The best games for 5 year olds mix play and early learning: letter tracing, counting, pretend cooking, DUPLO building and gentle adventures with familiar characters. Every game here is rated Everyone on Google Play. Seven of them show no ads label, which makes them easier to hand over without hovering.
Five is a funny age for games. They can tap, swipe and drag like a pro, they're starting to read a few words, and they've got very firm opinions about which cartoon pups matter most.
I looked up each game's Google Play listing and noted the developer, installs, the ads and in-app purchases labels, the content rating and any offline wording. They aren't ranked, and I'm not promising any of them is right for every child, because only you know yours.
What I've tried to do is give you a spread: a few learning apps, a few pure play apps and a couple that blur the line.
Labels for each game, side by side
| Game | Developer | Google Play installs | Ads / in-app purchases | Offline wording on the listing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sonic Dash Run | SEGA | 500M+ | Contains ads, in-app purchases | No offline claim on the listing |
| PAW Patrol Rescue World | Budge Studios | 50M+ | Contains ads, in-app purchases | No offline claim on the listing |
| ABC Kids - Tracing & Phonics | RV AppStudios | 50M+ | No ads label, no in-app purchases | No offline claim on the listing |
| Timpy Cooking Games for Kids | Timpy Games For Kids, Toddlers & Baby | 10M+ | Contains ads, in-app purchases | No offline claim on the listing |
| LEGO® DUPLO® Peppa Pig | StoryToys | 10M+ | No ads label, in-app purchases | 'Play pre-downloaded content offline without wifi or internet' |
| LEGO® DUPLO® World | StoryToys | 10M+ | No ads label, in-app purchases | 'Play pre-downloaded content offline without wifi or internet' |
| 123 Numbers - Count & Tracing | RV AppStudios | 10M+ | No ads label, no in-app purchases | No offline claim on the listing |
| Learn to Read - Duolingo ABC | Duolingo | 10M+ | No ads label, no in-app purchases | 'Enjoy playing and learning offline' |
| Prodigy Math: Kids Game | Prodigy Education Inc | 5M+ | No ads label, in-app purchases | No offline claim on the listing |
| SplashLearn: Kids Learning App | StudyPad, Inc. | 1M+ | No ads label, in-app purchases | No offline claim on the listing |
The ten picks for five-year-olds
Sonic Dash Run
SEGA's endless runner, with more than 500M installs, has Sonic and friends racing past obstacles and collecting rings. It's fast and bright, rated Everyone, and carries both a Contains ads label and in-app purchases.
PAW Patrol Rescue World
Budge Studios lets children ride around Adventure Bay with Chase, Skye, Marshall and the rest of the pups. Its listing describes it as made for preschool and kindergarten ages, and it shows ads and in-app purchases.
ABC Kids - Tracing & Phonics
RV AppStudios' tracing app helps children recognise letter shapes and link them to sounds. It shows no ads label and no in-app purchases label, which makes it one of the calmest installs here.
Timpy Cooking Games for Kids
Timpy's pretend kitchen, for little ones aged 2 to 6 according to its listing, lets children whip up dishes in a play diner. It shows ads and in-app purchases.
LEGO® DUPLO® Peppa Pig
StoryToys mixes Peppa Pig with DUPLO bricks for role play and storytelling, aimed at children aged 2 to 6. No ads label, though it lists in-app purchases.
LEGO® DUPLO® World
The wider DUPLO World has themed play packs, from vehicles to animals, and its listing mentions parent tips for shared play. Same labels as the Peppa game.
123 Numbers - Count & Tracing
A counting and number tracing game from RV AppStudios, aimed at ages 2 to 5. Its listing says no ads, and Google Play shows no in-app purchases label either.
Learn to Read - Duolingo ABC
Duolingo ABC teaches the alphabet, phonics and sight words through short lessons and stories, from preschool to first grade. No ads label, no in-app purchases label, and its listing mentions offline learning.
Prodigy Math: Kids Game
Prodigy turns maths questions into a quest game, where answering correctly moves the adventure on. It suits a five-year-old who's ready for early sums, with a grown-up nearby to read questions.
SplashLearn: Kids Learning App
SplashLearn covers maths, reading and phonics from preschool upwards, with lessons its listing describes as personalised. No ads label, but it lists in-app purchases.
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Learning apps, play apps and a bit of both
ABC Kids, 123 Numbers, Duolingo ABC, Prodigy Math and SplashLearn are learning apps first. They're structured, they have lessons and they tend to show no ads label, which is a big plus at this age.
Sonic Dash Run, PAW Patrol Rescue World and Timpy Cooking are play apps. They're fun, they're familiar and they carry ads. The two DUPLO games sit in the middle, with open-ended building and role play that can spark real conversation.
Settings to change before handing over the phone
- Turn on approval for in-app purchases in your Google Play family settings.
- Check the content rating on the listing, even for character games.
- Download DUPLO packs at home so they work offline later.
- Sit with them for the first session to see how ads appear.
- Agree a finish time before the game starts, not after.
Signs a game suits a five-year-old
- Few words on screen: instructions should be spoken or shown, not written.
- No dead ends: they should be able to carry on after a mistake.
- Short rounds: attention spans at five are short and that's fine.
- Clear exits: ads and shop buttons shouldn't sit where little fingers land.
Away from home and a step ahead
For car journeys and holidays, my list of free offline games for iPad and tablets has more games that keep working when the signal doesn't.
If your five-year-old is racing ahead, this guide on how to pick age appropriate puzzle games for a 6 year old helps you plan the next step.
And for a break from screens altogether, these party games for adults and kids work for any family get-together, not just in October.
Keeping it fun at five
You don't need ten games on the tablet. Pick one learning app and one play app, rotate them now and then, and play alongside them when you can. A five-year-old who tells you about the dish they cooked or the tower they built is getting more from the game than one tapping away alone.
This guide is part of my Free Games to Play Offline and Online: Every Guide in One Place (2026).
Frequently asked questions
What are good games for 5 year olds?
Learning apps such as ABC Kids and Duolingo ABC, plus play apps like the LEGO DUPLO games and PAW Patrol Rescue World, are all rated Everyone on Google Play.
Which games for 5 year olds have no ads?
ABC Kids, 123 Numbers, Duolingo ABC, the two LEGO DUPLO games, Prodigy Math and SplashLearn show no Contains ads label.
Can 5 year olds play these games offline?
Duolingo ABC mentions offline learning, and the DUPLO games say pre-downloaded content plays offline.
Do games for 5 year olds have in-app purchases?
Several do. Only ABC Kids, 123 Numbers and Duolingo ABC show no in-app purchases label here.
Is Sonic Dash Run OK for a 5 year old?
It's rated Everyone, but it shows ads and in-app purchases, so it's worth playing with them at first.
