[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] Events to include in the sports day for the junior (3-year-old) class! Competition ideas (21–30)
Borrowed Item Race
The “borrowed item race,” where children run toward the goal after borrowing an item drawn on paper, is a well-known staple that livens up sports days.
Kids hurry to find and borrow the same item as in the picture! While many people picture borrowing things from the surrounding spectators, if you’re incorporating this into a preschool sports day, consider a setup that lets children enjoy it more safely and without confusion.
It’s recommended to prepare the target items in advance, hang them on a rope, and have children take the item they draw from there.
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.
[Preschool] Sports Day Activities to Try in the Junior Class! Event Ideas (31–40)
[Parent-Child Event] Ball Carrying
![[Parent-Child Event] Ball Carrying](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Zw-jzHCmU9A/sddefault.jpg)
Let’s enjoy the sports day with an event where adults and children work together to quickly carry a large ball to the goal.
This team-based game is all about cooperation between two people.
Keep in sync and aim for the goal quickly without dropping the ball placed on the tray.
The rule is that the tray holding the ball must be carried by the two of you while running.
Be careful—if you run too fast, the ball will roll off.
After making a U-turn at the target point, keep your focus and carry the ball all the way.
Do your best until you can pass the baton to the next person!
ball toss (traditional Japanese beanbag/ball-throwing game)
Tamaire, a traditional favorite at sports festivals, is a game anyone can enjoy, regardless of age or body size.
Teams are usually divided into red and white or by class, and they compete to see who can throw the most balls into the basket.
It’s fun for spectators, too.
At the sound of the starting whistle, everyone throws balls toward the basket set up high.
You can throw as many times as you like within the time limit.
When the ending signal sounds, stop throwing.
Finally, count the balls in each basket and compare to see which team got more in.
Anpanman’s Infinite Ball Toss!
@nacchi_asobi Totally obsessed! Using our favorite Anpanman for • Infinite Ball Toss • ▶ Materials • Colorful balls (bought at Daiso!) • 2L plastic bottle • Laundry net • Vinyl tape • Anpanman snack bag • OPP tape (clear packing tape) • Double-sided tape ▶ How to make 1) Cut off the bottom third of the plastic bottle. 2) Cut out Anpanman from the snack bag and stick it onto the bottle with OPP tape. • It was hard to stick when I just placed the cutout and tried wrapping tape from the edge, so I put a looped piece of tape (double-sided tape works too!) on the back of Anpanman to fix it to the bottle first, then added the OPP tape. 3) Cut an opening big enough for the balls to go in. 4) Cover the edges with vinyl tape so it’s safe. 5) Cut the laundry net. 6) Put double-sided tape around the bottom edge of the bottle and attach the laundry net. 7) Seal over step 6 with vinyl tape, and you’re done! Putting the balls in is fun, and opening the zipper to let them out is fun too—endless excitement! It was truly an “Infinite Ball Toss.” The zipper pull was small and hard to grip, so I tied on a string to make it easier to pull. Please try it! ⚠️ Play safety tips If you hang it with a string, make sure an adult watches so nothing gets caught on the string. Put it away out of reach after playtime. Be careful to prevent accidental ingestion! Thank you for viewing! This account shares home play ideas for 1-year-olds from a nursery-teacher mom. I hope this helps when you’re wondering, “What should we play today?” during your time at home.#AtHomePlaySimple PlayParentingStruggling with parenting1 year old#1-year-old play#BoyMomAnpanman#AnpanmanToysAnpanman snacks100-yen shop toy#HandmadeToys#DaisoPurchases#Seria purchases
Anpanman Taisō (Sore Ike! Anpanman Ending Theme) – Suzuko Nakanishi
Here’s an easy-to-clean Anpanman “infinite ball toss” activity.
Prepare a plastic bottle, scissors, a large laundry net, and an Anpanman illustration, then make it as follows.
Cut off the bottom third of the plastic bottle with scissors.
Make a hole on the surface of the bottle large enough for a ball to go through, and reinforce the cut edges with tape.
Attach the laundry net, and it’s done.
If you set a time limit and try it at a sports day, it might really excite younger classes.
It’s also fun to switch out the face design.
Pseudo ball-toss game
@kichijyo Sports day play: trying a make-believe beanbag toss 😆#Nursery school#TamahiyoSports DayBall TossPlay#BallGunmaFujioka CityKichijoji Nursery School
♬ A warm 6/8 beat march – Sheep Sounds
Here’s a simple, pretend tamaire (ball-toss) game that little kids can enjoy indoors.
Prepare a basket and some soft balls.
Attach the basket to a sturdy post or pillar.
The key is to set it at a height the children can reach.
Have the kids throw the balls toward the basket.
Since it can be played indoors, it’s also great for rainy days when the weather is bad.
Try playing it with children who want to imitate the older kids doing tamaire.
Super Mario-style ball toss game
Introducing a Super Mario-style ball toss that makes you feel like you’re inside a video game.
The rules are the same as a regular ball toss.
When the start signal sounds, throw balls into the basket with a Mario illustration on it.
Prepare colorful balls, and you can even stick Mario illustrations on some to turn them into “item balls,” turning it into a ball toss where you collect items—sounds fun, right? The winner is decided by the number of balls that land in the basket.
Give it a try together and enjoy seeing what kinds of items you can collect!