Childcare: Recommended program ideas for a sports day
Sports day at nursery and kindergarten is something to look forward to.
Creating the program is fun, but sometimes it’s hard to come up with ideas.
Beyond the entrance, exit, and warm-up exercises, it’s also important to plan a variety of events.
Here, we’ve gathered ideas for a sports day that kids can enjoy.
Consider activities like relays, obstacle courses, and dances that match the children’s ages.
Create a program that teachers and children can enjoy together, and make it a wonderful sports day where everyone smiles!
- [Senior Class Events] A collection of game ideas to liven up a sports day for 5-year-olds
- [Preschool] Fun event ideas to include in the sports day for the junior (younger) class
- Recommended for nursery and kindergarten sports days! Dance songs that will get kids excited
- [Childcare] Sports Day activity ideas. Let’s make the Sports Day exciting!
- For the daycare’s sports day! Fun and unique event ideas
- [Childcare] Unique event ideas to try at a sports day
- Fun Parent-Child Games! A Collection of Ideas to Liven Up Your Nursery School Sports Day
- For the kindergarten sports day! A list of obstacle course ideas
- Parent-Child Events for Sports Day: Recommended Ideas for Nurseries and Kindergartens
- Exciting for 4-year-olds! A collection of sports day event ideas for preschoolers (middle class)
- [For Preschoolers] Get Fired Up at the Sports Day! Fun Parent-Child Activity Ideas That Everyone Will Enjoy
- Wall decoration ideas recommended for sports day at nursery schools and kindergartens
- Recommended Themes and Slogans for Nursery and Kindergarten Sports Days
[Childcare] Recommended Program Ideas for Sports Day (71–80)
Handmade ball circuit

Let’s use a variety of balls! Here are some ideas for a handmade ball circuit.
Prepare palm-sized balls, large balls you can hold with both hands, newspaper, cushioning material, tape, and bags or baskets big enough to hold the balls.
Try events like rolling balls along the floor or collecting balls in bags or baskets—use balls of different sizes and materials to build spatial awareness through play! Using balls that differ in weight and texture will also stimulate children’s senses.
Give it a try!
Newspaper Spiderweb Circuit

Tear it! Stick it! Crawl through and play! Here’s an idea for a newspaper spiderweb circuit.
You’ll need plastic ribbon (suzuran tape), newspaper, and tape.
This is a great idea when you want to include crawling movements in your circuit.
Some children find tunnels challenging because they’re dark and long.
By tearing and sticking newspaper as part of everyday activities, you can naturally encourage crawling movements! The making process also stimulates children’s creativity—what a wonderful idea.
athlete entrance

Why not channel those pre-event jitters—your excitement just before the sports day and competitions begin—into a performance starting from the entrance march, and enjoy the sports day even more? A lively entrance performance will instantly lift everyone’s spirits, thrilling the parents who’ve come to watch as well.
Simply marching in is fine, but adding a little choreography or movement raises expectations, as if the performance has already begun.
Let’s enjoy the sports day to the fullest with a spirited entrance performance set to music.
[Childcare] Recommended program ideas for a sports day (81–90)
[Warm-up Exercise] A-I-U-E-O Calisthenics
![[Warm-up Exercise] A-I-U-E-O Calisthenics](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/V_NyWmHu7Yo/sddefault.jpg)
How about incorporating the “AIUEO Exercises” into your warm-up routine? The recommended song is GReeeeN’s “Aiueo Ongaku♬.” It’s a little bonus: you can move your body while also touching on the Japanese syllabary.
There’s an official dance available, but for a warm-up it’s better to add choreography that helps you stretch more thoroughly.
Rotate your neck, swing your arms, reach out with your hands, and jump.
Try designing movements that will help everyone get through the events that follow without injury.
[Parent-Child Event] Ladybug
![[Parent-Child Event] Ladybug](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/3ulUPQIVveQ/sddefault.jpg)
Ladybug, recommended for parent-child events, has children play the role of ladybugs while their guardians support them.
Guardians can pull a cardboard cutout painted like a leaf for the children to ride on, or carry them and move forward across the squares.
Sometimes they wait ahead to cheer the children on as they overcome obstacles, all aiming for the goal together.
A race where children reach the finish line with support from their guardians might bring out expressions and sides of the children that you don’t usually see at the daycare!
My First Errand

In the “First Errand” event, children run an errand as part of the activity.
Place a variety of foods along the course and have each child pick one they like.
Then they deliver it to the house that’s the same color as the food to reach the goal.
Make the foods and houses using materials like cardboard, newspaper, and construction paper.
Through the event, let parents watch their children successfully complete their errand and feel their growth.
[Game] Muscatyuzu
![[Game] Muscat Yuzu](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/fJZ9PblJ5C0/sddefault.jpg)
A great song to showcase an energetic dance at a sports day is Yuzu’s “Muscat.” It was used as the opening theme for the popular children’s anime Crayon Shin-chan, so many kids are likely to know it.
There’s also an official dance called the “Sukatto Dance,” which Crayon Shin-chan himself dances, so that’s a good reference, too.
In addition, many versions with simplified or arranged choreography are available on video sites, so choose one that suits the age of the children who will be dancing.



