What play looks like at 5 to 8
Between five and eight, children get better at following rules, taking turns and planning. They start to enjoy games with a winner, though losing can still be hard. Their drawings get more detailed, their pretend play turns into longer stories, and many love to build, collect and invent.
This is a good age for classic games like hopscotch, tag and charades, and for activities that let them show off a new skill.
Activities that suit ages 5 to 8
Each slate shows the age range chalked in on a ruler from 2 to 12, plus energy and mess on a scale of one to three marks. Ages are a rough guide; you know your child best.
Outdoorsabout 20 min
Hopscotch
- Energy
- high
- Mess
- medium
You need: Sidewalk chalk, a small stone or beanbag
Toss the marker, hop the grid on one foot, skip the marked square and hop back.
More like thisIndoorsabout 20 min
Charades
- Energy
- medium
- Mess
- low
You need: Slips of paper with ideas
Act out an animal, job or action without words while others guess.
More like thisIndoorsabout 15 min
Draw and guess
- Energy
- low
- Mess
- medium
You need: Chalkboard and chalk
One player draws a secret word. The rest guess before the picture is done.
More like thisOutdoorsabout 20 min
Freeze tag
- Energy
- high
- Mess
- low
You need: An open space, a few players
Tagged players freeze until a teammate crawls under their legs or taps them free.
More like thisIndoorsabout 20 min
Indoor scavenger hunt
- Energy
- medium
- Mess
- low
You need: A list of things to find, or picture clues
Hide ten safe household items, or list things to find like "something round".
More like thisIndoorsabout 20 min
Four-box story
- Energy
- low
- Mess
- medium
You need: Chalkboard divided into four boxes
Draw a short story in four pictures: start, problem, try, ending.
More like thisOutdoorsabout 15 min
Red light, green light
- Energy
- high
- Mess
- low
You need: An open space
Players run on "green light" and freeze on "red light". First to the caller wins.
More like thisIndoorsabout 20 min
Cushion obstacle course
- Energy
- high
- Mess
- medium
You need: Sofa cushions, pillows, a blanket
Lay a route to crawl over, under and around. Time each run and let kids rebuild it.
More like thisOutdoorsabout 20 min
Four square
- Energy
- high
- Mess
- low
You need: Sidewalk chalk, a bouncy playground ball
Chalk a big square split in four. Bounce the ball into another square to play.
More like thisRules, winning and losing
Kids this age often argue about rules. That is part of learning how games work. A few ideas help:
- Agree on the rules before the game starts, and say them out loud.
- Let kids invent a "house rule" and test it for one round.
- Mix competitive games with team games where everyone wins or loses together.
- Model good losing yourself: "Oh no, you got me. Good game. Rematch?"
Building independent play
School-age kids can often play on their own for longer stretches. Make it easier by keeping a few open-ended supplies within reach: chalk, paper and pencils, building blocks, a ball. An activity jar with ideas written on slips of paper gives bored kids a way to choose without asking you. Fill it with things from the slates on this site.
Playing with friends
Playdates at this age go best with a loose plan: something active, a snack, and something calm at the end. Backyard games like red light, green light and freeze tag work well for small groups. If the play gets tense, a snack break or a change of game usually helps.
Staying active
The US Physical Activity Guidelines suggest children ages 6 and up get 60 minutes or more of moderate to vigorous activity each day. That doesn't need to come all at once. A walk to school, recess, a game of tag and a bike ride after dinner all add up.
My child says every game is boring. What helps?
Try giving them the job of designing the game: the obstacle course, the scavenger hunt clues, or the chalk path stations. Kids who make the rules often stay interested longer.
See also ages 2 to 4 and ages 9 to 12.