Wonderful sports day / athletic festival

[For Middle Schoolers] A Comprehensive Introduction to Fun Sports Day Events We Recommend!

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.

You want the once-a-year sports festival to be a wonderful event where you can have fun while working together with your classmates and teammates, right?

In this article, we introduce interesting events recommended for junior high school sports festivals.

We’ve gathered some slightly unusual events that will let not only students who are good at sports but also those who aren’t laugh and have a great time.

In addition to events that add a twist to the classics, there are also thrilling events where the outcome doesn’t depend on athletic ability.

Be sure to include them in your program and make your sports festival fun and exciting!

[For Middle School Students] A Roundup of Fun, Recommended Events for Sports Day! (11–20)

Giant Baton Relay

Shonen Ninja [Summer Vacation SP] Midsummer Grand Sports Festival: "Giant Baton Relay"

Giant Baton Relay

Wouldn’t it be fun to supersize the baton used in a relay? The uniquely imaginative “Giant Baton Relay” is simply about making the baton used in a typical class relay extra large.

It’s perfect when you want visual impact or a good laugh.

One person can carry a single giant baton, or you can make it even bigger so two or three people have to carry it.

There’s plenty of room for customization, so give it a try at your sports festival!

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Giant Ball Lifting

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

Giant Ball Lifting

Team up and compete by tossing a giant ball as many times as you can in “Giant Ball Lifting.” It’s not only exciting—it’s also a great way to strengthen bonds among teammates.

Participants step inside a large circle drawn on the ground and keep the ball aloft with consecutive tosses, but the attempt ends if they step outside the circle.

Even with several people tossing, launching the giant ball into the air takes real strength.

It’s more draining than it looks, so both participants and supporters should bring plenty of energy and enthusiasm!

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Will it fit in the basket on my back?

Ball carrying

Will it fit in the basket on my back?

If you want to include a slightly more complex event, “Can it land in the basket on your back?” is a good option.

You dribble the ball like in basketball, then at the halfway point, give it a big bounce so it drops into the basket you’re carrying on your back.

Putting the ball into the basket sounds simple, but it’s surprisingly tricky.

You’ll probably end up hitting your head with the ball several times, so use something soft.

A laundry basket works well for the basket.

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Egg and Spoon Race

Egg and Spoon Race in Primary School

Egg and Spoon Race

The Egg & Spoon Race demands concentration and stability.

If using real eggs is not allowed, use a ball that fits on a spoon instead.

Participants line up side by side and get ready by placing the ball on their spoon.

At the starting signal, they move forward, keeping the arm not holding the spoon behind their back as they walk.

If the ball drops, they should restart from that spot.

You can also add variations—switch the spoon to a ladle, or prepare balls in various sizes and have participants draw lots to choose—there are plenty of ways to make it fun.

Try incorporating it into your sports day!

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Chasing Beanbag Toss

Chasing Beanbag Toss

Chasing Beanbag Toss

In a regular tamaire game, you toss balls into a fixed basket.

Chase Tamaire is a fun twist on that.

Here, each team’s representative wears the basket on their back and runs around.

That means the runner needs quick bursts of speed and sharp reflexes, while the throwers need solid teamwork.

It’s surprisingly hard to score, so the game is sure to get heated.

The key to winning is to plan your strategy in advance—and even that planning will become part of the memories.

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Tire removal

Tire removal on 2011-05-16

Tire removal

A tire-grabbing game that’s guaranteed to get heated.

First, both teams line up at opposite ends of the field.

Several tires are placed in the center, and the goal is to bring them back to your territory.

The team that brings back more tires wins.

Strategy is key: which tires to go for and how many people to send for each.

Plan your tactics based on each person’s speed and strength.

It can turn into a fierce tug-of-war, so be careful to avoid injuries.

Keep your nails trimmed short.

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[For Middle Schoolers] A Big Introduction to Fun, Recommended Events for the Sports Festival! (21–30)

Bagworm relay

[New Record] If I can improve my time in the 50m sack race, I’ll totally dominate the obstacle relay, right?!

Bagworm relay

How about trying a bagworm relay that looks as cute as a little bagworm? It’s called the “bagworm relay” because participants, tucked into burlap sacks, look just like bagworms.

Using large burlap sacks sold at home improvement stores, you cover about half your body and hop toward the finish line.

The faster you try to go, the greater the risk of falling, so keep an eye on the time but proceed carefully.

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