Fun Parent-Child Games! A Collection of Ideas to Liven Up Your Nursery School Sports Day

Basketball ball-toss game

A 2-year-old taking on basketball #Shorts

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.

Balloon volleyball, balloon tennis

[A Must-See for Moms, Dads, and Childcare Students!] Balloon Volleyball & Balloon Tennis

Let’s try an Olympic sport—volleyball—as a parent-child event! Two family members form a team and play volleyball with a balloon against another parent-child team.

It also sounds fun to split into parents versus kids! To add a handicap, guardians could return the balloon using their head instead of their hands, or blow it back with their breath.

You can also make it tennis-style using rolled-up newspaper and a balloon.

Feel free to adapt it to suit your school or class vibe!

Fluffy Tennis Made from Scrap Materials

[Fun for Parents and Kids] Beat the rainy season with 'Fluffy Tennis' made from recycled materials!

Here’s an idea for fluffy tennis using recycled materials.

Tennis usually involves a racket and a ball, but this time let’s try tennis using a plastic bottle and a bag! You’ll need a plastic bottle, a bag, stickers, a pen, and masking tape.

Draw your favorite illustrations on the bag, then fill it with air.

Decorating the plastic bottle freely with masking tape and stickers will get everyone excited.

Work together to keep the softly floating bag from falling.

Giant ball rolling

Preschool sports day parent–child event: Giant ball rolling (ōdama korogashi) – Japan

Giant ball rolling is a game that really heats up when done as a team competition! When adults join in, the height difference makes ball control more challenging—that’s part of the fun.

Let’s all work together while paying attention to our calls and chants.

Decorating the ball with your preschool’s original designs can add to the enjoyment.

Adults should make adjustments—like crouching slightly—so children can reach and touch the ball.

Which team will be the fastest? It’s the kind of event that makes adults unintentionally get serious.

Because falls and collisions are a concern, make sure the children get plenty of practice on their own beforehand.

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tsukada moe

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Playable Archery

[Playable Craft] So easy! A well-flying bow and arrow/archery—how to make it (plastic fork, straw, rubber bands) [Easy craft, recycled play, at-home play, indoor play]

Let’s make a bow and arrow that flies well! Here are some ideas for a playable archery activity.

Archery is a sport where you use a bow and arrow to hit a target.

This time, how about getting involved from the making process and having fun by using plastic forks, straws, and rubber bands? You can stack paper cups to make a target, or draw a picture on paper to create one.

Try playing together with a parent or guardian, experimenting with timing and how you launch the arrows.

It’s sure to become a valuable time for communication.

Dancing Tamaire

Why not try a fun event that combines dancing and a ball-toss game? In Dancing Tamaire, you start just like a regular tamaire by throwing balls toward the basket.

The unique twist is that, the moment the whistle blows, everyone returns to their spots and shows off a lively dance.

Let’s all dance together to the chorus of upbeat songs like J-pop or anime themes.

When the whistle sounds again, resume the ball toss.

Repeat the ball toss and dance within the time limit, and in the end, the winner is decided by the number of balls in the basket.

It’s a fun event where you can enjoy two activities at once together with kids.

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mutō

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Kicking Sniper

Tried VS Arashi’s Kicking Sniper, part 2

How about incorporating a “Kicking Sniper” event, modeled after soccer—one of the Olympic sports? In this game, you kick a ball at targets, and the person who knocks down the most wins.

You can use softer balls suited to the participants’ ages, and making the targets popular characters could add extra fun.

For infants, you might intentionally place the targets in an unstable way so they topple easily, while for preschoolers, adding mechanisms that make the targets move would make it even more exciting.

Give it a try together as a parent-child team!