Wonderful sports day / athletic festival

[Sports Day] What Is a Flysheet Relay? Tips and What to Prepare

10 years as a kindergarten teacher / elementary school teacher / junior and senior high school teacher / childminderkepiko
Graduated from Kunitachi College of Music, Faculty of Music (now: Department of Music Culture and Education, Early Childhood Music Education major). In elementary school, my homeroom teacher was Jun Kusaba, a game researcher. After graduating from university, I worked as a kindergarten teacher for 10 years and as an after-school childcare instructor for 7 years, then took a position as a music teacher at an international school in Singapore. In addition to music education, I engaged in activities that introduced Japanese culture, traditional games, and recreational activities, working with many children. Later, through freelance writing, planning, and editing at Shogakukan, I met many delightful adults and experienced the joy of communicating and sharing. Drawing on the perspective cultivated in the field of education and my experience as an editor, I provide practical information with an emphasis on both input and output, mainly in areas related to music and children. My hobbies include instruments, singing, handicrafts, toys, drawing, traditional games, the outdoors, and books. My special skill is spinning-top tricks.
A Vocaloid producer who is also a music writerAraki Jakkan
I’ve worked in a variety of roles—regardless of pro or amateur settings—including live event PA, cameraman for video and photography, restaurant staff, and logistics center staff. I now spend my days as a part-time writer. I’ve contributed to music and manga websites with feature/review articles, and wrote the liner notes included as a bonus for 1st PLACE Inc.’s “IA SUPER BEST.” As for my music background, I started playing guitar in junior high and focused on band activities during my school years. For over 15 years since then, up to the present, I’ve continued releasing original tracks as a Vocaloid producer. My areas of expertise are Japanese rock, Vocaloid, and manga.

In this article, we’ll introduce tips for an event called the “Fly Sheet Relay” and what you’ll need to prepare—perfect for anyone looking to add a new activity to their sports day.

The basic rule is simple: in teams of four, each person holds one corner of a large sheet with a ball or similar object on top, and you work together to carry it to the goal.

You’ll find the ABCs of the Fly Sheet Relay here, including what to focus on to do it well and what equipment is required.

Use it as a reference and bring a fresh breeze to your sports day!

About what to prepare (1–10)

What should I put on it?

It’s common to place a ball on the sheet, but cardboard boxes are also recommended.

They’re lightweight and look larger, so they’ll stand out more in competition.

Using lots of small balls or items related to your school or community is also a great idea.

Make it a flysheet relay that reflects your team’s unique style!

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Examples and variations of flysheet relays (1–10)

Ball carrying

The classic option is a ball-carrying relay.

Since balls tend to roll and bounce, it really tests your teamwork to see how far you can go without dropping them.

A soccer ball is an easy size to use for the event, but if you want to increase the difficulty, using a large ball like the ones for big-ball rolling contests would also be good.

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Carrying cardboard boxes

Video 4: For upper elementary and middle school students – Team events: (1) Cardboard Carry (2) Ball Carry

Carrying cardboard boxes

This is the version where you place a cardboard box on it.

The bigger it is, the more it should look like a competition from a distance.

Plain cardboard can feel a bit dull, so I recommend painting it, adding decorations, or drawing illustrations on it.

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It might get even more exciting depending on the ideas.

Earlier, I explained that a flysheet relay is a competition where teams run around pylons, but making it a track event is another option.

Since you can use a larger area of the venue, it becomes easier for spectators to watch.

If you have the capacity, try adding variations like increasing the number of competing teams or placing obstacles on the course!

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In conclusion

We’ve looked at how to do the flysheet relay and some tips so far—do you think it could be incorporated into your own sports day? The rules themselves are simple, so it might also work well as an attraction at community events where people of all ages gather.

By all means, everyone, enjoy the flysheet relay!