[Age 5] Exciting and fun! A special feature on ideas for at-home play
By the age of five, more children can enjoy games with rules and have fun competing in games with friends and adults.
In this article, we’ll introduce at-home activities that are perfect for five-year-olds.
We’ve gathered a variety of ideas—from games with easy-to-understand rules, to activities that get kids moving indoors, to crafts that are fun to make—so feel free to use them as a reference and give them a try.
Not only for times when you can’t play outside, but also for those moments when you just feel like staying in, we hope you’ll enjoy these with your family and siblings.
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- Ideas for indoor activities, games, and group play that 5-year-olds enjoy
- [Childcare] Playful craft ideas to enjoy with 5-year-olds
- [For 5-Year-Olds] Recommended Indoor Play! A Collection of Exciting Games
- Ideas for indoor activities and group games that 5-year-olds like
- For 4-year-olds! A collection of indoor home play ideas that make time inside fun
- For 3-Year-Olds! Indoor & Outdoor Physical Play and Game Ideas
- [For 4-Year-Olds] A Collection of Indoor Play and Game Ideas That Get Everyone Excited
- For 5-Year-Olds: Let’s Make It! A Collection of Craft Ideas to Feel the Spring
- [For 4-year-olds] Ideas for group games and craft activities that can be done indoors
- Recommended for 3-year-olds! Fun indoor activities and group game ideas
- [Kindergarten] Let’s Play with Quizzes! A Collection of Recommended Quizzes for Older Kindergarteners
- Indoor activities that 2-year-olds can enjoy. Recommended at-home games that will keep them engaged.
[Age 5] Exciting and Fun! A Collection of At-Home Play Ideas (21–30)
karuta (traditional Japanese card game)
A card game where you grab the card that matches the reader’s prompt and compete for the most cards.
Like Hyakunin Isshu or playing cards, it’s a card game enjoyed by people of all ages.
Once you lay out the cards—each with one kana from the Japanese syllabary and an illustration—you’re ready to play.
By listening to, looking at, and taking the cards with hiragana on them, players naturally learn words as they play.
You can also give hints using the illustrations to help reach the answer, not just the letters.
Try this traditional game—it’s a great foundation for teaching reading and writing to five-year-olds.
Easy colored-water play at home
No paints or food coloring needed! Here are some easy ideas for colored-water play you can try at home.
When your child asks to “play with colored water,” you might not have paints or food coloring on hand.
This time, let’s try a simple colored-water activity using washable markers! You’ll need water, washable markers, copy paper cut into strips, and plastic cups.
Color the paper strips with the washable markers, then gently swish the paper in a plastic cup filled with water—the color will transfer into the water!
Spot the differences
A spot-the-difference game where you compare two pictures and look for what’s different.
It’s easy to play and perfect for filling time at home! Spot-the-difference puzzles are available on many platforms, such as video sites and across the internet, and there are plenty of books, too.
If the puzzles feature characters popular with children, they’ll likely be even more motivated.
Spot-the-difference helps build concentration because kids need to look closely at the images to find the differences.
It also develops the ability to explain what’s different in words—making it a game full of benefits for children!
Paper cup rocket making
Here’s a paper-cup rocket that’s perfect for indoor play.
Prepare paper cups, rubber bands, construction paper, pens, scissors, and glue.
Cut four slits into one of the paper cups.
Leave the other paper cup as is.
Take two rubber bands, stretch them, and attach them to each other in a crisscross shape.
Hook the connected rubber bands onto the slitted parts of the paper cup.
With the cup that has the rubber bands on top and the other cup as a base underneath, press down; the rubber band’s force will launch the cup upward like a rocket.
You can decorate the paper cups with colored pens, origami paper, or stickers to make them even cuter.
straw airplane
Let me introduce a straw airplane.
Prepare a straw, a shorter sheet of construction paper, a longer sheet of construction paper, and cellophane tape, and let’s make it.
Roll up each of the short and long pieces of construction paper and tape them into rings.
Attach a strip of tape horizontally to one end of the straw, then stick the smaller paper ring to that end; do the same on the other end with the larger paper ring to complete it.
When flying and playing, make sure no one is around and use a wide, open space.
It could also be fun to race by launching multiple airplanes against each other.
Moving House Game
Let’s move to a distant base! Here’s an idea for a “Moving House” game.
In this game, the cue word is “Moving House,” and children simply move from one mat to another.
Once they get used to it, teachers or guardians can try to interrupt them along the course.
The fun part is seeing whether they can complete the move while avoiding the teachers or guardians! It’s also a great idea for deepening bonds among the children by giving them a shared goal.
Indoor ice play
Put small toys and water into an ice tray and freeze to make ice.
Once the ice is ready, transfer the cubes to another container and try pouring water over them or rubbing them with your hands to rescue the toys.
You can use plain water, or add paint or food coloring—it’s highly recommended.
As the ice melts, you’ll get colored water, and it’s also fun to see how the colors mix and change into new ones.
Wanting to get the toys out will inspire kids to think in different ways.
It’ll be exciting to see what ideas they come up with.
