[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.
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[Preschoolers] Get Excited for Sports Day! Fun Parent–Child Game Ideas (61–70)
Parent-child obstacle race
A parent-child event where parents and kids participate together in an obstacle race—the classic you’ve probably seen at every sports day or field day.
Parents and children clear the same obstacles together, or mom or dad helps the child get over them, working as a team to reach the finish line.
The rules make it enjoyable for both parents and kids.
Because adults and children differ in size and build, it presents challenges unlike competing alone, letting not only the children but also the adults feel like kids again.
It’s a simple yet profound event where well-synchronized teamwork determines victory.
Parent-child dance
In parent-child dance events where parents and kids dance together, you get to spend time that’s different from competitions with winners and losers.
It might feel embarrassing for those who don’t usually dance, but from a child’s perspective, being able to dance with their beloved mom or dad gives the sports day a special feeling you can’t get elsewhere.
Dancing well isn’t what matters, so you can join in happily, laughing together with your child.
It’s a parent-child activity that lets you experience a kind of closeness you don’t usually have in daily life—and it’s sure to deepen your bond.
parent-child play
Parent-child activities are events that even younger children in the preschool class can easily join.
With music playing, children and guardians do exercises and dance together, and try copying the teacher’s movements.
They also pair up with their guardians to try games the children usually play with friends, making it a heartwarming activity where you can feel the bond and love between parent and child.
For younger toddlers, we recommend sitting on a picnic blanket or similar while participating.
Rather than competing, the focus is on enjoying time together and taking part as a parent-child pair.
Oh, golf.
A competition that mixes golf with a parent–child race: “Oya-Golf.” Children start with a golf club, and instead of putting the ball into a cup, they aim to roll it between their parent’s legs where the parent is standing.
If they succeed, they then run together with the parent toward the finish line.
For younger children, how about having the parent give them a piggyback ride and run to the goal? Since small golf balls can be hard to hit and lead to more failed attempts, we recommend using a larger rubber ball that’s easier to strike and more visible.
Othello
When you think of Othello, you picture a game where you sandwich your opponent’s black or white disks with your own color and flip them.
But how about trying Othello as a sports day event—not on a grid, but by using the entire field, running around until the last second and flipping disks as fast as you can? Prepare disks with different colors on the front and back, and keep flipping the opposing team’s color to your team’s color.
At the end, like in a ball-toss game, count your team’s colored disks one by one to determine the result.
Cute fisherman
A cute fisherman whose appearance running with a big net is sure to excite the crowd.
Parent and child hold the fish-catching net together and run to the spot where the fish are.
The guardian holds the net, the child catches the fish and puts them into the net, then they hold the net together again and run to the next spot.
The next spot is the fish wholesale market—here, unload the fish you caught and line them up on the platform.
After that, carry the now-empty net and head for the finish line.
You could also split teams by net color—red team and white team—and make it a parent-child relay for even more excitement!
Family Space Travel
How about trying a parent-child event that feels like an exploration and adventure in space? The child sits in the front of a spaceship and the guardian in the back, and together they defeat aliens they encounter in space, grab stars from treasure chests, and head for the goal.
The spaceship made of cardboard has handles, so the guardian can hold it and run.
Pick up a sword along the course and knock down objects representing aliens.
It’s an event that includes elements of an obstacle race.
The stars taken from the treasure chests are well-earned rewards for the kindergarteners.