[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)
long rope jumping
How about incorporating long rope jumping as an event when holding a sports day in a gymnasium or similar venue? Teams compete to see how many consecutive jumps they can do.
If someone gets caught in the rope, you have to start over from one, so solid practice is needed to jump as many times as possible without mistakes.
It’s a great event not only for children but also for mini sports days for adults.
There are many websites and videos that teach the secrets and tips for long rope jumping, so be sure to check them out and study up!
Bagworm relay
How about incorporating a “bagworm relay,” which looks adorably like a bagworm, into your mini sports day events? It’s called the bagworm relay because participants wear burlap sacks—just like what a bagworm “wears”! You use a large burlap sack, like the kind sold at hardware stores for coffee beans, to cover about half your body.
Since you can’t walk normally, you hop your way toward the finish line.
Jumping big and fast is great, but it also increases the risk of falling, so be careful—yet hurry—doing your best!
[Mini Sports Day] Handpicked Indoor-Friendly, Crowd-Pleasing Events! (31–40)
Drop the Handkerchief
Handkerchief Drop is a game that always excites large groups, such as at sports days or campfires.
Everyone except the tagger sits facing inward to form a circle, and the tagger walks clockwise around the circle, secretly placing a handkerchief behind someone at random.
If the tagger can make a full lap and reach that person’s spot without being noticed, they switch places and a new tagger is chosen.
If the person notices the handkerchief and manages to chase and catch the tagger before the tagger returns to the empty spot, they avoid becoming the tagger.
Since the only item needed is a handkerchief and the rules are simple, it’s recommended not only for outdoor events but also for indoor sports days.
Musical chairs
Musical chairs is a classic recreational game that everyone from children to adults knows and enjoys.
It’s a perfect event for an indoor mini sports day, isn’t it? The rules are simple: arrange fewer chairs than the number of participants in a circle, walk around them, and when the music stops, sit in a chair.
Since it’s a mini sports day, try using sports day-style background music—you might enjoy a different atmosphere than usual.
It’s also fun to speed up or slow down the music and match your walking pace to the tempo.
Hula Hoop Pass
A game where all participants stand in a single line holding hands and pass a hula hoop from one end to the other.
Because you must keep holding hands and move the hula hoop over your body, the smaller the hoop and the more participants there are, the more difficult it becomes.
You can also enjoy a different kind of challenge by using items like sashes or ropes instead of a hula hoop, so trying variations can be fun.
It’s a guaranteed crowd-pleaser indoors or outdoors, and a great sports day event that people of all ages can enjoy.
Rock-Paper-Scissors Train
For a mini indoor sports day, especially recommended for kids, try the Rock-Paper-Scissors Train.
While the music is playing, everyone moves freely around the room.
When the music stops, they freeze and play rock-paper-scissors with someone nearby.
If you lose, you go to the back of the winner’s line.
As this repeats, the line grows longer like a train.
If you have a large group, it’s also fun to form teams and start as separate trains.
The children’s song “Kamotsu Ressha” (Freight Train) is a classic choice for this game, but feel free to switch up the music to match the season or whatever’s trending at the time.
Balloon carrying race
A balloon-carrying relay where pairs work together to transport a balloon and aim for the goal without dropping it.
The rules are simple: each person holds one end of a piece of cloth or newspaper spread out between them, place the balloon on top, and run.
The tricky part—and the fun of it—is that the balloon’s buoyancy makes it hard to keep it from falling.
There are also many variations, such as facing each other and pinning the balloon between your bodies, linking arms and holding it between your faces, or sandwiching it between handheld fans.
You can choose a style that suits the team’s relationships and comfort levels.
It’s a contest that heats up into a battle not only against the opposing team but also against the balloon itself, making it a great hit for indoor sports days.