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!
- Ideas for indoor activities, games, and group play that 5-year-olds enjoy
- [For 5-Year-Olds] Recommended Indoor Play! A Collection of Exciting Games
- [Childcare] Full of energy! Indoor activity ideas to get kids moving
- [Age 5] Exciting and fun! A special feature on ideas for at-home play
- [Kindergarten] Let’s Play with Quizzes! A Collection of Recommended Quizzes for Older Kindergarteners
- Recommended for 3-year-olds! Fun indoor activities and group game ideas
- For 4-year-olds! Introducing recommended indoor activities, group games, and crafts
- Indoor games and recreational activities recommended for daycare and kindergarten
- [For 4-Year-Olds] A Collection of Indoor Play and Game Ideas That Get Everyone Excited
- Indoor recreation for children: A roundup of exciting games
- No prep needed! Indoor activities for 3-year-olds, including movement play and group games.
- [For 2-year-olds] Let’s get moving! A collection of ideas for physical play and movement games
- Useful for childcare! Today’s recommended recreational activities, including fingerplay and games!
Ideas for Indoor Activities and Group Games Loved by 5-Year-Olds (81–90)
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!
Pun Quiz
It’s like a riddle and really fun! Here are some ideas for pun quizzes.
By using puns, you can create laughter while learning words—a unique idea.
For example, for the question “What card game is a tiger playing?” the answer would be “toranpu” (trump), a play on words in Japanese.
Try coming up with answers that work like puns.
Children will develop creativity by twisting words to produce funny answers.
It’s something you can enjoy with family and friends while experiencing the fun of wordplay, and it helps build vocabulary and a sense of humor too! Let’s think up questions together, from easy to a bit challenging, and find the answers while laughing.
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.
Run Away from the Hula Hoop Game
Great for group play! Here’s an idea for a “Run from the Hula Hoop” game.
All you need is a large hula hoop.
The rules are simple: children try not to get hit by a hula hoop that a parent or teacher rolls.
The key is to move while predicting the hoop’s speed and direction.
Once everyone gets used to the game, adding variations to how the hoop moves will keep kids engaged and prevent boredom.
Give it a try and include it in your activities!