[Mini Sports Day] Carefully selected indoor-friendly events that really get everyone excited!
A mini sports day refers to a small-scale sports event held indoors.
Because it isn’t affected by the weather and can be run compactly in just a few hours to half a day, it’s held as an event at kindergartens and elementary schools, and even as a community activity.
In this article, we’ll introduce a selection of perfect activities for a mini sports day all at once.
We’ve gathered everything from classic sports day events to recreational games that children of different ages can enjoy together, so please use it as a reference.
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[Mini Sports Day] Carefully selected exciting indoor-friendly events! (21–30)
ball toss (traditional Japanese beanbag/ball-throwing game)
Tamaire, the star event of sports days.
In elementary and junior high school competitions, tamaire usually involves throwing balls into a high basket, and the team that gets the most balls in wins.
But did you know there are many variations these days? There’s Dancing Tamaire, where you dance while the music plays and throw when it stops, and Relay Tamaire, where you run a relay before throwing.
You can adapt it to the number of participants and their ages.
There are also versions with low baskets so small children and older adults can join.
Give your own original style of tamaire a try!
Ball-passing game
The ball-passing game is played by forming teams of about five or more members who line up single file and pass a ball from front to back in order.
However, the passes alternate up and down: the first person passes the ball back through their legs, the second person passes it overhead, and so on.
If there are many people on a team, the goal is reached when the ball makes it from the front to the last person.
If there are fewer people, after passing the ball to the person behind them, the passer moves to the end of the line, repeating this process.
The team that crosses a predetermined goal line first wins.
It’s surprisingly less smooth than you might expect, which makes it really exciting!
Spoon Relay
Super balls, which are also popular as prizes at festival stalls, are the stars of a relay 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 smooth, even slight vibrations can make the ball fall out.
Another characteristic is that if you drop it, the ball tends to roll a long way.
Try to be both careful and quick.
It’s fun even with a short running distance, making it perfect for playing in a small space.
Ping-pong ball relay
How about trying a ping-pong ball relay that’s simple yet thrilling? Split into teams, place a ping-pong ball on a ladle, and at the signal “Start!!” the first runner sets off, loops around the turnaround point, returns to the starting line, and passes the ladle to the next person.
It sounds easy, but ping-pong balls are light and slippery, so if you go too fast, they’ll slide off in no time.
It’s a competition that gets exciting because you have to hurry while carefully keeping the ball from falling—striking that perfect balance is the real challenge.
Card flipping
It really gets exciting when there’s an activity that lots of kids can join at once.
One I’d like to introduce is “Card Flipping.” First, divide the kids into two teams.
Then they take turns flipping large cards that have different colors on the front and back.
They keep flipping until time runs out, and the team with more cards showing their team color face-up at the end wins.
By the way, you can use cushions or similar items instead of cards—just make sure they’re easy to flip.
Butt-walking race
A game where you aim for the finish line by moving forward using only your butt, without using your hands or feet.
Starting from a tucked-seated position, you lift your legs into the air at the signal and propel yourself using only the swing of your arms.
It takes stamina and technique not just for adults but for children as well.
It’s generally played over a shorter distance than a regular footrace, but since you don’t move as smoothly as you’d expect, both participants and spectators can have a good laugh and get excited.
It’s also fun not only as a race but in a tag-style format, and it’s a game you can enjoy indoors where space is limited.
Paper Airplane Contest
Paper airplanes are something almost everyone played with as a child.
There are seemingly as many ways to fold them as there are people—each method looks different and also flies differently, with varying distances.
Many of us probably experimented as kids to find the best-folding technique for maximum flight.
This idea is to enjoy those paper airplanes as an event in a mini sports day.
It could be a competition that even people who aren’t confident in physical activities can wholeheartedly enjoy.