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23 fun games for 5-year-olds

Looking to stockpile a bunch of games for 5-year-olds? Smart thinking! Start with this list of fun, creative and educational 5-year-old games.

23 fun games for 5-year-olds

Playing is how children learn about the world around them, games are an essential part of any child’s education — even if they seem like nothing more than a fun way to spend time with siblings and friends. The next time kids are bored or have friends over to play, break out one of these 23 fun games for 5-year-olds. Watch how much fun they can have learning and playing at the same time.

Board games for 5-year-olds

1. Feed the Woozle

Feed the Woozle is a great game for 5 year olds
Image via Kohl’s

When playing Feed the Woozle, children feed the Woozle a variety of yucky snacks. Throughout the three levels, children use their fine motor skills and learn how to cooperate with other players.

Where to buy: Feed the Woozle ($22, Kohl’s)

2. Scrabble Junior

scrabble junior is a great game for 5 year olds
Image via Walmart

One side of the Scrabble Junior game board calls for kids to recognize and match letters to spell predetermined words while the other side encourages them to spell simple words on their own.

Where to buy: Scrabble Junior ($15, Walmart)

3. Candy Land

Candy Land is a great game for 5 year olds
Image via Amazon

This board game teaches kids how to take turns and deal with potentially disappointing setbacks, such as drawing the gingerbread boy card. Candy Land also allows your 5-year-old to practice counting and identifying colors.

Where to buy: Candy Land ($12, Amazon)

4. Zingo

Zingo is a great game for 5 year olds
Image via Amazon

Inspired by Bingo, Zingo teaches children vocabulary, matching, cooperation, memory and concentration skills.

Where to buy: Zingo ($21, Amazon)

5. Hoppers

Hoppers is a great game for 5 year olds
Image via Amazon

In the peg solitaire game Hoppers, children age 5 and up will strengthen sequential reasoning skills through fun gameplay and a number of multilevel challenges.

Where to buy: Hoppers ($15, Amazon)

6. The Ladybug Game

The Ladybug Game is a great indoor game for 5 year olds
Image via Amazon

The Ladybug Game, an award-winning interactive game, requires players to feed ants, escape aphids and praying mantis and help get ladybug home safely, all while learning some basic math concepts.

Where to buy: Zobmondo!! The Ladybug Game ($25, Amazon)

Physical games for 5-year-olds

7. Found It!

Skillmatics Found It is a great indoor game for 5 year olds
Image via Amazon

This Found It! indoor scavenger hunt game gets players up, active and running around even when you’re stuck inside. They make other versions of this game for outdoors and travel fun too!

Where to buy: Skillmatics Found It! (Indoor Edition) ($15, Amazon)

8. Wiggle & Giggle

Wiggle and Giggle is a great indoor game for 5 year olds
Image via Walmart

Players must follow the directions to complete a series of active and balancing moves without dropping a game ball in Wiggle & Giggle.

Where to buy: Wiggle & Giggle ($17, Walmart)

9. Beanbag toss

Beanbag toss is a great game for 5 year olds
Image via Lakeshore

You can purchase a beanbag toss game or cornhole set, but you can also make one yourself! Check out this DIY beanbag toss game from Crafty Carnival. All you have to do is paint images on cardboard and cut openings in strategic spots. Then, assign points for each opening and equip kids with beanbags for competing.

Where to buy: Beanbag Board ($100, Lakeshore)

10. Dodge Tag

Diggin Dodge Tag game  is a great indoor game for 5 year olds
Image via Target

In Dodge Tag, inspired by dodgeball but with safety in mind, children wear vests with “sticky” targets on them. Players get active throwing soft balls at each other in an effort to try and get them to stick to their opponent’s vest.

Where to buy: Diggin Dodge Tag ($24, Target)

DIY games for 5-year-olds

11. Tic-tac-toe

Tic-Tac-Toe game  a great indoor game for 5 year olds

Create your own tic-tac-toe set using rocks, paint and paper straws or wood dowels! Jodie and Jen have full how-to instructions for a DIY tic-tac-toe set on Eighteen25.

12. Milk Jug Catch

Cut the bottom off a few plastic gallon milk jugs and line the cut with masking or painter’s tape, per the DIY instructions on Handy With Scissors. Grab some balls or bean bags, and kids have a fun game of catch.

13. Glow-in-the-dark ring toss

Glow in the dark ring toss is a great game for 5 year olds
Image via Oriental Trading

Turn a simple pack of glow-in-the dark necklaces into a very cool game of glow-in-the-dark ring toss. Press a dowel into the ground and let kids play the classic game of ring toss using glow-in-the-dark necklaces. Here’s how Heather at Passion for Savings DIY’d glow-in-the-dark ring toss.

Where to buy: Glow Necklace Party Pack – 12 Pc. ($8, Oriental Trading)

14. Velcro catch ball

Turn peel-and-stick Velcro, a small wiffle ball and some cheap cotton mittens into an awesome DIY Velcro catch ball game via Makezine. Now you have a very fun game of catch even for the littlest kids.

15. Knock the cans

Knock the Can is a great game for 5 year olds

Peel the labels off of clean tin cans, decorate them with stickers and then line them up. The objective of the game is to try to knock down as many cans as possible, using a beanbag or soft ball. You can find free printable can wraps on Paging Supermom.

Indoor games for 5-year-olds

16. Monkeying Around

Monkeying Around is a great indoor game for 5 year olds
Image via Amazon

Monkeying Around is a balancing game that requires children to hang monkeys from a tree, which encourages them to use patience and hand-eye coordination.

Where to buy: Monkeying Around ($15, Amazon)

17. Race to Lose a Tooth

In this race to lose a tooth counting game from Toddler Approved, children line up marshmallow “teeth” in a pink paper “mouth,” roll a die and remove the corresponding number of marshmallows from their mouth. The first player to “lose” all their teeth wins.

18. Ice Cream Tower

Ice Cream Stacking Tower Balancing Game is a great indoor game for 5 year olds
Image via Amazon

Players use stacking, balancing and problem-solving skills to load scoops and scoops of “ice cream” in the Ice Cream Tower game.

Where to buy: Ice Cream Tower ($14, Amazon)

19. Animal charades

Charades is a great game for budding 5-year-olds to practicing using their imaginations and problem-solving skills. Cut out pictures of animals — or use the free animal charades printables from Buggy and Buddy — and split players into two teams. Players can take turns choosing an animal and acting it out within a two-minute time limit. If the player’s team guesses correctly, they earn a point.

Educational games for 5-year-olds

20. Silent Skittles or M&Ms game

The silent Skittles or M&M’s game is a great educational game for 5 year olds

Looking for an option for a quieter game time? Try this silent Skittles or M&M’s game from Pint-Sized Treasures. Each candy color is assigned a point value, and — eyes closed! — teams take turns taking a single candy from the bowl. The team that has the most points when all the candy is gone wins.

21. Crazy Cereal

Crazy Cereal electronic game  is a great indoor game for 5 year olds
Image via CM School Supply

In Crazy Cereal, children practice color matching by scooping pieces of “cereal.”

Where to buy: Crazy Cereal ($24, CM School Supply)

22. Trampoline alphabet games

This trampoline alphabet game is a great educational and active game for 5 year olds
Image via Hands On as We Grow

Check out these brilliant trampoline learning games that help kids recognize the letters in the alphabet while getting them active, too. The folks at Hands On as We Grow offer several ideas for combining trampoline fun with learning — all you need is sidewalk chalk and a trampoline.

23. Alphabet Memory

Alphabet Memory is a great educational game for 5 year olds
Image via Rainbow Resource Center

The cards in Alphabet Memory represent different letters of the alphabet. Kids get to learn and practice recognizing letters, making letter sounds, differentiating between upper- and lower-case letters and matching.

Where to buy: Alphabet Memory ($12, Rainbow Resource Center)