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 for 10 years as a kindergarten teacher and for 7 years as an after-school childcare instructor, then took a post as a music teacher at an international school in Singapore. In addition to music education, I also engaged in activities that shared Japanese culture, traditional games, and recreational play, working with many children. Afterwards, through freelance writing, planning, and editing work at Shogakukan, I met many delightful adults and experienced the joy of communicating and conveying ideas. Leveraging the perspective cultivated in educational settings and my experience as an editor, I aim to deliver practical information—focusing on fields related to music and children—that values both input and output. Hobbies include instruments, singing, handcrafts, toys, drawing, traditional play, the outdoors, books, DIY, and crafts. Special skill: 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.

Arrange the Ball-Carrying Relay! A One-Stop Showcase of Surprising & Fun Ideas (21–30)

Cone-tag relay

Parent-child showdown: cone toss relay

Cone-tag relay

We’d like to introduce a ball-carrying relay that incorporates a target-hitting element: the Cone-Hit Relay.

In this activity, players roll a ball toward a set-up cone; if they knock it over, they pick up the ball and pass it to the next person to continue the relay.

You could say it’s similar to bowling.

What’s fun is that victory depends not just on running speed, but also on skill at hitting the cone.

Depending on the location, the number of cones available, and the participants’ ages, feel free to adjust the rules, such as allowing the relay to continue even if the ball doesn’t hit the cone, or making it sufficient just to hit the cone without knocking it over.

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Two-person ball-carrying relay

Jan 28: Carrying the ball in pairs

Two-person ball-carrying relay

As a competition that can further strengthen bonds, we also recommend the belly ball-carrying relay.

In this activity, two people form a pair and carry a ball held between their stomachs.

Because you have to get physically quite close, it naturally brings your hearts closer as well.

Another feature is that if you don’t talk to each other, the ball will quickly fall.

Coordinate your breathing and carry the ball together.

A good tip is to hold each other’s shoulders or otherwise ensure your bodies don’t separate.

Please use this as a reference.

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Remix the Ball-Running Relay! A Roundup of Surprising & Fun Ideas (31–40)

Broom Swirl Dribble Relay

Broom Swirl Dribble Relay ♪ 2016

Broom Swirl Dribble Relay

One game you often see on variety shows is the broom spin-and-dribble relay.

In this one, before running you spin around and around using a broom as the axis, then dribble a ball and aim for the goal.

You can choose your preferred dribbling style, like soccer-style or basketball-style.

It’s not just speed and skill that determine the winner—the strength of your vestibular system makes a big difference.

There’s a high chance of falling, so please be careful to avoid injuries.

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In conclusion

Clamping it with sticks, carrying it on your back, placing it on a sheet... it was full of fun ideas with a clever twist. One of the joys is building teamwork while calling out to your teammates. Enjoy it with arrangements tailored perfectly to the participants.