For the daycare’s sports day! Fun and unique event ideas
The sports day held every year at nursery schools and kindergartens.
It’s an event that not only the children, but also their parents look forward to.
Many teachers are probably thinking, “We want to make it a fun sports day that gets both participants and cheerleaders excited!” So this time, we’ve gathered ideas for fun events that are perfect for sports day.
From dynamic and unique activities you can only do at sports day, like rolling giant balls or breaking bell balloons, to ones that cleverly incorporate classic folktales and pretend play that children love—there are plenty of ideas for events that curious kids will adore and join with sparkling eyes! Use these as inspiration to plan a sports day full of humor that’s a little different from the usual.
- Exciting for 4-year-olds! A collection of sports day event ideas for preschoolers (middle class)
- [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
- [Childcare] Unique event ideas to try at a sports day
- [Unique] Fun sports day events that both kids and adults can enjoy
- [Sports Day] Circuit Ideas for 5-Year-Olds
- [Childcare] Sports Day activity ideas. Let’s make the Sports Day exciting!
- [Childcare] Recommended circuit competition ideas for a sports day for 2-year-olds
- [Make Sports Day More Approachable!] Unique Event Names: Fun Competition Titles by Category
- 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.
- A toddler sports day that gets everyone excited! A collection of fun parent-child game ideas
- For the kindergarten sports day! A list of obstacle course ideas
- Fun Parent-Child Games! A Collection of Ideas to Liven Up Your Nursery School Sports Day
For the nursery school sports day! Funny & unique event ideas (1–10)
Enjoy freshly baked bread.
Popular anime characters join the sports day events! These are fun sports day games that even small children can enjoy while playing.
First, in a footrace, choose a character face—like Anpan, Shokupan, or Melonpan—placed in the field.
Once you’ve picked a face, look for the house that has the same picture as the face you’re holding.
When you find the matching house, throw the face you’re holding through the window to clear the game.
You can, of course, use non-anime characters for the event as well.
Flip-over race
Prepare many pieces of cardboard with different colors on each side, like Othello pieces, and set them up in a space where you can run—such as a gym, hall, or classroom—so that there are equal numbers of both colors.
Split into two teams, and at the “Ready, go!” signal, flip the pieces to your team’s color.
It’s a game where you compete to see which team has more of its color showing when the time is up.
Traveling by train
You’re probably curious about what kind of event “traveling by train” is at a sports day! The rules are very simple: children get inside a cardboard train and run as if they’re traveling along the course.
On the course, they climb over low platforms shaped like hills, weave around cones, and jump over hula hoops—enjoying their trip as they go.
You can also include a game where you prepare puzzles with animal faces and bodies separated; along the way, they pick pieces so the top and bottom match, then assemble and stick them together at the end! It’s sure to be a fun journey for the kids! It’s also adorable if they enter and exit carrying handmade carry-on bags!
For the daycare sports day! Funny and unique event ideas (11–20)
Giant ball rolling
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.
Family Space Travel
Ride a handmade two-person spaceship, defeat the aliens, and grab the sparkling star from the treasure chest.
This is a sports day event recommended for nurseries and kindergartens that even small children can enjoy while participating.
The race starts by getting into the two-person spaceship.
Work together with your partner to board the ship and run in sync toward the target treasure chest.
Once you arrive, take the star from inside, make a U-turn, and head back to the starting point to pass the baton to the next pair.
The sight of the kids riding in the spaceship is adorable, and it really livens up the sports day.
Let’s complete the puzzle together as a parent and child
Work together with a partner to complete a giant puzzle.
This is a sports day event idea where you collaborate with parents or teachers to fit in one panel at a time, and when you finish assembling the large puzzle, you clear the game.
Teams are divided and complete the puzzle in a relay format.
Adults and children cooperate, think about where to place the panel they’re holding, then pass the baton to the next person.
The team that finishes the puzzle first wins.
For panels placed high up, have an adult lift the child so they can stick it on.
We can’t wait to see what picture appears at the end!
Parent-child obstacle race
A parent-child event where parents and kids participate together in an obstacle race—the classic you’ve probably seen at every sports day or field day.
Parents and children clear the same obstacles together, or mom or dad helps the child get over them, working as a team to reach the finish line.
The rules make it enjoyable for both parents and kids.
Because adults and children differ in size and build, it presents challenges unlike competing alone, letting not only the children but also the adults feel like kids again.
It’s a simple yet profound event where well-synchronized teamwork determines victory.
