Parent-Child Events for Sports Day: Recommended Ideas for Nurseries and Kindergartens
Parent-child events at kindergarten and nursery school sports days are a great way for families to have fun together and get everyone excited! Here, we’ll share ideas for parent-child competitions at sports days.
From classics like sprints and beanbag tosses to obstacle courses and quirky games, there’s a wide variety to choose from.
It’s also wonderful for children to see their parents getting really into it.
You can easily adapt the activities to fit your space and number of participants, so use these as a reference and brainstorm fun ideas with your fellow teachers.
Imagine the children’s smiles as you prepare, and make it a joyful sports day!
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- [Parent-Child Rec] Recreational activities and games for parents and children to enjoy together—also great for sports days.
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[Parent-Child Events for Sports Day] Recommended Ideas for Nursery and Kindergarten (61–70)
[Parent-Child Event] Which one is the vegetable?
![[Parent-Child Event] Which one is the vegetable?](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/lQTEPo8Drrs/sddefault.jpg)
Introducing sports day events you can enjoy at kindergarten together with parents.
Work as a pair to overcome various obstacles and aim for the goal.
At the teacher’s signal, the parents start.
First, find your partner.
Look for your younger partner who’s hiding inside a big box.
Once you’ve found your partner, the two of you will keep clearing the obstacles ahead one after another.
Coordinate your moves and conquer the tough spots together.
After you’ve cleared all the hurdles, cross the finish line together to end the game.
[Parent-Child Event] All right! It’s lunchtime.
![[Parent-Child Event] All right! It’s lunchtime.](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/bELpj6Bh7WI/sddefault.jpg)
“Alright! It’s school lunch time” is a recommended parent–child relay game to play with guardians.
Using a large paddle made from cardboard or similar material, participants pick up school-lunch ingredients placed along the course, balance them on the paddle, and carry them to the lunch plate.
Draw pictures on the plate that correspond to each ingredient, and have participants place the ingredient on the matching picture.
After a pair secures one ingredient, they pass the paddle to the next parent–child pair like a baton.
The game ends when all the ingredients are gathered on the plate.
To enhance the atmosphere, it’s also recommended that participants wear aprons and triangular headscarves.
[Parent-Child Event] Goldfish Move
![[Parent-Child Event] Goldfish Move](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/2fgQTpNOCQA/sddefault.jpg)
A heartwarming event where children and their guardians participate together.
The children wear red happi coats, the guardians wear blue happi coats, and they carry large goldfish scooping nets.
The festive visuals will boost the kids’ excitement.
When the game starts, scoop up a big goldfish from the first tank, circle around the flag once, then place the goldfish into the second tank to “move” the goldfish to its new home.
Split into the Red Team and Blue Team and race to see who finishes first—the competition makes it even more exciting.
[Parent-Child Event] Fishing Game
![[Parent-Child Event] Fishing Game](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/oEiFOeQBWM0/sddefault.jpg)
A parent-child event to build strength at the sports day: the Fishing Game.
In this game, the parent is the angler and the child plays the fish.
First, prepare a long towel and tie a knot at one end.
Have your child lie down, pinch the knot between their feet, and firmly hold the remaining length of the towel with both hands.
Once you’re set, the parent (the angler) pulls on the towel the child is holding and drags them along.
Be careful—if either of you loses your grip on the towel, you’ll come apart! If you’re doing this as a sports day event, we recommend a team relay format.
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.
Oh, golf.
A competition that mixes golf with a parent–child race: “Oya-Golf.” Children start with a golf club, and instead of putting the ball into a cup, they aim to roll it between their parent’s legs where the parent is standing.
If they succeed, they then run together with the parent toward the finish line.
For younger children, how about having the parent give them a piggyback ride and run to the goal? Since small golf balls can be hard to hit and lead to more failed attempts, we recommend using a larger rubber ball that’s easier to strike and more visible.
Clothing change race
A dressing-up race where pants, T-shirts, and other clothes are placed along the course, and participants put on one item at a time as they run toward the finish.
From the start, they run and first put on pants, then a T-shirt, and finally socks, a hat, and so on.
At the finish line, a guardian will be waiting to help them put on the hat or socks, and then they can hold hands and run to the goal together.
It might be fun to add a twist at the end where the guardian also helps put on the socks or hat!