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!
- [For Preschoolers] Get Fired Up at the Sports Day! Fun Parent-Child Activity Ideas That Everyone Will Enjoy
- [Sports Day] Circuit Ideas for 5-Year-Olds
- Let’s get infants and one-year-olds excited at the sports day too! A collection of event ideas for parents and children to enjoy together.
- Fun Parent-Child Games! A Collection of Ideas to Liven Up Your Nursery School Sports Day
- [Sports Day] Let's Become Olympic Athletes! Parent-Child Events for 2-Year-Olds
- [Preschool] Fun event ideas to include in the sports day for the junior (younger) class
- [Senior Class Events] A collection of game ideas to liven up a sports day for 5-year-olds
- Exciting for 4-year-olds! A collection of sports day event ideas for preschoolers (middle class)
- [Childcare] Recommended circuit competition ideas for a sports day for 2-year-olds
- [Parent-Child Rec] Recreational activities and games for parents and children to enjoy together—also great for sports days.
- Parent–child interactive play. Fun activities popular in childcare settings and at parent–child observation days.
- [Childcare] Sports Day activity ideas. Let’s make the Sports Day exciting!
- For the daycare’s sports day! Fun and unique event ideas
[Parent-Child Events for Sports Day] Recommended Ideas for Nursery Schools and Kindergartens (51–60)
all over each other; stuck together; clingy
Here’s a recommended game for small children called “Hittsuki Mottsuki.” It’s a game where the host calls out a body part, and the parent and child touch those parts together.
It promotes physical bonding and helps children learn the names of body parts, so it’s a two-for-one activity.
You can also vary how you stick together—press tightly on purpose, touch lightly, or connect cautiously—to make it a more stimulating sensory experience.
It’s fun, so please give it a try.
It might be even more enjoyable if you play it with children dressed in mochi costumes!
The Hero’s Grand Adventure
Kids are sure to join in with excitement! Here’s an idea for a Brave Hero’s Grand Adventure.
In this event, parents and children work together to overcome activities like mats and balance beams, defeat a big monster, and then reach the finish line.
Using a crown or a cape as the baton helps create the right atmosphere—highly recommended! Adjust the number and type of activities based on your venue size, and try incorporating it into your sports day.
Lick of ice cream
Aim for the goal while keeping your balance! Here’s an idea for “Ice Cream Lick.” It’s a fun relay perfect for a 5-year-old’s sports day, featuring a quirky, eye-catching ice cream with lots of impact.
Place a large ice cream made from colored plastic bags on a giant cone, and carry it to the finish while maintaining balance! Kids can enjoy it as a relay on their own, or you can adapt it into a parent-child event.
Work together and head for the goal!
The rice ball goes rolling, roll, roll.
How about a competition inspired by the classic folktale “Omusubi Kororin,” beloved by children both in the past and today? Beforehand, read the picture book to the kids to share the story’s world.
Once the activity starts, they first stand inside the hula hoop placed at the start and pass their bodies through it from below.
Next, they move forward by rolling a large round rice ball—just like a giant ball roll.
Then, after placing the rice ball inside the second hula hoop, they run to the finish line.
It’s a fun and adorable obstacle race that’s perfect for a preschool sports day.
[Parent-Child Events for Sports Day] Recommended Ideas for Nursery and Kindergarten (61–70)
Milk Carton Circuit
@kazenomori.piconursery Super easy! The recipe is in the comments!#Nursery school#HandmadeToysTranslationLifehackChildcareNursery teacher / Childcare worker#Indoor Play#Milk carton#Pico Nursery
Shuwa-shuwa Honey Lemon 350ml – Sharou
Make it with everyday materials! Here are some circuit course ideas using milk cartons.
All you need are milk cartons and tape.
After cutting the cartons, connect them using an accordion fold.
They can be used as lane dividers, and it’s also fun to incorporate them into activities by putting organza fabric or colorful balls inside the cartons.
For children with allergies, using juice or tea cartons instead of milk cartons is a safer option.
Give it a try!
Coffee Bean Bag Jump
How about using those big burlap sacks filled with coffee beans for a parent-child event? For example, only the parents stand at the starting line, then they get into a sack and hop their way to the point where the children are waiting.
Once they reach the kids, the children put a medal around their necks, and then the parent and child head for the finish line together.
Carrying the child, giving a piggyback ride, or running hand in hand are all great options.
While they’re waiting, the kids will cheer, “Go, go!”—and that cheering will surely give the parents an extra boost!
[Parent-Child Event] Gather, Little Sushi!
![[Parent-Child Event] Gather, Little Sushi!](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/6MmQir6r2fc/hqdefault.jpg)
This is a parent-child competition themed around sushi that kids love.
At the start, the child flips a card that shows a type of sushi topping.
They find the matching topping attached with hook-and-loop fasteners to a cardboard base and stick it on the child’s back.
The parent then carries the child on their back: the adult is the rice (shari) and the child is the topping (neta), making a “sushi,” and they run together.
Next, the child grabs a hanging piece of wasabi, goes around the set-up cones, and finishes by getting into the plate at the goal.
It’s also fun to plan your target topping together before starting—asking things like, “Which topping do you want?” or “Where’s the tuna?”