomplishment.

UFO Tag

@kidschallengeclub♬ UFO – Pink Lady

Spin around and protect the captain! Here’s an idea for a UFO tag game.

It’s a unique game that really tests teamwork! Form teams of three, hold hands, and dodge the tagger so your captain doesn’t get caught.

Choose a captain among the three and have them wear a bib number so the tagger can easily tell who it is—highly recommended.

The key is to hold hands firmly so no one lets go!

Rock-Paper-Scissors Sugoroku

@kidschallengeclub♬ EMA – go!go!vanillas

Turn your room into a sugoroku board! Here’s an idea for a Rock-Paper-Scissors Sugoroku game.

Sugoroku is a traditional Japanese board game where you advance squares using dice.

However, in this version, you don’t use dice—you move forward by playing rock-paper-scissors.

The rules are simple: win to advance, lose and go back to the start.

Kids can join in easily.

Set up items like mats, balance beams, or vaulting boxes in the room to represent the squares.

Cup Game

@.vs9086

This time it’s a “cooperation-required cup game”! Materials: • 4 strings • 1 rubber band • Paper or plastic cups How to play: • Attach the 4 strings to the rubber band. • Line up the paper cups. • Tug the rubber band from four directions to grip the cup and stack them into a pyramid. This game builds fine hand control and concentration. Plus, one person can take the lead by giving instructions, and the other listens and responds. You can’t do it unless the two of you work together. My second son isn’t very cooperative and hasn’t really had experiences of accomplishing something together with friends, so I hope that, even through play, he can gradually gain experiences of achieving something with someone else. If you have paper cups, you can also branch out into other games like: • Sport stacking • Bowling ————— We share fun brain-boosting activities that elementary schoolers will get more absorbed in than a Switch—and that help grow their talents! Check out the other posts, too! —————Elementary school kids' playBrain-boosting playSTEAM education

♬ Cheap and cute athletic meet classic song(1085557) – Kids Sound

A mission you can’t clear without teaming up! Here’s a cup game idea.

Cooperation is a very important skill for 5-year-olds.

Through everyday interactions with friends and family, they begin to learn what cooperation means and why it matters.

By playing cooperatively with friends, children can develop the ability to understand others’ feelings and take turns.

The key to this game is that you cannot complete it without your teammates’ help.

You’ll need paper or plastic cups, rubber bands, and string.

Achieve the mission together with your friends and strengthen your bonds!

Talking Game

@soramame.sensei

How can I get it across?Talking Gameword# developmental support (ryōiku)Let's play together as parent and child#StayHomeTime

♬ Athletic Meet “Heaven and Hell” (No Introduction) – Shinonome

Build thinking and communication skills! Here are some ideas for a talking game.

Talking games are fun activities that use words to strengthen communication and creativity.

Have two people sit facing each other, and place a divider between them so they can’t see what the other is doing.

Once both have the same type and number of blocks in front of them, you’re ready to start! One person assembles the blocks while clearly explaining what they’re doing using only words.

The other listens carefully, thinks through the instructions, and assembles the blocks accordingly.

Give it a try!