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!
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- A toddler sports day that gets everyone excited! A collection of fun parent-child game ideas
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Parent-child gymnastics and dance competition (1–10)
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?
Parent-Child Gymnastics and Dance Competition (11–20)
Jungle Guruguru
@omiyamichinoko The parent-child dance at the sports day is Jungle Guruguru! It’s a jungle adventure for parents and kids! “Hai! Hai! Hai-hai-hai!” It’s going to be a blast.Sports DayNursery school sports day#Omiya Michinoko Nursery SchoolParent-child dance#Jungle Guruguru#JungleExplorationNursery teacher / Childcare workerNursery school teacher @ Tsubasa SuzukiTsubasa Suzuki
♬ Jungle Guru Guru – Tsubasa Suzuki
“Jungle Guruguru” is a dance idea for parents and kids! Stand side by side and have fun doing the same choreography together.
It’s simple yet super cute—shaking your hips, stepping in place while clapping your hands, and more.
You’ll also hold hands and jump together, which will make for some lovely, smile-filled photos.
Enjoy it as if you’re adventuring through a jungle.
If you prepare adventure-appropriate outfits for the kids, it might boost their motivation too.
Zip along as a parent and child!
Let’s set off on a parent-child journey! Here’s a dance track called “Oyako de Byuun.” In this song, you spread your arms like an airplane and move around, and caregivers can dance while giving children piggyback rides.
At the end, you can lift the children and let them “fly,” and it’s packed with active play that kids will love and beg to do again.
Because it encourages lots of physical contact, it will help strengthen the parent-child bond.
It also sounds fun to dance while asking, “Where are we going?”
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!
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.
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!
Peekaboo
When you think of “peekaboo,” it’s the classic way to entertain a baby that you’ve probably done countless times since your child was born.
How about incorporating that “peekaboo” into a sports day event? Preparation is super simple: first, make a sign about 1 meter tall with a cute character, like an animal, drawn on it.
Next, take another sheet of cardstock, fold it around the middle of the body, and set it up so you can switch between two faces—one hidden and one visible.
Finally, attach a string to make it easy for the children to pull, and you’re done.
During the event, parents and children move forward together, and along the way they pull the string at the sign to play peekaboo, having fun as they make their way to the finish line!