[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] 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.
playing ninja
Kids love the sound of the word “ninja.” Let them pretend to be ninjas and enjoy a variety of movements—walking on tiptoes, creeping along the floor and walls, or stopping suddenly.
If you make origami shuriken, they can even have a thrilling shuriken-throwing experience.
Creating targets for a target-throwing game will make it even more exciting!
Balloon volleyball
It’s a perfect activity for burning off energy because you can use your whole body to play.
As long as you have a balloon, you can do it anytime, anywhere.
It’s safer than using a ball, so even little kids can join in.
One of the fun parts is that the balloon moves in unexpected ways.
Besides volleyball-style play, you can enjoy different variations like juggling it, or using a fan as a racket to play like badminton.
Paper Airplane Contest
Origami is a classic pastime, and many kids especially love paper airplanes.
How about holding a “paper airplane contest” with your child? What’s fun is that even though we just say “paper airplane,” there are many different types.
The folding method changes how far they fly and how long they stay in the air, so try out different folds and have fun experimenting.
Ball-passing race
Among games that involve lots of movement, “Ball-Passing Relay” is always a hit.
Some of you might have played it before! You pass the ball backward using your hands behind your back, sending it farther and farther down the line.
After you pass, you run to the back and rejoin the line.
Set a finish line—the team that reaches it first wins.
It gets even more exciting with a large group split into multiple teams.
Just be careful not to drop the ball in your haste!
Let’s make a newspaper tent
How about a “newspaper tent” for a parent–child activity? Roll newspaper pages tightly into thin sticks and use them as the frame to build a tent.
You’ll need a bit of space, but since the only materials are newspapers and tape, it’s easy to plan.
Parents and children can discuss the shape and create their ideal tent together.
It’s sure to spark lots of conversation as you build.
You can also prepare origami or construction paper to decorate and make it even more fun!
rhythmic exercise
These are rhythm activities that parents and children can enjoy together.
We introduce many simple hand-clap songs that even very young children can join, as well as games that use the whole body.
If the hand-clap songs get everyone excited, some kids might even start dancing without thinking.
Activities that use the body also offer plenty of physical contact with adults, so they’re highly recommended.
Hula hoop tunnel
“Hoop Passing” is a game using a hula hoop that families and neighbors can enjoy.
Form a circle, hold hands, and keep passing the hula hoop along by stepping through it.
Adults can be at a slight disadvantage because they’re taller, but little kids can slip through quickly, which speeds things up.
You can have fun competing with everyone to see who’s the fastest!
Spoon relay
It’s a game where you place a ping-pong ball on a kitchen ladle and carry it.
It requires a good sense of balance, and because it isn’t decided simply by differences in physique or strength, parents will want to take on the challenge seriously too.
Once you get used to it, try changing the difficulty by switching the ladle to a spoon or using a larger ball.
Borrowed Item Race
Let’s enjoy a “Borrowed Item Race” at the parent-child recreation event.
First, draw a lot with a prompt for what to borrow, such as “something red” or “a banana.” Prepare items that are easy for anyone to recognize.
Borrow something that fits the prompt and carry it to the goal.
For ages three and up, you can also make it a race to “borrow” people—like “someone wearing red clothes” or “someone with long hair”—which is also fun! Will the children be able to find what they need? It’s a recreation activity that will have even the onlookers smiling.
