[Preschool] Fun event ideas to include in the sports day for the junior (younger) class
Coming up with events for the sports day of younger kindergarteners is fun, but it can also be a bit challenging.
Especially at schools with a long history, you need to be creative so they don’t overlap with past events.
Here, we’ll introduce ideas for activities that children will enjoy.
There are events the whole class can do together, as well as ones where parents and children cooperate.
Sports day is an important occasion to feel the children’s growth.
Please use this as a reference to plan events that make the children say, “That was so much fun!”
Let’s create wonderful memories together—for both kids and adults!
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Preschool: Athletic meet activities to include for the youngest class! Competition ideas (1–10)
Basketball ball-toss game
Speaking of sports days, tamaire (ball toss) is a classic, right? It’s one of those long-loved events that anyone can enjoy, regardless of age.
This time, let’s adapt it by imagining it as the Olympic sport of basketball! For two-year-olds, a real basketball hoop or a tall ball-toss basket is probably out of reach.
That’s where parents come in! Try lifting your child up to the hoop for a shot, or letting them shoot while riding on your shoulders—it sounds like great fun! Of course, adjusting the goal height to suit the children will really boost the excitement, so feel free to customize it to match your class’s theme colors.
Fire! Mobilize!
Firefighters and a fire truck heading out to a fire scene.
It’s the kind of event that will surely excite kids who love working vehicles! From the start to boarding the fire truck, the children run while dodging obstacles.
Prepare obstacles appropriate for their age, such as balancing on a beam or crawling through hoops.
Have the parents wait at the fire truck, then board together with the child and head to the fire scene.
If they throw pom-poms—used to represent water—into the target and “extinguish” the fire, they reach the goal.
Making and wearing firefighter hats will make it even more exciting!
Riding a Molcar
https://www.tiktok.com/@harukaa_402/video/7152018389798489346The guinea pig–shaped cars, Molcars, are a stop-motion animation made with needle-felted wool.
Some children might be big fans of Molcars.
Here, we put your child on a Molcar made of cardboard and pull it along to move.
A child who loves Molcars might be delighted to ride.
Partway through, set them down, then run to the finish line carrying them.
From that point on, instead of carrying, you could hold hands and run together or give them a piggyback.
[Childcare] Events to include in the junior class sports day! Competition ideas (11–20)
parachute ball
Parachute play, a sport where children gather in a circle and make a big balloon-like parachute together, is a star attraction at nursery and kindergarten events.
The parachute transforms into various shapes—like a big sun, a UFO, a flower, or a ball.
Watching the children grab the parachute, run with all their might to puff it up, and lie down beneath it is so adorable that you can’t help but cheer them on.
It takes lots of practice to listen to the music or whistle, work together, and complete the performance.
Let’s synchronize our movements with everyone to create different shapes with the colorful, oversized parachute, and give the parents who came to watch a fun show.
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.
Clothing change race
A dressing-up race where pants, T-shirts, and other clothes are placed along the course, and participants put on one item at a time as they run toward the finish.
From the start, they run and first put on pants, then a T-shirt, and finally socks, a hat, and so on.
At the finish line, a guardian will be waiting to help them put on the hat or socks, and then they can hold hands and run to the goal together.
It might be fun to add a twist at the end where the guardian also helps put on the socks or hat!
Jama-Jama Ball Toss
One of the most exciting events at a sports day is the ball toss.
Let’s try it as a parent–child competition! But instead of doing an ordinary ball toss, here’s a fun twist: the “Jama-Jama Ball Toss.” Split into teams and do a parent–child ball toss, but a mischievous character called Jama-Jama-kun shows up to interfere—getting in the way of your throws or stopping the balls from going in.
It might be just a little frustrating! Even though Jama-Jama-kun is the “opponent,” if you make the character cute, the kids might love it.