Wonderful sports day / athletic festival

A perfect mass performance for a sports day

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.
Deputy Editor of RAG MUSICsasashina
Deputy Editor of RAG MUSIC. JFC-certified fact-checker. I’m Sasashina, a mom currently raising an elementary schooler and a preschooler. During my student years at Kyoto College of Science and Technology, I studied a wide range of fields including sound, lighting, and video technology, building a foundation in comprehensive stage production and creative expression. After graduation, I joined a music production company, where I still work, consistently building experience in production and engaging in a variety of music-centered tasks. Currently, I mainly handle articles for children, drawing on what I’ve learned about parenting and what I feel and discover through daily interactions with my kids. I hope my work can be of help to you, even in a small way!

Mass games are group performances that involve dance, gymnastics, and more.

Have you ever seen them at a school sports day? The beauty and power of perfectly synchronized movements can be truly moving! In this article, we’ll introduce ideas that are perfect for mass games at a sports day.

From routines using props like flags and fans, to unique choreography that excites the crowd, and costumes that shine in mass formations—we’ll share a variety of ideas.

If you’re planning to perform a mass game at a sports day, feel free to use these as inspiration!

Mass games perfect for a sports day (11–20)

Yosakoi Soran danced in a mass performance.

Tanuma West Junior High Mass Game 2013: Yosakoi Soran

Yosakoi Soran danced in a mass performance.

When you say “Yosakoi Soran-bushi” in one breath, it sounds like a single thing, but the Yosakoi Festival actually originated in Kochi Prefecture, while Soran-bushi is a folk song from Hokkaido—they originally had no connection.

These days, though, the term is used for lively events where people dance joyfully while clacking naruko clappers.

How about imagining a mix of a mass game and Yosakoi Soran—just hearing it makes your heart skip with excitement! Forming a single circle, splitting into several groups—Yosakoi Soran with mass-game-style movements is really powerful!

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A mass performance using cloth

2017 Jun 18 Sports Day 5th Grade Dragon Quest

A mass performance using cloth

One item that enhances the beauty of mass performances is fabric.

When you hold a piece of cloth and swing your arms, it traces a graceful arc.

You can also spread it out and use it like a blindfold, or run while holding it to let it flutter behind you.

Simply incorporating fabric can give a refined impression.

Another plus is how easy it is to prepare.

However, outdoors on windy days, it may be difficult to control the fabric as intended.

If you’re aiming to showcase soft, flowing movements, you should be especially careful.

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Mass performance using umbrellas

2022 School Year Practical Training Sports Festival: 2nd-Year Mass Performance

Mass performance using umbrellas

Here’s an idea for a mass performance using umbrellas.

The moment when everyone opens their umbrellas at once is really powerful, and holding umbrellas under a blue sky can also look adorable.

Umbrellas can be spun, closed and used like canes, and more, so they work well with almost any song.

It’s also a good idea to decorate the umbrellas in advance—try painting them, stamping dots, or using masking tape to create lines.

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Mass performance using fans

2021 School Year 3rd-Grade Mass Performance

Mass performance using fans

Some of you may want to showcase movements that incorporate an item.

In that case, I’d like to recommend a folding fan.

Fans have long been used in performances like dance, making them an excellent match.

A gentle flutter creates an elegant atmosphere.

They’re also affordable and easy to decorate, which is another plus.

Painting them or adding fur can give them a unique, original touch.

Decide on the design with the overall theme in mind.

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Cheer squad’s mass performance

2016 Koryo High School Sports Festival Cheer Squad - Yellow Team

Cheer squad's mass performance

It’s also a great idea to incorporate elements of a cheering squad.

It will give the performance a powerful impact.

For example, you could move with pom-poms like in cheerleading, or showcase straight punches.

Both types of movements are relatively easy to synchronize, so they pair well with a mass performance.

In this concept, the call-and-response chants are also important.

I’d like to hear unified cheers, just like a real cheering squad.

Also, pay attention to costumes that evoke a cheering squad style.

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Mass games that form letters

2019-10-09 Saitama Sakae High School 46th Physical Education Glory Festival Boys’ Health and Physical Education Department Mass Performance

Mass games that form letters

As an eye-catching idea, creating letters is also recommended.

There are two ways to do this.

One is to prepare panels with letters printed on them and hold them up when lined up.

The other is to arrange people so that, when viewed from above, the formation spells out letters.

If most viewers are watching from ground level, the former might be easier to understand.

By the way, there is software specifically for creating human-letter panels, so if you’re interested, look it up.

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Mass gymnastics perfect for a sports day (21–30)

Future Mass Game

Kaichi Mirai Junior and Senior High School 2022 2nd-year high school students Mirai Mass Game

Future Mass Game

In mass games, it’s traditionally standard to move in time with live music, but in recent years it’s become easy to play whatever music you like.

For example, putting on anime songs that kids love will get them excited, and playing popular J‑pop will make it easier for the audience to get into it.

You can also create a stylish vibe with Western music or a mellow mood with ballads—there are plenty of ways to arrange it.

Get everyone together and brainstorm ideas.

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