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!
- [For Middle Schoolers] A Comprehensive Introduction to Fun Sports Day Events We Recommend!
- [Unique] Fun sports day events that both kids and adults can enjoy
- No worries even in the rain! Fun recreational activities you can do in the gym
- Recommended Songs for Group Gymnastics: A Collection of Tracks to Elevate Your Routine [2026]
- Dances that elementary school kids can do! Recommended tracks to liven up a school sports day
- [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]
Ideas for Sports Days and Athletic Festivals in the Face of COVID-19 (1–10)
Bubble Soccer
Bubble soccer, a sport played while wearing a bubble ball, combines infectious disease prevention with the fun of athletics.
Because players wear the bubble over their upper body, it greatly reduces the risk of droplets during contact.
The design prevents pain even when you fall, making body checks safe.
Unlike regular soccer, the style of charging and bouncing your way toward the goal delivers laughs and surprises to spectators as well.
Born on a Norwegian TV show, this experiential sport is increasingly drawing attention in Japan as a new option for school sports festivals.
Long baton relay
A long-baton relay that uses a special 2-meter baton to maintain distance when passing it.
The lanes are also made wider than usual to prevent runners from getting too close to each other.
It’s a new relay style that values social distancing while preserving the excitement of running.
By balancing infection prevention with the fun of competition, it can spark new forms of interaction.
Based on a classic sports day event, this race lowers infection risk while showcasing everyone working together.
One ball, one soul: beanbag toss
The single-throw, all-in “tamaire” (ball-toss) competition—where each person can throw only one ball—demands intense focus to pour everything into a limited chance.
The basket distance is randomly set between 1 and 4 meters, and teammates must keep 2 meters apart both vertically and horizontally.
An extra twist is that the cheering team sets up a camera to capture the exact moment a ball goes in.
Unlike the usual style of throwing many balls, participants aim precisely within a short 3-minute window to secure victory.
While avoiding crowding, you can enjoy the tense excitement where team members’ movements determine the outcome.
It’s a unique ball-toss game that achieves both infection prevention and competitive appeal.
Watching online
An internet viewing option that lets you cheer online for sports days held separately by grade or class.
It’s an idea to cheer from home via a tablet or computer screen to help prevent the spread of infection.
When it’s difficult to cheer in person, it’s nice to be able to focus on cheering with peace of mind.
Even online, the excitement builds—students can tie on headbands and act as cheer captains.
It’s a sports festival idea that helps everyone feel like they’re participating together, even in these circumstances.
If you’re planning a decentralized sports day or school festival, be sure to check this out.
Sheets Valley
When it comes to sports you can enjoy safely during the COVID-19 pandemic without touching the ball with your hands, “sheet volleyball” is the way to go.
Form teams with multiple players and use a sheet in place of your hands to compete for points.
Be sure to use a ball that’s as soft and bouncy as possible.
When receiving the ball, stay calm and catch it; when tossing it into the opponent’s court, the key is to synchronize your movements.
Because it’s a non-contact sport, you can play while maintaining social distance.
Use team matches or tournament-style play to liven up your sports day or athletic festival!
A dance incorporating social distancing
The term “social distance,” which became firmly established during the COVID-19 pandemic.
How about trying a dance that incorporates social distancing? It’s basically the same as a regular dance, except you keep your distance.
As long as you can secure a large enough space, it might actually make it easier for everyone to dance.
In a spacious area, you can move boldly and acrobatically, so enjoy it with flashy choreography!
Cross Tug-of-War
Cross tug-of-war is a tug-of-war competed by four teams.
In a standard tug-of-war, both sides pull on a single rope, but in cross tug-of-war, the rope extends in four directions and teams pull on those.
Tug-of-war has always been a sport that makes it easy to maintain social distance, but there was the issue of having to share a single rope among many people.
With this format, however, the number of people touching any one rope can be minimized.
Also, because force is applied in a cross pattern, there’s a strong element of strategy, and it’s gaining attention as a sport where you can use your wits.
Give it a try and experience the appeal for yourself!
