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[For Preschoolers] Get Fired Up at the Sports Day! Fun Parent-Child Activity Ideas That Everyone Will Enjoy
Here are some recommended parent-child events for sports day that young children can enjoy together with their guardians! In this collection, you’ll find playful activities that really liven things up, such as hide-and-seek using newspaper, a musical chairs-style game with a large hula hoop, and a ball-toss game featuring a mischievous character.
These events are perfect for first-time participants—easy to join and great for strengthening bonds between children and their guardians.
Find ideas here to create a fun sports day full of smiles and happy memories.
[Preschoolers] Exciting Sports Day! Fun Parent-Child Event Ideas (1–10)
Mr. Ant on an errand
Let’s clear the mission! Here’s an idea inspired by “The Little Errand Ant.” Many of you probably know the children’s song “Otsukai Arisan.” This time, let’s incorporate it as a sports day event.
Once you’ve made the treats using colored plastic bags, poster paper, and construction paper, you’re all set.
Familiar items like candies, donuts, and biscuits work well.
Following cards that display illustrations of treats at random, children carry oversized treats in a unique relay-style competition.
Hide-and-seek at the sports day?
Parents and children will both get excited! Here are some ideas for playing hide-and-seek at a sports day.
Hide-and-seek is usually a game played during everyday playtime, right? This time, let’s try it at a sports day.
It’s especially recommended for preschools and kindergartens where children wear the same hats and gym clothes for the event.
After hide-and-seek, setting up a corner where parents and children can deepen their bonds through dance or interactive play will make things even more lively.
Give it a try!
Get into the hula hoop.
A game where hoops are laid out randomly on the ground, everyone walks around and around the hula hoops, and when the music stops, you jump into any hoop.
To put it simply, it’s the hoop version of musical chairs, played by parents and children together.
You can use hula hoops, but it’s more exciting if the hoops vary in size—big and small—so why not make your own with newspaper and vinyl tape? If you can’t get into a hoop, you’re out.
The last parent–child pair remaining wins!
Animal Race
Let’s step into character and play! Here are some ideas for an Animal Race.
Many children find it fun to pretend to be animals.
This time, try racing while transforming into a frog, a bear, or even a baby together with parents or guardians! Sports days can feel different from the usual routine, and many children may get nervous—but participating alongside a parent or guardian can help them feel more at ease.
Preparing headbands or costumes will likely boost their excitement, too.
Play Park Together
In the interactive exercise “Let’s Play Park Together,” parents and children can try all kinds of movements: holding hands and jumping, cradling the children like treasures, playing bowling, and more.
Since you can switch roles in the bowling activity, if the parent plays the pins and does some funny moves, it might bring out smiles from the kids.
Finish by lifting the children up high for a grand finale! It’s sure to make a wonderful photo opportunity.
It may look difficult, but there’s actually not much dancing involved, so even one-year-olds should be able to enjoy it fully.
Operation Hide-and-Seek
In this event, children play hide-and-seek with their parents.
The children are the ones who hide, and the parents try to find their hidden child as quickly as possible! Within designated boundaries—such as inside the track set up on the playground—the children crouch down and hide their faces with a newspaper or similar item.
The parent-child pair who finds their own child and returns to the starting position together the fastest wins.
Since hide-and-seek is a familiar game, even younger children can enjoy participating in this event in a playful, fun way!
Tug-of-war race
A pulling race where the children just lie down and the guardians do their best to pull and run.
Use cardboard, plastic tape, rope, and similar materials to make something large enough for a child to ride on.
Have the children get on it at the starting line, and the guardians pull it toward the goal.
Be careful: if you run too fast or rush, the children may fall off, so watch them closely and pull with care.
If you make it a relay format with two points where children can get on and off, the event will run more smoothly.