Recommended for Sports Day! A collection of DIY dance prop ideas for preschool activities
The dance performances at nursery and kindergarten sports days are precious occasions to showcase the children’s hard work!
Both kids and adults look forward to them with excitement and a few butterflies.
Depending on the dance, adding handmade props and accessories can make it even more vibrant and enhance the festive mood.
Here, we introduce ideas for handmade props that are perfect for sports day dances.
Some can be made together with the children during childcare activities, so please use them as a reference.
Create a fun and memorable sports day together with the children!
- Perfect for sports day! Handmade armbands, bracelets, and wrist accessories
- Shine in the sports day dance! A roundup of handmade props
- Cute and eye-catching! Ideas for making wrist decorations for sports day
- Elementary schoolers can dance to it! Recommended dance songs and choreography for sports day
- Recommended for older kindergarteners! A collection of dance songs perfect for sports day
- [Wrist Accessories / Costumes] Handmade Outfit Ideas for Sports Day
- A perfect mass performance for a sports day
- [Dancing Tamaire] A fun song for the beanbag-toss game, perfect for sports day
- Perfect for preschoolers! Recommended dance songs for sports day (roundup)
- [Nursery School] Recommended Songs for Sports Day Dance
- [Cheer Dance Music] A curated selection of Japanese songs that perfectly match glamorous costumes and choreography!
- [For Seniors] Recommended Dances You Can Move To and Enjoy
- [Childcare] Recommended for sports day performances and dances! A collection of classic and popular songs
Recommended for Sports Day! A Collection of DIY Dance Prop Ideas for Preschool/Childcare (11–20)
flag
When it comes to props that add a splash of color to the cute dances performed by children at sports festivals, flags are a classic choice.
They’re easy to make with free apps, so crafting them together with your child is a big plus.
Just pick your favorite photos or illustrations, arrange them, and print them out.
Decorate paper straws or wooden chopsticks with white masking tape, then fold and attach the printed paper—done! They’re lightweight and easy to carry, making them perfect for dance scenes.
How about creating some unique props to liven up the kids’ performances?
hands-free pom-pom
The pom-poms often seen in elementary school and kindergarten sports day dances are bright and cute, aren’t they? Generally, pom-poms are made by wrapping plastic ribbon (suzuran tape) several times around a cutting board or a tissue box.
You then cut the looped ribbon in the middle and tie the center firmly with the same color ribbon.
If you attach a loose hair elastic at this point, you’ll have a “hands-free pom-pom”! Normally you’d make a handle, but by adding a hair elastic your hands are free, making it easier to dance.
lease
For those looking for a cute prop, I recommend a wreath.
By wreath, I mean the one you often see at Christmas.
You might think making one is difficult, but it’s surprisingly easy.
First, buy a few artificial flowers and some decorative stickers at a 100-yen shop.
Then make the wreath base out of thick paper and stick the stickers on one side.
On the other side, insert pieces of the cut artificial flowers.
And just like that, it’s done.
If you add glue to the holes where you inserted the flowers, it will be more durable.
It’s also a good idea to run a stick through the center of the wreath to make a handle.
umbrella
Props are also very important for school sports day dances, aren’t they? For those considering a dance using umbrellas, I recommend painting the umbrellas to create a colorful, pop look.
If you use clear vinyl umbrellas, which are easy to find, you can paint them in your favorite colors or freely draw illustrations that match your dance theme! Of course, using umbrellas in bright colors is fine too.
Letting children draw freely on them will make the sports day even more memorable, so please give it a try.
fluffy tail
The Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters’ “Fox Dance,” which was a hit in 2022.
Needless to say, the dance itself was adorable, and those blue costumes and tails were incredibly cute! Nissin Donbei’s commercial also featured a super-cute story where a tail expresses a budding crush, remember? So, why not liven up your sports day cheering with a handmade fluffy tail? If you attach yarn around a firm wire core, you can make a perky, fluffy tail that stands upright.
The trick to a fluffy finish is to brush out the yarn!
sparkly wristband
Introducing the “Sparkly Wristbands” that make sports day dances look polished and expand the range of your performances! You can handcraft them using items from the 100-yen shop, so please give it a try.
You’ll need three materials: party tinsel (garland) from the 100-yen shop, thick paper (cardstock), and rubber bands.
Cut the cardstock to fit your child’s wrist, and attach the party tinsel with double-sided tape.
Finally, fold the ends of the cardstock slightly, hook on the rubber bands, and secure them with tape—that’s it! Using a single color of tinsel can create a unified look for the dance, while using two colors can make the performance more vibrant.
Recommended for Sports Day! A Collection of DIY Dance Prop Ideas for Preschool/Childcare (21–30)
twisted hachimaki (traditional twisted headband)
When it comes to props that liven up the excitement of a sports day, twisted hachimaki headbands are a classic.
Here, we use lace thread known for its delicate patterns and three-dimensional texture.
Let’s make the rope while paying attention to the direction in which you twist the threads.
You can twist it by hand, or finish it all at once using a tool.
Use your favorite colors to create your own original prop.
It also pairs perfectly with choreography themed around traditional Japanese style.
Put on a spirited twisted hachimaki and enjoy dancing at the sports day!