![[Parent-Child Rec] Recreational activities and games for parents and children to enjoy together—also great for sports days.](https://i.ytimg.com/vi_webp/FfoyXQoKI2g/maxresdefault.webp)
[Parent-Child Rec] Recreational activities and games for parents and children to enjoy together—also great for sports days.
We’re introducing recreations, games, and crafts that are perfect for parent–child activities at sports days and for quality time at home!
If you’re a teacher unsure which parent–child events to include in your sports day, or a parent looking for fun activities to enjoy with your child, please feel free to use this as a reference.
If you’re not fond of active movement or don’t have much space, crafts are a great option.
Crafts also leave you with something tangible, making for a wonderful keepsake.
Work together to take on challenges, or create memorable pieces, and strengthen your bond while enjoying parent–child activities!
[Parent-Child Rec] Recreations and games to enjoy together as a family. Great for sports days, too (1–10)
Rock-Paper-Scissors Relay
Here’s a rock-paper-scissors relay that’s sure to liven up sports days and recreational events.
Parent and child start together, run to the destination, and play rock-paper-scissors with the representative there.
If you win on the spot, run back to the start and pass the baton to the next person.
If it’s a tie or you lose, keep playing rock-paper-scissors until you win.
The team that gets everyone across the finish line first wins! Luck and strategy both play a part.
If someone keeps losing at rock-paper-scissors, it’s a good idea to add a time limit or make other adjustments.
Newspaper Rock-Paper-Scissors
Let me introduce Newspaper Janken, a fun recreation you can play with just a sheet of newspaper.
The rules are simple, but it gets really exciting.
First, form teams of two.
Give each team one sheet of newspaper, spread it out to full size, and have both teammates stand on it to start the game.
Face your opponents and play rock-paper-scissors.
As a penalty, the team that loses each round must fold their newspaper.
With every loss, the newspaper gets smaller, making it harder for both teammates to keep standing on it.
In the end, the team that can no longer stay on their newspaper is out.
It’s a physical, cooperative game that builds balance and teamwork—perfect for parents and kids or friends to enjoy together.
Pose Matching Game
Here’s a pose-matching game that parents and kids can enjoy together.
Decide on a prompt, and at the cue of “Ready, go!” strike the pose for that prompt.
If the parent and child match poses, the challenge is a success! If they don’t match, trying the same prompt again can be just as exciting.
It’s a humorous game that tests how in sync you are with each other.
It might be fun with more people, too.
Enjoy clearing each prompt while boosting your imagination!
Cardboard manufacturing
Cardboard crafting—where parents and children share an image of what they want to make and build it together—is such a fun experience.
Let’s think about what materials are needed and what size cardboard will work best.
As you talk about how you want to use what you imagine—like a house, pretend-play setups, food items, or vehicles—your ideas may become even clearer.
To keep it enjoyable for both parent and child, it’s a good idea to take breaks as you work.
Once it’s finished, try playing with it together!
On the Run
The TV show “Run for Money” is popular even among young children.
It’s a game that’s a bit like a quirky version of tag.
Run away so you don’t get caught by the Hunters.
If you set the play area in advance, you can enjoy honing your evasion skills against the Hunters.
Adding your own original rules could make it even more exciting.
Let’s complete the puzzle
Let’s try completing a picture puzzle together as parents and children! In this game, several parent-child pairs form one team and compete.
Each pair sticks one piece onto the board, and the team that completes the puzzle first wins.
Since it’s hard to imagine the whole picture at the beginning, drawing a hint image on the board will make things smoother.
Basically, the children take the lead, but if they get stuck, the guardians should give them a helping hand.
Taking a group photo in front of the completed picture at the end will make for a wonderful memory.
Quick Towel Grab Showdown
Here’s a towel quick-grab showdown that gets exciting with just one towel.
The game is played by two people.
Stand back-to-back with about one towel’s length of distance between you, and place both hands on top of your head.
When someone says “Ready, go!” both players go for the towel.
The one who grabs it first wins.
If it’s a tie, it’s fun to try again.
Give this simple and enjoyable towel challenge a try! It might help improve your reaction speed and concentration.