A toddler sports day that gets everyone excited! A collection of fun parent-child game ideas
For one-year-olds, the sports day is their first big event! Even little ones who tend to feel nervous or anxious can enjoy it with peace of mind when they’re with their family.
So, here are some exciting parent-and-child activities you can enjoy together.
We’ve gathered events that let kids transform into popular anime characters or vegetables and that incorporate worlds they love.
There are lots of fun activities that will bring out smiles—even from children who were crying.
Create wonderful memories and fill the whole venue with smiles!
- Let’s get infants and one-year-olds excited at the sports day too! A collection of event ideas for parents and children to enjoy together.
- A toddler sports day that gets everyone excited! A collection of fun parent-child game ideas
- Ideas for indoor play and physical activities recommended for 1-year-olds
- Parent–child interactive play. Fun activities popular in childcare settings and at parent–child observation days.
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- Perfect for Sports Day! Obstacle Course Ideas Recommended for 2-Year-Olds
- [Parent-Child Rec] Recreational activities and games for parents and children to enjoy together—also great for sports days.
- [For Preschoolers] Get Fired Up at the Sports Day! Fun Parent-Child Activity Ideas That Everyone Will Enjoy
- [Sports Day] Let's Become Olympic Athletes! Parent-Child Events for 2-Year-Olds
- For the daycare’s sports day! Fun and unique event ideas
- [Childcare] Recommended circuit competition ideas for a sports day for 2-year-olds
- [Childcare] Sports Day activity ideas. Let’s make the Sports Day exciting!
Footraces and racing events (11–20)
Olympics
If it’s an Olympic year, a sports day with an Olympic theme could be a lot of fun.
This event involves lighting the cauldron.
Each child holds a handmade torch and rides a trolley pulled by a parent to approach the cauldron.
Many children love riding on a trolley even outside of sports day.
For younger children, it’s important to create programs that focus more on enjoyable participation than on competition.
We hope you’ll make happy memories together.
Let’s go to the park.
@5kidsmamaxtokumeikibou First post in a while! The daycare class had their sports day last Saturday. Since there was a parent-child event, I could only record a video of my eldest daughter... 😭 Everyone did their best ❤
♬ Original Song – Anonymous (lol) – Anonymous (lol) Milky fan
How about incorporating children’s favorite playground activities into a sports day event? In this event, the course is designed like a park, and the children make their way through various obstacles.
Crawling through tunnels, jumping, and hanging, they can move their bodies to the fullest while feeling as if they’re at the playground.
By preparing obstacles that match the children’s abilities, the parents watching can also appreciate their kids’ growth.
Basketball ball-toss game
When it comes to sports day, tamaire (ball toss) is a classic, right? Tamaire is a long-loved game that people of all ages can enjoy, but let’s try adapting it to resemble Olympic basketball! For one-year-olds, real basketball hoops or tall ball-toss baskets are probably out of reach.
That’s where parents come in! Lift your child up for a shot, or try a shoulder ride and shoot—it sounds fun either way! Of course, adjusting the hoop height to suit the children will make it even more exciting, so be sure to customize it to match your class color.
Kicking Sniper
How about incorporating a “Kicking Sniper” event modeled after Olympic soccer? In this game, you kick a ball at targets, and the one who knocks down the most wins.
You can use soft balls suited to the children’s ages, and making the targets popular characters could be fun.
For one-year-olds, you might intentionally place the targets so they are unstable and easy to topple, 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!
Flag Race
How about a flag race for your sports day? In the video, infants use flags featuring their favorite characters.
After starting, they choose the flag they like and head to the finish line.
It’s such a cute event, especially when they’re thinking, “Which one should I pick?” For preschoolers, you could adapt it to use a single flag like beach flags, with a clear win/lose rule—the first person to grab the flag wins—which would make it even more exciting.
It also works well as a parent–child activity, so please use it as a reference.
Parent-child gymnastics and dance competition (1–10)
Parent-child gymnastics
Parent-child gymnastics is an activity where parents and children exercise together while developing a sense of rhythm and balance.
It’s also recommended as part of the warm-up at the start of a sports day.
Since it’s for one-year-olds, fun elements are included as well.
First, the guardian sits with legs extended.
Next, place the child on your legs and gently sway to the music.
Finally, open your legs and let the child slide down.
This falling sensation is similar to a slide, which many children will enjoy.
There are many other exercises you can do together, so be sure to check them out.
Transform into an animal!
Introducing a parent-child event for infants that can be enjoyed whether they’re sitting or being held.
First, hop into the star car and start! If some babies can’t sit steadily, it looks fun to begin with them in their caregiver’s arms.
When the star car arrives, roll the dice.
Each face shows an animal—like a penguin or a rabbit—so become that animal together and head for the goal.
Please proceed at a comfortable pace that matches each child’s developmental stage!
