![[For Middle Schoolers] A Comprehensive Introduction to Fun Sports Day Events We Recommend!](https://i.ytimg.com/vi_webp/SqpC8QRqGlQ/maxresdefault.webp)
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!
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[For Middle Schoolers] A One-Stop Intro to Fun Sports Day Events! (1–10)
Samurai sword-fighting (chambara) battle
The “Chanbara Battle,” which tests concentration and teamwork, is sure to be a hit at a junior high school sports festival.
Split into teams, wield foam swords, and knock off the life balls attached to your opponents’ arms.
The team that knocks off the most life balls wins! Decide whether to set a time limit for the game or play until all of one team’s balls are knocked off, depending on the festival schedule.
Since it’s chanbara, it could also be fun to don samurai warlord-style costumes for the battle!
Borrower Competition
The borrowing race, where participants search the venue for specified items and head to the finish line, is a staple of sports festivals.
In this version, the prompts are limited to people: contestants must find the designated person in the venue and aim for the finish line together.
If you display the prompt on a wearable panel, it’s easier for the audience to see, and the person who fits the prompt can approach the contestant as well.
You can increase the difficulty depending on the prompts, but setting clear, easy-to-understand prompts helps the event run smoothly.
It would also be fun to include prompts that make the audience laugh from their seats.
Teacher Carry Relay
How about incorporating a guaranteed crowd-pleaser into your sports day: the “Teacher Carry Relay”? The rules are simple.
Have the homeroom teacher—who always looks after the class—lie down on a blue tarp, then students carefully but quickly carry them.
A few students grab the tarp, circle around a designated cone, and place balls into a basket.
After that, they carry the teacher on the tarp to the finish line.
The result is determined by the finish time and the number of balls in the basket.
Work together as a team and carry your teacher safely without losing balance!
Cross Tug-of-War
This is a tug-of-war variant with added twists to the classic contest decided by simple strength.
Ropes extend in four directions from a central ring, and teams pull against each other; the team that drags the central section into their territory wins.
Beyond the pure test of strength, new layers of strategy come into play, such as temporary alliances with opposing teams and creative pulling techniques.
Even when there’s a gap in raw power, the right strategy can turn the tables, which helps reduce inequality in outcomes.
Since cooperation and betrayal are key to victory, just be careful not to leave any hard feelings after the match.
Club Relay Race
The “Club Relay,” where team unity is put to the test.
By wearing match uniforms or practice gear and carrying the equipment used in each activity, it’s clear at a glance which club each runner belongs to, making the event even more exciting.
Using the equipment as a substitute baton is a fun idea, too.
You might expect sports clubs to have the advantage, but what if a lightning-fast runner shows up from a cultural club? Those surprise twists are part of what makes the club relay so entertaining.
It’s a must-have event for any sports festival—one that will leave both spectators and participants holding their breath as they watch the race unfold.
20-person 21-legs; 40-person 41-legs
Many people have tried a three-legged race: two people stand side by side, tie their inner legs together, and run.
How about doing it on a larger scale? For example, a 20-people 21-legged race or a 40-people 41-legged race.
Running while everyone in the class is linked together will create a sense of unity and strengthen bonds.
Unlike a normal three-legged race, competing against other teams may be difficult due to space constraints.
In that case, try competing on time to the finish line.
UFO
It’s a team event where all participants form a UFO-like shape and work together.
The unique rule is to carry a large exercise ball on their backs without dropping it.
A few people stand in a circle, back to back, supporting the ball and coordinating as they move forward—looking just like a floating UFO.
Voices naturally come out, smiles increase, and the team’s sense of unity rises sharply.
Even those who aren’t good at sports can shine, and everyone shares a strong sense of accomplishment at the end.