Field day is one of the best times of the school year! Students get a break from class and have an opportunity to have fun outside. It’s a day filled with laughter, teamwork, and even some friendly competition. High-energy field day games allow kids and teens to burn some energy while developing important social skills for their futures. In this article, we’ll explore a variety of fun and engaging field day activities that schools can organize to make the day memorable, inclusive, and fun!
When is Field Day at School?
Field day usually occurs near the end of the school year, when the warm weather acts as the perfect setting for the games and activities set up by the school. It’s usually celebrated as a day of school spirit and teamwork, embracing the importance of physical activity and social interaction.
Best Field Day Game Ideas
1. Egg Toss / Water Balloon Toss
For this game, you’ll need sidewalk chalk/tape and some water balloons. Mark two lines a good distance from each other on the sidewalk, and have each partner of a team stand behind their respective line, facing each other. This will make two straight lines of students, each partnered with the person across from them. Then, have them throw the eggs or water balloons to each other, with the aim of catching the balloons and not letting them drop and break. The last team with an unbroken water balloon wins.
2. Sponge Darts
If you have sidewalk chalk and some soaking wet sponges, give this field day game a try! On the sidewalk, draw a giant diagram of a dartboard. Then, have each kid take turns throwing their sponges toward the middle of the dartboard. Whoever gets the most points gets the win. This can be played in teams or individually, whichever would make the most sense for your school.
3. Bean Bag Toss
Lay a few hula hoops on the ground, each representing a different number of points. The hoops should be close to each other in one giant cluster, not lined up (that would be too easy!). Then, have the students throw handheld bean bags into the hula hoops, tallying up the number of points at the end of each round to determine the winner.
4. Dress-Up Relay
Divide the students into two giant teams, lined up an equal distance apart from each other, and give each team at least ten clothing items. Have the first student from each team dress as quickly as possible before running to the next member of the team (with none of the clothing items falling off!) and giving them the clothes to repeat the process down the line of students. Whichever team gets the last person dressed the fastest, wins!
5. Spoon Race
This game is about extreme coordination! You’ll need plastic spoons and some eggs. Have each student balance an egg on their spoon, holding it out in front of them and racing to the finish line without dropping their egg! If you’d like less mess, you could also use small water balloons for this activity.
6. Musical Hoops
Think of musical chairs, only with hula hoops! Place hula hoops on the ground in a circle, and play a song of your choice for a few seconds until randomly stopping it. Whoever is not in a hoop has to exit the game. If two students end up in the same hoop, whoever was there first gets to stay.
7. Tug of War
One of the most classic field day games is tug of war. You’ll need a large rope and teams of participants. There are various ways that you could choose to make teams. One of the most popular variation is teachers versus students. While teachers are older and generally stronger, the students will out-number the teachers, making it an even match.
8. Drip Painting
Drip painting might get messy, but it’s the perfect alternative for the kids and teenagers who don’t like sports! Get a bunch of squirt bottles filled with paint, and let the students paint an object of your choice. This works with canvases, thick paper, boxes, or even flower pots or T-shirts! (And if you let the kids keep their messy art piece, this could even be fun for the parents, too).
9. Noodle Obstacle Course
If you have some pool noodles, this game will help your students get all their energy out! Set up some bent and scrunched pool noodles in your field, and let the students use it as an obstacle course to run and jump through. The noodles are soft, so this avoids any accidents if the students get too rowdy.
10. Sidewalk Chalk
Field day doesn’t have to be all about athletics, it can also include fun outdoor art! Set out some chalk on a designated area of the sidewalk, and have the students doodle on the ground in designated areas. You can also have them play games like four-square or hopscotch.
11. Backwards Speed Relay
You might want to have this activity on the grass; it’s a falling hazard! There are zero materials needed (except coordination!). Let your students run a 50-yard dash, but have them face backwards and try to keep up the same speed. The first to cross the finish line is the winner!
12. CopyCat Dance
Need a memory challenge as well as a physical one? Well, this field day game is perfect! Have at least five students stand in a circle. One student starts with an original dance move, and the next student copies their move and adds their own. This continues down the line until someone forgets a move, and then that student leaves the game. Repeat until there is one winner.
13. TV Tag
TV Tag works like the regular Tag game, except once a student gets tagged, they must call out the name of a TV character within five seconds. If they can’t think of one that hasn’t been named by another student, they’re “It!” This game can be played in small or large groups (you can select a number of “It” students at a time, or have it be unlimited).
14. Pass the Cup
For this game, you need a bucket, plastic cups, and water. Have the students sit in a line, facing the same way, and the last student facing the opposite way, towards a bucket. Give the first student a full cup of water, and have them pass it over their heads until the last person dumps it into the bucket. Repeat with a bunch of cups until the bucket is full. This can either be played in two teams, and the fastest team wins, or whoever ends the game without getting wet wins!
15. Balloon Stomp
Divide your students into two teams; one to race, and one to chase. Tie air-filled balloons to each students’ ankle on the “race” team with yarn. Then, the race team runs to the finish line, while the chase team runs after them, trying to pop their ankle balloons. Whoever crosses the finish line first on the race team wins. Then, alternate the teams (so someone on the original “chase” team also has the chance to win).
16. Amoeba Tag
No supplies? No problem! Amoeba Tag works just like the regular “tag” game, only each time a student gets tagged, they hold hands and run after other kids together. The last student who is not in the “amoeba” wins! You can play this on the field or on the pavement.
17. Dance Contest
Dance contests during field day can be judged on endurance or skill. For younger kids, we’d recommend judging based on endurance, where whoever dances for the longest time wins. However, this can get a little timely, as kids have a lot of energy to expend, so if you choose to judge based on endurance, make sure you have time to spare!
18. Finger Painting
This is another activity that can be enjoyed by less “sporty” students! Set up a bunch of items to finger paint, and have stations the students can walk between. Maybe take the opportunity to make a school mural; set out a giant poster board, and have each student who comes leave a giant handprint in a color of their choice!
19. Frisbee Hula Hoop
Take some hula hoops, and hang them or have someone hold them. Have students throw frisbees through the hula hoops from varying positions and distances away. Whoever hits the most targets wins! If you don’t have frisbees, you could alternately use water balloons and have the students stand closer to the hoops.
20. Leaf Prints
Image source: Kids Art & Craft Pinterest
Leaf prints are a super fun art project for field day! You’ll need some leaves, paper, and acrylic paint. Have the students choose a leaf (maybe one that has fallen naturally from the ground), and coat it in their favorite paint color. They can then stamp it to their sheet of paper, making a collage of different shapes and colors. It’s great for students who want to participate in an outdoor field day activity, but don’t like competitive athletics.
What Makes a Good Field Day?
A good Field Day will teach your students teamwork, healthy competition, and the importance of working out their mental and physical health; all while having fun! These were our picks for the best Field Day games and activities. Which activities does your school enjoy?