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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Ideas for indoor activities and group games that 5-year-olds like (71–80)
Red Light, Green Light
Let’s play by adding new rules! Here are some ideas for Daruma-san ga Koronda.
Daruma-san ga Koronda is a traditional Japanese game played with one child as “it” (the oni) and the other children as players.
The oni turns around while saying, “Daruma-san ga koronda.” The participants can move forward until the oni finishes saying “Daruma-san ga koronda,” but the moment the oni turns around, the participants must freeze.
By customizing this rule with elements like balance beams, hula hoops, or balls, you can keep the game fresh and fun.
Tag game where the number of chasers increases (Infection tag)
Here’s an introduction to “Fuyashi Oni,” a heart-pounding, edge-of-your-seat tag game where the number of taggers (oni) keeps increasing.
The rules are very simple: if you’re tagged, you become an oni, so the number of oni steadily grows—making it a game you can play with any number of people.
If you play with 30 people, before you know it there might be 29 oni and you’re the only one still running, surrounded and on pins and needles.
It can even turn into a psychological battle: an oni who’s been tagged might pretend not to notice and act like they’re still a runner, sidling up to someone and tagging them.
You don’t need any special equipment, so give it a try!
Intro Quiz
Let’s guess songs like children’s tunes and anime theme songs! Here are some ideas for an intro quiz.
It’s a wonderful way to play with music using your memory.
By listening to the opening melody and guessing the song’s name, children can develop a deeper interest in music.
It’s great that you can play individually or in teams; competing with friends or classmates lets you enjoy the fun of cooperating, feel the thrill of wins and losses, and get excited together.
You can also adjust the difficulty to match the season or trends, making it a quiz everyone can enjoy!
Don Janken
Let’s try playing Don-Janken, a quick and exciting game you can enjoy anywhere! The rules are very simple: split into two teams and line up at opposite ends.
At the signal, the first person from each team runs forward, and when they meet, they play rock-paper-scissors.
If you win, you keep going; if you lose, the next teammate starts running.
You continue advancing by playing rock-paper-scissors, aiming to reach the opponent’s side.
It’s called Don-Janken because when you meet, you both stretch your hands forward, touch with a “don!” and stop.
Play carefully to avoid injuries.
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!
Pasta Twirling Race
Here’s a perfect indoor activity: the Twirling Pasta Race.
Prepare some “pasta” by attaching yarn to a paper plate with tape.
On the free end of the yarn (the side without tape), attach an empty plastic wrap core.
To race, hold the core and twist it to wind the yarn around it.
It’s a fun competition to see who can wind the yarn—pretend pasta—onto the core the fastest.
To make it even more exciting, place a cutout of an animal with its mouth open between the paper plate and the core, and set up a little sign showing it “eating.” You could also time each round to add a competitive element.
Pyramid Rock-Paper-Scissors
Guaranteed to be a blast—let’s play Pyramid Rock-Paper-Scissors! First, split into a defense team and an offense team.
Draw pyramid-shaped lines on the ground and place the defenders on the lines.
For example, if there are 15 defenders, put 5 people on the longest bottom line, then 4 on the next, and so on, ending with a single person at the top—that person is the King! The offense team starts by challenging anyone among the 5 at the bottom to rock-paper-scissors; if they win, they move up.
At the end, they play rock-paper-scissors with the King, and if they win, they clear the game.
If they lose at any point, they go back to the starting point.
Losing to the King also sends you back to start.
It’s a fun game where luck is put to the test!