Lovely childcare

Ideas for indoor activities and group games that 5-year-olds like

9 years of experience as a nursery school teacherShibata Risa
I am an active nursery school teacher with 9 years of experience. After graduating from university, I worked at a daycare center. The time I spent happily with children—playing piano, singing songs, and doing finger-play—are priceless memories to me. Currently, while raising three children of my own, I work at an after-school day service, engaging with children and providing individualized developmental support. Drawing on my diverse experiences as a childcare worker and as a mother, I hope to express and convey my thoughts through writing.

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 and group games that 5-year-olds like (101–110)

Reverse hide-and-seek

Reverse hide-and-seek: When you spot the ‘it’ (the tagger), hide immediately! Who will be the last one remaining...?

Reverse hide-and-seek

The idea of adding a little twist to the usual game of hide-and-seek—reverse hide-and-seek—is really fun and highly recommended.

The rules are flipped: the seeker is the one who hides! Everyone else tries to find the hiding seeker.

If you’re lucky enough to find them, you then go hide somewhere yourself! The person who can’t find the last remaining hider loses.

You might feel like shouting “Found you!” when you spot them, but if you do, everyone else will rush over.

So in reverse hide-and-seek, even if you find the seeker, quietly go hide yourself.

It’s a thrilling game where you keep the joy of discovery to yourself.

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stop ball throw

@secondhouseayumu
“Stop Ball Throw!” devised by an occupational therapist. As practice for stopping actions, it helps children develop the ability to look at letters and make decisions 💪🏻 ̖́- We design activities so that the children can enjoy playing every day while also receiving therapeutic support ✨Second House Saiyuyu After-school Day Service (for children with disabilities)Child Development Support Fun workplace Now hiring / Looking for people who want to work Recreation Speech-Language-Hearing Therapist Occupational therapist Physical therapist Nursery teacher / Childcare worker Childcare Worker Fun Play # developmental support (ryōiku)Shall we work together?
♪ Original song – Second House Saiyu-Yui – Second House Saiyu-Yui

Thinking while moving is fun! Let me introduce a stop-ball throwing activity.

You’ll need colored balls and cards with signs on them.

Place the colored balls on the floor and throw them into a basket.

When a “Stop” card is shown, everyone must freeze—even if they’re in the middle of throwing a ball.

Once kids get used to the rules, it’s fun to add similar-sounding words like “tomato” along with “stop.” Try adapting it while observing the children’s responses.

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In conclusion

We introduced plenty of ideas for indoor play recommended for five-year-olds.

There were lots of fun activities to spark the curiosity of five-year-old children.

Through various games, let’s watch over them so they can learn the importance of following rules and respecting others’ feelings.

We hope they can share lots of joyful moments with friends and have a fulfilling time indoors as well.