Ideas for Sports Days and Athletic Festivals in the Face of the COVID-19 Pandemic
COVID-19 became a global issue.
I believe it directly affected the lives of many people.
And the same goes for children’s school life.
Holding events as usual has been quite difficult—many schools are in that situation.
So in this article, we’ve gathered ideas for sports days and athletic festivals tailored to the COVID era.
This is by no means a negative take! It’s full of the spirit of “Let’s have fun even in these circumstances!” Please read through to the end!
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- [Make Sports Day More Approachable!] Unique Event Names: Fun Competition Titles by Category
- [Challenge the Guinness World Records!] A list of easy-to-try Guinness records
- [Get Fired Up!] Classic Sports Day Events: Ideas for Popular Races and Games
- [For Kids] Exciting Class-vs-Class Games: Team Competition Activities
- [For Elementary School Students] A Collection of Games and Activities You Can Enjoy on Zoom
- From classics to fan favorites! A catalog of music and BGM to liven up your sports day
- [Sports Day] A roundup of popular Japanese songs perfect for mass performances [Athletic Festival]
- [Sports Day] Songs for footraces: tracks that make kids want to run [classics & J-pop]
Summary of Sports Day/Field Day Ideas to Face the COVID-19 Pandemic (21–30)
Pass Relay Ball Toss
Pass-Relay Tamaire is a new style of game distinguished by a rule where players don’t throw balls directly; instead, they pass them from person to person and place them into a goal basket.
The total time limit is three minutes, and smooth teamwork and rhythm within the team are crucial.
Unlike traditional tamaire, where players gather and throw balls in, this format requires players to maintain proper distances and divide roles, allowing for careful attention to safety.
Although the physical exertion is relatively light, it demands concentration and accuracy, and it’s designed to energize cheers from the crowd.
It’s a sport everyone can tackle together as one.
Power Force
Power Force is a non-contact, head-to-head competition.
Players stand back-to-back and, at the signal, run: depending on the rule set, the winner might be whoever crosses the line first or whoever pops a balloon first, among other variations.
To enhance safety, set the starting positions 2 meters apart.
This event tests both strength and speed, and—because the outcome is decided without any direct contact—it embodies innovations suited to the COVID era.
The tension of an all-out sprint combined with the exhilaration of popping the balloon makes it enjoyable for both spectators and participants.
It’s an event that boosts the excitement of a sports day while challenging stamina and endurance.
Pinball Big Ball
Pinball Giant Ball is a new event that adds strategy and tension to traditional giant ball rolling.
Participants push a giant ball down a course lined with traffic cones, going out and back, and compete for the fastest time to the goal.
Penalty time is added for mistakes such as touching or knocking over cones, so it’s not just about speed—precise control is key.
Because competitors must balance speed with caution, their concentration is put to the test.
The difficulty can be adjusted by designing the course, and by using a large space, players can enjoy a full-body workout while maintaining distance from others.
Large jump rope with a small group
These are events designed to let people enjoy traditionally popular activities—like those seen at sports days or during school recess—in a new format.
In regular group jump rope, participants inevitably gather closely, but in this version, a larger rope is used and only 2–3 people jump at a time, allowing for more spacing.
Because the group is smaller, each jump demands greater focus, and the key is mastering rhythm and timing.
It’s a team event that showcases trust and unity within the group, offering a cooperative yet infection-conscious new approach to group competition.
Wide-Area Catch Battle
The wide-area catch battle, which makes full use of spacious venues, is a new kind of sport that demands dynamic movement while maintaining distance.
Players aim to catch balls thrown from afar within a designated area.
The farther from the throwing point the catch is made, the higher the score, making its design appealing by aligning difficulty with reward.
Each player moves while adhering to boundary lines, ensuring constant spacing throughout the game.
While individual explosiveness and precise decision-making are tested, strategic positioning is also a decisive factor in winning.
Paper Airplane Contest
Paper airplanes are something almost everyone played with as a child.
There are as many folding methods as there are people—or so it seems—and not only the appearance but also the way they fly and how far they go can be completely different.
Many of us probably even studied how to fold paper airplanes that fly incredibly well when we were kids.
This idea is to enjoy those paper airplanes as an event in a sports day.
You can keep your distance from others, so it’s great for infection control.
And even people who aren’t confident in athletics and don’t usually enjoy sports days might be able to have a blast with this event.
Dribble Relay
In soccer, players tend to cluster in one spot and end up crowded, right? That’s why more schools are adopting dribble relays.
The rules are simple.
First, two defenders and two attackers enter the field.
The attackers aim for the goal area while passing the ball, and the defenders try to intercept those passes.
Defenders can only move within a designated area, so there’s no contact with the opposing team.
It’s perfect even when space is limited.
