Recommended athletic meet events you can enjoy indoors
Sports festivals, typically held in spring or autumn.
When you think of a sports festival, you might picture an outdoor event on a sunny, pleasant day.
However, these days they are often held indoors to suit participants and weather conditions.
This is especially true for corporate sports festivals, where indoor venues are the norm.
In this article, we’ll introduce events that are perfect for indoor sports festivals.
There are plenty of activities that not only adults but also children can enjoy, making them great for family-friendly sports festivals.
We hope you’ll find this helpful!
- [Mini Sports Day] Carefully selected indoor-friendly events that really get everyone excited!
- [Simple Games] Recommended Indoor Recreational Activities for Adults
- [Unique] Fun sports day events that both kids and adults can enjoy
- No worries even in the rain! Fun recreational activities you can do in the gym
- [For Kids] Exciting Class-vs-Class Games: Team Competition Activities
- A simple and fun co-op game that enhances teamwork
- A collection of simple indoor recreational games
- Dances that elementary school kids can do! Recommended tracks to liven up a school sports day
- Indoor Games for Small Groups: Exciting Recreational Activities
- [Sports Day] Entrance songs that will hype the crowd! A comprehensive roundup from classics to the latest hits
- [Blazing] Carefully selected tracks perfect as BGM for cavalry battles at sports festivals!
- [Sports Day] A roundup of popular Japanese songs perfect for mass performances [Athletic Festival]
- Get the Fun Going! Easy Classroom Games You Can Play at School: Recreational Activities for the Whole Class
Recommended Sports Day Events You Can Enjoy Indoors (21–30)
Ball-passing race
The Ball-Passing Race is a game you can play with any number of people as long as you have one ball.
First, line up in two vertical rows.
Then everyone sits down with their legs spread apart.
Raise both hands at this time.
When the person at the front is holding the ball, at the signal “Ready, go!” they pass the ball to the person behind them.
When passing, make sure the ball goes over your head.
Keep passing the ball along like this.
When it reaches the last person, everyone stands up and this time sends the ball back to the front by passing it forward between their legs.
You can also enjoy the game by freely changing how you pass the ball!
Jumbo Baton Relay
It’s a unique sports day event that will make you smile just by watching the athletes perform.
Four representatives from each team compete in a relay, running 100 meters each.
The twist is that instead of a regular baton, they use a jumbo baton so large it takes both hands to hold.
Just running is tough, and securely passing this oversized baton is surprisingly difficult—sure to draw spontaneous cheers from the crowd.
Interference is prohibited, so accuracy and teamwork matter more than speed.
Seeing the runners sprint with serious expressions while gripping the baton will naturally make spectators cheer harder.
It’s an event that captivates both children and adults, making it a perfect centerpiece for a sports day.
Recommended Sports Day Events You Can Enjoy Indoors (31–40)
Let’s complete the puzzle together as a parent and child
Work together with a partner to complete a giant puzzle.
This is a sports day event idea where you collaborate with parents or teachers to fit in one panel at a time, and when you finish assembling the large puzzle, you clear the game.
Teams are divided and complete the puzzle in a relay format.
Adults and children cooperate, think about where to place the panel they’re holding, then pass the baton to the next person.
The team that finishes the puzzle first wins.
For panels placed high up, have an adult lift the child so they can stick it on.
We can’t wait to see what picture appears at the end!
human disentanglement puzzle
This is a human “untangling puzzle” that tests teamwork and brains as you unravel a complex knot of hands! Your team forms a circle, intertwines arms, and moves so that everyone’s tangle gets undone.
The tricky part is that it always feels almost solvable but not quite—like when “I’m clear over here, but the other side is still tangled,” or “we’re just wriggling around and making it even more complicated.” Keep your head cool, think at full speed without getting frustrated, read the situation calmly, and unite as a team to go for the win!
Spoon-and-ball carrying relay
The concentration needed to keep the ball from falling off the spoon is so much fun! Here’s an idea for a “spoon-and-ball relay.” You can enjoy this indoors.
Place a ball on a spoon, go around a cone, and pass it to the next person.
It’s a great way to build concentration while having fun, so it’s also recommended as a sports day event.
Both kids and adults can enjoy it, so why not adapt it as a parent–child activity? You can also switch the ball for different items to make it even more fun.
Be sure to include it in your sports day program!
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.
flag
Flags with synchronized movements make a perfect event for a sports day.
When preparing, the color and design of the flags will also be key points.
Choose colors that stand out even from a distance to brighten up the venue—highly recommended.
When waving the flags, keep enough distance to avoid bumping into others, and make sure to grip the flagpole firmly so you don’t drop it.
Pick music with a rhythm that both participants and spectators can enjoy, and make it a wonderful sports day!
