Wonderful sports day / athletic festival

Arrange the ball-carrying relay! A roundup of surprising and fun ideas

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.
Accompanist / Piano Instructoryuri
Accompanist pianist × piano instructor × web writer. I began piano lessons at age four and, inspired by my piano teacher, decided to pursue music. I went on to specialized music programs in high school and university, where I discovered the appeal of accompanying instrumentalists and singers. Currently, alongside teaching piano, I work mainly in my home region of Aichi as an accompanist for flute, voice, choir, and more. Through lessons, my students often introduce me to trending songs, and my hobby is trying anything on the piano—Japanese and Western pop, commercial jingles, and beyond. Since 2021, I’ve also been active as a web writer, covering music and a variety of other genres.

The “ball-carrying relay” is a popular activity at all kinds of events, such as sports days, mixers, and fun parties.

The basic way to play is simple: everyone takes turns carrying the ball without dropping it, and the team that reaches the goal first wins!

With its simple rules, it’s a game that both kids and adults can enjoy, and it’s easy to customize.

In this article, we’ll introduce a variety of ways to tweak the ball-carrying relay.

We’ve also included fun ideas that combine it with other games, so if you’re looking for events participants haven’t experienced before, be sure to check them out.

Remix the Ball-Relay Race! A One-Stop Showcase of Surprising & Fun Ideas (1–10)

Carrying a ball with a holey newspaper

Here’s an idea for a relay game using a newspaper and a tennis ball.

The rules are very simple: two players work in perfect sync to reach the goal without dropping the tennis ball through the holes in the newspaper.

The rules are easy, but it’s surprisingly challenging even for adults—that’s part of the fun.

You can play it anywhere, indoors or outdoors.

First, pair up, spread out a sheet of newspaper, and place the ball on top.

Work together to carry it carefully without dropping it.

If you drop it along the way, pick it up immediately and restart from the same spot.

The team that reaches the goal first wins! It’s also a great activity to include in a sports day event.

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem

Ball Carry Tag

Ball Carry Tag

Ball Carry Tag

Here’s an adapted version of “tag” with ball carrying.

The rules are very simple! Wearing a flag, teams start at the starting line and try to carry as many balls as possible to the goal within the time limit.

There are taggers (oni) in between, so be careful not to let them take your flag.

If a tagger takes your flag, reattach the flag placed by the tagger and return to the start to try again.

It’s also a team game where you aim to transport all the balls without getting caught.

It’s fun to come up with strategies, like having someone act as a decoy.

We also recommend switching between the carrying team and the tagger team and using this as an event in a sports day.

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem

Carry the ball with sticks

Ball carrying

Carry the ball with sticks

There’s also a relay where you carry a ball by pinching it with sticks.

This event is done in teams of four.

First, each person holds a stick, crossing them to form a square.

Then you carry the ball by pinching it in the center area.

Because there are many people involved, communication can be difficult.

If even one person goes too fast, the ball will quickly slip out of place.

Try it while calling out to each other.

By the way, if you pinch the ball closer to the top and lift it, it’s less likely to slip.

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem

Arrange the ball-carrying relay! A roundup of surprising and fun ideas (11–20)

Spoon Relay

Spoon Relay

Spoon Relay

Super balls, often seen as prizes at festival stalls, are the focus of a race called the ladle relay.

In this event, you scoop up a super ball with a ladle, run, and pass it directly into the next runner’s ladle.

Because the inside of the ladle is slick, even a slight jolt can make the ball fall out.

Another characteristic is that once dropped, the ball tends to roll far away.

Try to tackle it carefully yet quickly.

It’s fun even with a short running distance, making it perfect for small or confined spaces.

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem

Racquetball Balancing Relay

Ball Balancing Relay ver.1 (Anfa Tennis)

Racquetball Balancing Relay

As an event that uses equipment, we also recommend a racket-and-ball relay.

In this activity, participants place a ball on a tennis or badminton racket and run straight to the finish line.

The fun part is that while you want to run fast, if you go too quickly you’ll drop the ball.

We hope participants enjoy not only the race itself but also the process of trying repeatedly and figuring out how to carry the ball well.

There’s no fixed type of ball, but something light and not too large works best.

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem

Giant Ball Toss Relay

Jumbo Beach Ball Toss Lifting Team Competition [Sports Day / Recreation]

Giant Ball Toss Relay

Jumbo beach balls are perfect for sports days and events! In this video, they’re competing to see how many times they can toss the ball, but you can also adapt it into a game where you carry the ball to a goal.

Because the ball is so large, it looks fun and is easy to move.

The best part is that everyone can play together—from kids to adults.

With a little creativity, you can come up with all kinds of games, so it’s fun to brainstorm ideas and design your own.

Moving your body naturally brings out smiles.

Be sure to try using a jumbo beach ball at your next event!

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem

Flappy Ball Carrying Relay

[Crew Challenge! Fluttering Fan Ball Carry] Take on the game of moving colored balls to the goal using a handheld fan! #ChildDevelopmentSupport #TherapyPreparation #CrewChallenge #ColorBalls #FanPlay #Concentration

Flappy Ball Carrying Relay

Here’s an arranged version of a relay where you carry a ball using a uchiwa fan.

The rules are very simple: you fan a colored ball with the uchiwa and carry it to the goal.

Because colored balls are light, they don’t always go in the direction you expect.

It helps build concentration, and it’s fun for the whole team to celebrate when the ball makes it into the goal.

You might also try mixing in balls other than colored balls.

It’s a great idea to get creative and incorporate it into your sports day events!

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem