[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!
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[Parent-Child Rec] Recreational activities and games for parents and children to enjoy together. Also great for sports days (11–20)
Parent-and-child tag
Let’s enjoy an outdoor, active game of tag that adults and children can play together.
It’s a fun way for kids to build stamina while also helping adults get some exercise.
The rules for parent-child tag are simple: split into teams, and the team that touches the target goal in the opposing side’s area wins.
It’s the kind of game that gets everyone excited at events like sports days.
Dodge the other team’s defense to reach the goal, and defend your own so they can’t touch it.
Run around and have a great time battling it out!
long rope jumping
Long-rope jumping is a wonderful recreation that deepens the bond between parents and children.
Working together to swing the rope and jump is so exciting! It might be difficult at first, but with practice you’ll sync up and enjoy the thrill of getting better and better.
It’s sure to be a hit as a parent–child event at sports day! You can also enjoy it at home, in the yard, or at the park.
Let’s get moving and spend time full of smiles.
Taking on long-rope jumping together will surely become a lovely family memory!
Caterpillar Race
A cardboard caterpillar race is a perfect activity for parents and children to do together.
You step inside a looped piece of cardboard and move forward in a crawling motion.
Because it engages the whole body, it’s best suited for ages 4 and up who can participate safely.
The key to moving fast is for the adult and child to synchronize their movements and adjust their speed.
Making it a team competition makes it even more exciting! If you set aside time before the event to practice how to move in the caterpillar, everyone will feel less confused and enjoy it more.
Parent-child ball toss
Tamaire, the classic sports day game that parents and kids can enjoy together, doesn’t require difficult rules or techniques.
Let’s liven things up with cooperative play that both children and adults can enjoy.
Have a parent lift the child up high so the child can toss balls into the basket, or have the child carry balls to the parent, who then throws them from a distance into the basket—it’s a cooperative style of tamaire.
In this game where adults and children synchronize and keep tossing balls in, not only the kids but the adults might find themselves totally absorbed.
Finally, turn the cleanup into part of the game by collecting all the balls into a box, so tidying up is fun too.
the eye of a typhoon
We’d like to introduce how to play “Typhoon’s Eye,” a classic team game for sports days and outdoor play.
It’s a popular recreation that uses the whole body and can be played in a gym or an open outdoor space.
Prepare a long pole, line up several players, and have them all hold the pole.
At the starting signal, run toward the target, such as a cone.
When you reach the turning point, rotate in a circle using one end of the pole as the pivot, then make a U-turn.
Like the eye of a typhoon, the person at the center should firmly support the team, while the person on the far outer end should pick up speed to turn quickly.
Speed and synchronized teamwork are the keys to victory.
Give it a try!
Inside-out pots!
@hiyoko_sakuranbo Fun for mixed ages, large groups, and parent-child activities! “Nabe-nabe Soko Nuke — All-Participants Version” Next time, I’ll post a reel that returns everyone to the forward-facing circle! **************** “Saito Kimiko’s Sakuranbo Rhythm Play” is a scientifically grounded method that promotes children’s development through play. We share rhythm-play activities that can be applied immediately in educational settings through workshops and at preschools nationwide. If you’re interested, please DM or contact us on LINE↓↓ @hiyoko_sakuranbo ***************** Mayumi Murata | Sakuranbo Rhythm Play ▶ “Complete DVD Book Collection: Saito Kimiko’s Early Childhood Education” — book text composition ▶ “Illustrated Edition: Saito Kimiko’s Sakura Sakuranbo Rhythm Play” — planning and editing Thank you for the likes and follows!#Cherry Rhythm PlaySakura Sakura-nbo Rhythm#Rhythm PlayRhythm PlayHiroko SaitoNursery teacher / Childcare workerKindergarten Teacher#Pot, pot, inside-out
♪ Original Song – hiyoko_sakuranbo – hiyoko_sakuranbo
We’d like to introduce “Nabe Nabe Sokonuke,” a traditional and ever-popular hand-clapping circle game that parents and children can enjoy together.
Whether with two people or a large group, everyone holds hands to make a circle.
When the lyrics say “Let’s go back,” flip yourselves around so you end up back-to-back while keeping your hands joined.
Repeat the same song and movement to return to facing each other again.
By moving your body side to side with the song, you can develop a sense of rhythm, and it’s fun to move while singing together.
It’s a great way to enjoy close interaction, whether with parent and child or among friends—give it a try!
Ring Relay
It’s an event where one person walks across rings laid out on the ground while another person builds the path ahead, and together they aim for the goal.
The flow involves moving the rings from behind to the front after they’ve been crossed, progressing forward—so the speed of transporting the rings is crucial.
Be mindful of precise movements, such as lifting and carrying the rings on the ground, and placing your feet so they don’t step outside the rings.
The taller and bigger you are, the higher the difficulty, so discussing which role each of you will take—especially in a parent-child pair—is an important point.
Three-legged ball-carrying relay
With the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic reducing chances for in-person contact, games and activities that let parents and children or friends play together safely while taking infection prevention into account have become especially valuable experiences.
How about getting moving with a three-legged race that you can enjoy in sync with preschoolers or elementary school children? The key to enjoying a three-legged race is to tie together the adjacent legs to fix them, then start moving at the same time while matching your breathing.
It’s a simple setup, but when you actually try it, it’s surprisingly challenging.
Right, left—match your rhythm and stride with your partner and race against other teams in a three-legged game.
Have fun!
Tug of war
When doing tug-of-war at a parent–child recreation event, be sure to play with mixed teams of adults and children! You can put parents and kids on the same team, or deliberately split them up—both ways are fun.
If you divide the teams starting with the strongest men or larger participants, it becomes hard to predict who will win, making for a thrilling, edge-of-your-seat match.
Cheering is essential for tug-of-war, too.
If you can’t shout loudly, prepare alternatives like waving flags or towels to keep the venue energized!
Newspaper Dome
Kids are sure to be thrilled by a newspaper dome that swells up as if it might burst! Prepare two sections made by joining sheets of newspaper; make the center of one side with a vinyl material so you can see inside the dome.
Then connect the two sections, pump in air, and have fun by going inside or taking photos from the outside! While inflatable vinyl domes can be costly, using newspapers lets you easily recreate the fun of a popular attraction at a low cost.
