Ideas for indoor activities and group games that 5-year-olds like
For teachers looking for play ideas on days when the weather or temperature keeps you indoors and you’re wondering, “What should I play with the children today?”, this is a must-read.
This time, we’re sharing plenty of indoor play ideas recommended for 5-year-olds.
From group activities that let children move their bodies to the fullest while enjoying interactions with friends, to games that encourage deep focus and thinking, to make-and-play toy crafts suited to the fine-motor skills of 5-year-olds—there’s a wide variety of indoor activities that deliver a sense of satisfaction!
Add your own twists to match the children’s moods and needs, and it will be even more exciting.
Use these ideas as inspiration and have fun together!
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Indoor play and group game ideas that 5-year-olds love (61–70)
Bingo Relay
Let me introduce a game called “Bingo Relay,” which gets kids using both their heads and bodies.
You’ll need bingo squares—prepare nine items you can use to mark off spaces, like mini hoops.
If you’re outside, you can draw circles on the ground instead.
Arrange them in a 3×3 grid.
Divide the children into two teams, and have only the first three players on each team hold their team markers.
At the signal, the first player from each team runs to the bingo grid and places their marker inside a ring.
When they’re done, they run back, tag the next player, and switch.
The team that first completes a line—vertical, horizontal, or diagonal—wins.
Starting from the third move onward, players should move one of their own team’s already placed pieces instead of adding a new one.
It’s a fun game that requires quick thinking!
giant ball
@nacchi_asobi Super excited! 😍 We played for another whole hour!!! ▫️Giant Ball▫️ ▷▷Materials • Trash bags (This time we used 45L and 30L 🫶🏻) • Vinyl tape ▷▷How to make it 1) Inflate the trash bag. Tip: Fill it up until it’s nice and firm with air! 2) Wrap 3–4 strips of tape all the way around. That’s it! 💓 ▷▷Tips for fun Throw it, roll it, kick it—when you toss it high, it floats down slowly and everyone gets super excited!! 😍 Please give it a try! ♡♡ ⚠️Safety Note Be careful to prevent accidental swallowing. Always have an adult supervising. Put it away out of reach after playtime. Please be mindful of choking and ingestion hazards! 𓂃𓂃𓂃𓂃𓂃𓂃𓂃𓂃𓂃𓂃🎨 Thank you so much for viewing ♡♡ This account shares: / Play-at-home ideas for 1-year-olds from a childcare-worker mom 🎈 \ I hope this helps when you’re wondering, “What should we play today?” and need ideas for at-home time 🥰#AtHomePlaySimple PlayParentingStruggling with parenting1 year old#1-year-old play#BoyMomBalloon Play100-yen shop toy#HandmadeToys#DaisoPurchases#Seria purchases
♬ Turkish march 8bit game sound(910193) – KAN TAKEUCHI
Let me introduce a giant ball that kids will be super excited about.
The method is very simple: inflate a garbage bag and tie it off to make a large ball shape.
Wrap duct tape around it, and you’re done.
If you change the colors of the tape as you stick it on, it becomes a visually fun ball as well.
Hold it, throw it—use your whole body and play freely with the giant ball.
Another plus is that, since it’s made of plastic, it won’t hurt even if it hits your head or body.
It might also be fun to make several of the same kind and play with them like a maze.
Rock-Paper-Scissors Balance Game
Here’s a rock-paper-scissors balance game that gets your whole body moving.
Play rock-paper-scissors with your friends.
If you win, do a one-legged balance for 5 seconds.
If it’s a tie, spin around twice and then do a one-legged balance for 5 seconds.
If you lose, spin around three times and then do a one-legged balance for 5 seconds.
For children who find one-legged balancing difficult, it’s recommended to hold onto something while balancing.
When playing the rock-paper-scissors balance game, secure a spacious area and keep a safe distance from one another to ensure safety.
Handkerchief-snatching game
The classic indoor game you can play even on rainy days, the “Handkerchief Grab,” has lots of fun variations depending on the rules.
In this version, players sit on chairs facing each other with their knees touching, place a handkerchief in the middle, and grab it when the whistle blows.
It works well with a larger group, or you can do head-to-head matches and make it a tournament.
There’s also a high-level version where someone keeps chatting to distract players, then blows the whistle when their attention slips.
It’s a recommended game that everyone can enjoy while training reflexes and coordination!
Picture shiritori
Let me introduce a drawing shiritori game that gets everyone excited while you draw.
The drawing shiritori game can be enjoyed by two or more people.
First, decide on a theme for the first drawing in turn.
The first person draws a picture on paper based on the theme.
The next person looks at the previous person’s drawing and draws a picture that starts with the last letter of the previous drawing’s word.
Take turns and keep going.
It gets even more fun if you set final rules in advance, such as what happens if a word ends with “n” (which would normally end the game) or if someone can’t draw on their turn.
Have fun and 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!
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!