Five and six-year-olds are fun to be around. Not only are they learning to flex their social muscles, but they’re open and willing to learn. As a parent, you can capitalize on this with a range of engaging and fun activities that promote learning, financial literacy and creativity.
Why are learning activities important for 5 & 6-year-olds?
Even though your kids are now at school, at-home activities are still important for five and 6-year-olds. Learning through play activities at home help boost what happens in the classroom. They also work towards building a solid foundation for future learning.
If you have a five or six-year-old, you'll know they’re at a crucial stage in their development. At this age, engaging and fun activities can help children develop essential skill sets to support their academic growth. Plus, playing with your child each day — even if it's just for 10 minutes — gives you a chance to enter your child's world and find out about their beliefs, thoughts and feelings. It also shows your child you want to spend time together.
Skill sets they are formulating at five and six years of age.
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The development of cognitive skills. At this age, children learn to reason, problem-solve and think logically.
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The development of social skills. Going to school helps children interact with peers and learn to collaborate, share, and communicate.
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The development of emotional skills. From learning emotional regulation to self-awareness and resilience.
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The development of communication. New vocabulary, learning to listen, and better negotiation skills.
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The development of a broader worldview promotes curiosity and exploration and encourages children to ask questions and experiment.
Indoor activities
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Board Games are a fun and educational way to keep 5-year-olds entertained. Games like Candy Land, Monopoly Junior and memory games are age-appropriate and can help improve a range of the above skills.
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Reading to 5-year-olds is a great way to foster a love of reading and improve their language and comprehension skills. You can let them choose their favorite books and introduce them to new stories and characters.
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Building blocks like LEGO, Mega Bloks, or wooden blocks are excellent for promoting problem-solving and fine motor skills.
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Puzzles are a brilliant way for kids to test ideas and solve problems. While doing a puzzle, children need to remember shapes, positions and strategies to complete them.
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Baking is fun for kids of this age and gives them a sense of accomplishment and a taste of science.
Outdoor activities
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Nature scavenger hunt. Kids love exploring the outdoors and discovering new things. Create a scavenger hunt by providing them with a list of items to find, such as a pinecone, a bird feather, a particular colour of a flower, or a specific type of rock. This activity promotes exploration and helps kids learn about nature.
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Bicycle ride: Cycling is a great way for kids to exercise and enjoy the outdoors. This helps with fitness and with motor skills.
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Outdoor games like hide and go seek, jump rope and ball games promote physical activity, teamwork, and social skills. They also help kids develop their gross motor skills.
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Go on a hike. Exploring the landscape and woodland areas is a great way to widen your child's world.
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Set up an obstacle course in your backyard. Use household items and create an obstacle course. Your kids can get involved in designing it and setting it up in your backyard. This activity promotes gross motor skills, coordination, and balance.
Motor skill activities
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Drawing and coloring, improve fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination, which is essential when they come to handwriting.
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Hopscotch promotes balance, coordination, and gross motor skills. Draw a hopscotch grid on the ground using chalk and have the child hop on one foot or two feet to complete the course.
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Scissor work. Give your child a pair of safety scissors and a piece of construction paper or a magazine. Encourage them to cut out shapes or pictures. This activity improves hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills.
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Simon says. This game promotes listening skills, coordination and gross motor skills. Players must obey the leader’s commands only if they say ‘Simon Says’ before the instruction.
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Playdough is an excellent way to promote fine motor skills. Encourage your child to squeeze, stretch, pinch and roll the dough as they play.
Creative activities
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Arts and Crafts. 5-year-olds love to create things with their hands, so providing them with art supplies like crayons, paints, construction paper, and glue can keep them entertained for hours.
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DIY crafts are a great way for 5-year-olds to express their creativity and imagination. Provide them with paper, scissors, glue, paint, and other supplies to make their crafts. Examples include making paper flowers, paper plate animals, and bookmarks.
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Sensory play involves providing kids with different textures and materials, such as sand, water, playdough, and slime. Sensory play promotes creativity, fine motor skills, and sensory development.
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Cooking. Kids love to help in the kitchen. Baking and cooking are great ways to teach them about measuring, following directions and trying new foods.
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Putting on a show. Make a puppet theater out of boxes or drape a towel over a chair and encourage your child to tell a story to you and the family. Or get them to play dress up and act out the story.
Financial education activities
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Set up a pretend shop at home using items you have in the kitchen. Give your child a set amount of play money and let them shop for items. They can learn about money, budgeting, and making choices.
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Counting and sorting coins: Give your child a collection of cash and have them sort them by type and count them. This activity teaches them about currency and basic math skills.
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Allowance. Give your child an allowance for completing age-appropriate chores. This teaches them about earning money, budgeting for kids and spending wisely.
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Savings jar. Encourage your child to save a portion of their allowance or any money they receive as gifts in a savings jar. This teaches them about the concept of saving and delayed gratification.
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Discuss the difference between needs and wants with your child, and have them sort items into categories. This activity helps them understand the importance of making wise financial decisions based on their priorities.
Related: Activities to teach your kids financial literacy
What to consider before deciding on a learning activity
What your child enjoys
The number one way to keep your child engaged is to ensure the activity plays into what they like to do. Whether that's running around outdoors, reading or crafting.
Their strengths and weaknesses
Choose a range of activities that both play to their strengths and tackle elements they find challenging. This way, kids stay engaged and learn at the same time.
What will your child learn?
It pays to mix up activities, so your child learns various skills. Doing this also helps you work out what engages them (a sign of future or current interests) and their skill level across a range of skill sets.
Are they having fun?
School is tiring for kids, so any activity you start at home should be fun. Otherwise, they may start to see it as an extension of school.
What would your child like to do?
Your child can often give you an indication of the area they are interested in if you allow them to choose an activity. Give choices within choices to help them decide. For example, if they want to do arts and crafts, ask if they'd like to make something or draw.
How can GoHenry help?
A prepaid kids debit card like GoHenry enables your child to start learning about money and the digital economy. Children as young as six years can sign up for a card and have their pocket money paid into it weekly. This way, they can learn to save money via savings goals, earn for chores through tasks and see how money grows.
Money Missions, in the GoHenry app, is aimed at the 6+ age group and teaches everything your child needs to know about money basics with fun bite-sized lessons and quizzes.
