[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!
- Indoor games for parents and children: fun activities that use the body and the mind
- No worries even in the rain! Fun recreational activities you can do in the gym
- [Play Right Away!] Exciting Recreation Games Recommended for Elementary School Students
- Outdoor Recreation Popularity Rankings
- Parent–child interactive play. Fun activities popular in childcare settings and at parent–child observation days.
- [For Kids] Exciting Class-vs-Class Games: Team Competition Activities
- [For Kids] Today's Recommended Recreation Idea Collection
- Let's play with a big group! A collection of fun children's recreational activities
- Recreation Activities That Excite Kids’ Clubs! Plans and Ideas Children Will Love
- [Exercise] Recreational Ideas for Olympic Sports
- Fun Parent-Child Games! A Collection of Ideas to Liven Up Your Nursery School Sports Day
- Games that liven up social and networking gatherings
- [Children’s Club] Easy and fun indoor games. Exciting party games
[Parent-Child Rec] Recreational activities and games for parents and children to enjoy together. Also great for sports days (11–20)
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!
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.
[Parent-Child Rec] Recreations and games for parents and children to enjoy together. Also great for sports days (21–30)
Treasure Hunt
It’s a treasure-hunt game where you search the room for hidden treasures! The treasures can be anything that can be hidden in drawers or toy boxes, such as plastic bottle caps or capsule toy capsules.
You can also get creative with the rules, like “parents and children search for the treasures hidden by the teacher” or “compete to see who can find the treasures hidden by a parent the fastest.” Since it’s a game you can recreate at home, it can also help increase opportunities for communication for parents who worry that their child gets so absorbed in games that conversation tends to decrease.