Parent-Child Events for Sports Day: Recommended Ideas for Nurseries and Kindergartens

Operation Hide-and-Seek

Seirenji Sports Day on October 6, 2018 – Junior Parent-Child Event: The Great Hide-and-Seek Mission

The “Hide-and-Seek Master Plan” has many children hiding behind sheets of newspaper while parents try to find their own child.

At sports days, kids often wear the same gym clothes, so once faces are covered, it can be surprisingly hard to tell where your child is.

Both the parents searching and the children hoping to be found will be full of excitement.

If there are many participants, make the game easier by grouping, such as girls’ turn and boys’ turn.

The children’s happy smiles when their parents find them will surely become a wonderful memory.

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utatane

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Big Pants Relay

Parent and child in oversized pants

Let’s have a relay where a parent and child get into a pair of oversized pants called “dekapants.” The dekapants take the place of a baton.

Since you can’t move well unless you keep in step, this tests how the pair cooperates! After one lap, return to your team and pass the dekapants to the next pair.

It’s not just about speed—syncing your rhythm is key—so you’ll be on the edge of your seat until the very end! This event makes you want to cheer not only for the pairs on your own team but for everyone running their hardest.

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tsukada moe

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Fan ping-pong

[Age 2] The first step into tennis? Table tennis? #shorts

Table tennis and tennis are Olympic events, but they can be a bit difficult to include as events for two-year-olds at a sports day.

So let’s turn the racket into a uchiwa fan to make it fun and accessible for two-year-olds.

With a larger hitting surface, even infants can enjoy participating.

Using ping-pong balls, soft foam balls, or even balloons would be fun as well.

For a parent-child event, it could be exciting if the parents toss the ball to make it easier for the child to hit, or conversely, the parents return the balls tossed by the children.

Giant ball rolling

Preschool sports day parent–child event: Giant ball rolling (ōdama korogashi) – Japan

Giant ball rolling is a game that really heats up when done as a team competition! When adults join in, the height difference makes ball control more challenging—that’s part of the fun.

Let’s all work together while paying attention to our calls and chants.

Decorating the ball with your preschool’s original designs can add to the enjoyment.

Adults should make adjustments—like crouching slightly—so children can reach and touch the ball.

Which team will be the fastest? It’s the kind of event that makes adults unintentionally get serious.

Because falls and collisions are a concern, make sure the children get plenty of practice on their own beforehand.

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tsukada moe

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Treasure Hunt Relay

Sports day, treasure-hunt sprint

It’s a treasure-hunt relay where children pick up the item they feel is “the most precious treasure” from a bunch of randomly placed objects and carry it forward! The rules can be customized endlessly.

You can line up the children’s favorite items that you’ve collected from parents in advance and have them find their own, or have them search for the crafts they made during art time—the possibilities are endless.

It’s a great chance for teachers to get creative.

Some children might be so dazzled by all the treasures that they can’t decide and have a hard time leaving the spot.

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yuri

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Swirly Mixed Juice

FY2019 Minami Nursery School Sports Day — Parent and Infant Event for 0-Year-Olds (Spin-Spin Mixed Juice)

Let me introduce “Kurukuru Mixed Juice,” an activity that parents and babies can enjoy together.

Start by holding your child in your arms.

Spin around the pillar to mix the juice.

Then choose your favorite juice from the table, clink glasses with the teacher, and you’re at the goal! It could be even more exciting if you increase the number of laps around the pillar according to age.

Work together as a parent-child team to make a delicious mixed juice—good luck! Playing the “Mixed Juice” song as sports day background music sounds fun, too.

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mayumi

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Candy-eating contest

Dad who got covered in too much flour during the parent-child candy-eating race

We’d like to introduce a simple but fun candy-biting race that both adults and children can enjoy.

A parent and child hold hands at the start.

Without using your hands, use your mouth to grab a candy hidden in the powder inside a food storage container.

Since you can’t see where the candy is, your face might end up covered in white powder while you search! Once you get the candy, hold hands and run around the cone together toward the finish line.

Have the guardian take the candy for you! We recommend wearing comfortable clothes that allow easy movement and that you don’t mind getting dirty.

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mayumi

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