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.
- Fun Parent-Child Games! A Collection of Ideas to Liven Up Your Nursery School Sports Day
- Parent-Child Events for Sports Day: Recommended Ideas for Nurseries and Kindergartens
- 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!
Parent-child gymnastics and dance competition (1–10)
honeybee
This is a game where children pretend to be honeybees, ride on a balloon, and pick flowers.
Teachers and parents help move the balloon and hand the flowers, so even infants in the 0-year-old class can participate safely.
Keep an eye out for the adorable babies dressed in bee costumes.
It’s also fun to make various types of flowers and let the babies choose their favorites.
If you want to enhance the atmosphere, creating a meadow or flower field out of paper or cardboard is recommended.
It’s a perfect theme for a sports day packed with babies’ adorable charm.
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!
Swim! Baby Swimmer
“Swim, Baby Swimmer!” is an adorable and simple event where children hold hands with their guardian and walk slowly toward the finish line.
The event is designed to evoke the image of a fish swimming leisurely, so having your child wear a fish-shaped hat or clothing with fish prints will make the Baby Swimmer world even cuter.
You can also enhance the ocean vibe by placing panels of seaweed and fish around the area, so be sure to try those kinds of decorations as well!
Ohisamarch
We would like to introduce the parent-child activity of “Ohisama-chi,” which can be enjoyed by parents and children together and tailored to each child’s individual growth.
Facing each other, parents and children touch hands in time with the music, and there’s even a moment where the beloved caregiver lifts the child up high—something that makes children who love close interaction very happy.
This kind of activity, where parents and children make eye contact and interact through touch, helps children feel secure and participate comfortably, and it’s something they can truly enjoy together.
It’s an adorable event, so why not include it in your sports day?
Stroll March
Let me introduce “Osanpo March,” a dance song full of interactive elements like poking cheeks, tickling, and lots of cuddly contact.
It’s basically done with parents and children facing each other.
Besides the touch-and-play parts, there are plenty of moves that capture children’s interest, like pointing and playing peekaboo.
Even babies from 0 years old can enjoy it, so why not incorporate it into your sports day events? The song ends with a big hug, which naturally brings smiles to the children’s faces.
Go Down! Roller Coaster
Let us introduce a fun parent–child activity that gives you the same heart-pounding excitement as riding a roller coaster.
Because the caregiver holds the child in their arms or seats them on their lap, even 0-year-olds who are crawling or just starting to toddle can join in with confidence.
An upbeat, high-energy song will brighten the atmosphere and liven up the space.
You can lift the children up, sway them side to side, and tickle them—plenty of parent–child interaction—so even little ones who start out in tears are sure to break into smiles before long.
Give it a try!
Play Park Together
In the interactive exercise “Let’s Play Park Together,” parents and children can try all kinds of movements: holding hands and jumping, cradling the children like treasures, playing bowling, and more.
Since you can switch roles in the bowling activity, if the parent plays the pins and does some funny moves, it might bring out smiles from the kids.
Finish by lifting the children up high for a grand finale! It’s sure to make a wonderful photo opportunity.
It may look difficult, but there’s actually not much dancing involved, so even one-year-olds should be able to enjoy it fully.