03/12/2024

Prepper Stories

Driving Education Greatness

Best Field Day Games and Activities for All Ages and Abilities

Best Field Day Games and Activities for All Ages and Abilities

The end of the school year often brings kids’ favorite event: field day! It’s a chance to spend a day outside, running around with their friends, all while being at school. When you’re setting up your event, it’s important to include a selection of field day games that every kid can participate in and enjoy. You’ll find ideas here for every age group and ability, so your event will be inclusive and fun for everyone!

Classic Field Day Games

Kids playing tug-o-war

Field days have been around a long time, and some activities have become staples. Here are some classic field day games to add to your list of events.

  • 100-Yard Dash
  • Water Balloon Toss
  • Wheelbarrow Race
  • Three-Legged Race
  • Sack Race
  • Obstacle Course
  • Egg-and-Spoon Race
  • Relay Race
  • Tug-of-War
  • Long Jump

More Field Day Games

Want to jazz up your standard list of games a bit? We love these fun and creative games, and your students will too.

Blanket Pull

Kids sitting on blankets, while others pull them along in a race (Field Day Games)

Go for a ride with this fun race. Kids pair up to pull each other across the field on a blanket. Even things out by having one kid pull on the way down, and the rider pull on the way back.

Learn more: Sweet Dreams Are Made of These

Football Toss

Hula hoops suspended from poles and labeled Football Toss (Field Day Games)

This football toss game is surprisingly easy to assemble. You can also just hang Hula-Hoops from a branch or pole—swinging targets make things even more challenging!

Learn more: Fundraising Directory

Frisbee Golf

Kids playing Frisbee golf with laundry baskets set on tomato cages

Frisbee golf is another one of those field day games that’s very easy to set up with inexpensive supplies. Set round laundry baskets into tomato cages pushed into the ground to arrange your course. Arm kids with Frisbees, and you’re ready to play!

Learn more: Hometalk

Pool Noodle Croquet

Child hitting an inflatable soccer ball through a hoop made from a pool noodle (Field Day Games)

Make oversized croquet hoops from pool noodles, and grab some lightweight balls. You can hit the balls with more pool noodles, or try to kick them through the hoops as you make your way along the course.

Learn more: The Joys of Boys

Parachute Volleyball

Teams using small parachutes to play volleyball

Round up a big beach ball and some small parachutes (beach towels work too!). Teams work in pairs to catch and launch the ball back and forth over the net.

Learn more: TeamLaunchLight/YouTube

Coconut Bowling

Water bottles filled with blue water, and a child's hand holding a coconut

Coconut balls make this bowling game much more challenging—and hilarious! The uneven shape of the fruit means it will roll in ways kids will never expect.

Learn more: Fun-a-Day

Hungry Hungry Hippos

One student pushing another student on a scooter, as the second student collects pool noodle pieces in a basket

Turn the popular game Hungry Hungry Hippo into life-size mayhem! One student lays on a scooter on their stomach, holding a basket upside down in front of them. The other student grabs their legs and pushes them forward to grab as many pieces as possible. After everyone has had a turn, total up the pieces to find the winner.

Learn more: Hungry Hungry Hippos/YouTube

Frozen T-Shirt Race

Collage of pictures of a girl attempting to put on a t-shirt that was frozen when wet and folded (Field Day Games)

Buy oversized T-shirts, wet them down and fold them, and stick them in the freezer overnight. For the race, each participant works to get their shirt thawed, unfolded, and then put it on first. So funny to watch!

Learn more: A Girl and a Glue Gun—Frozen T-Shirt Race

Balloon Stomp

Kids with balloons tied to their ankles, trying to break each other's balloons

Get ready for some chaos with this one! Tie a balloon to each student’s ankle with a ribbon. Blow the whistle, and let kids loose trying to break each other’s balloons with their feet. Last one standing is the winner. (Make this a team game by issuing balloons of the same color to each teammate.)

Learn more: How to Have It All

Chicken Stix

Child using pool noodles to pick up a rubber chicken

This is just plain silly, but it’s so much fun. Kids use pool noodles to pick up rubber chickens and carry them to the finish line. This one’s easy to turn into a relay race.

Learn more: Mrs. Russell’s Room

Non-Physical Field Day Activities

Not every kid loves running and jumping (and some of them can’t). Make sure field day is fun for everyone by including some of these non-physical activities. They let everyone shine!

Cup-Stacking Race

Pyramid of red plastic Solo drinking cups

After a TV show made this game popular, every kid wants to give it a try. Give each player 21 cups. Their goal is to stack them into a pyramid, then unstack them again, as fast as possible.

Learn more: Happy Mom Hacks

Cookie Face

Kids rolling a cookie from their forehead to their mouths (Field Day Games)

This game is pure silliness, and kids are gonna love it! Have them tip their heads back, then place a cookie on their foreheads. When you shout “Go!” they race to move the cookie from their foreheads to their mouths without using their hands!

Learn more: Happiness Is Homemade

Ball Toss

Tin cans painted bright colors and labeled 10, 25, 50, and 100 (Field Day Games)

This game requires a bit of skill, but it’s easy enough for anyone to try. Label cans or other containers with point amounts. Give each student five balls to toss, and total up their points at the end.

Learn more: Everyday Dishes

Ping-Pong Tic-Tac-Toe

Kids bouncing ping pong balls into plastic cups of water

Make a 3 x 3 grid of plastic cups, one for each team. Fill the cups most of the way with water. Then give each team a bowl of Ping-Pong balls, and watch them race to get the balls into the cups until they make three in a row.

Learn more: Jeremy Mavis

Giant Kerplunk

Giant Kerplunk game made from tomato cages, sticks, and colored balls

This game is pretty easy to make with tomato cages and bamboo skewers. Each competitor pulls a stick, trying not to be the one who causes the balls to fall!

Learn more: Angela Parker—Pinterest

Flamingo Ring Toss

Lawn flamingoes in pots with hoops (Field Day Games)

You could play ordinary ring toss, of course, but how fun is this version? Grab some lawn flamingos (you might even find them at the dollar store) and set them up. Then give each player a set of hoops and let them do their best.

Learn more: Sugar & Cloth

Lawn Scrabble

Large letter tiles laid out on grass to form words

Give your word lovers a chance to show off their skills with an oversized game of Scrabble! Make the tiles from pieces of cardboard or card stock.

Learn more: Constantly Lovestruck

Ladder Toss

Ladder labeled with points, and a pile of colorful bean bags

This clever take on beanbag toss is super-easy to set up. Simply label the rungs of a ladder with various point totals. Then let kids try to land their beanbags on the steps to build up points for their team.

Learn more: Landeelu

Yard Yahtzee

Giant wooden dice and a whiteboard labeled Yard Yahtzee (Field Day Games)

Buy or make some giant wooden dice, then compete at an outdoor game of Yahtzee. (Don’t tell kids they’re actually practicing their math skills on field day!)

Learn more: Life Sew Savory

Scavenger Hunt

Printable worksheet for an alphabet scavenger hunt

Complete a scavenger hunt as a team, or make it an individual event. We’ve got tons of terrific scavenger hunt ideas here, including the alphabet hunt. Kids try to be the first to collect an object for every letter of the alphabet!

Water Games for Field Day

If you’re willing to let kids wind up a little damp (or, let’s face it, soaking wet), these are the games for you!

Fill the Bucket

Kids using sponges to fill buckets with water (Field Day Games)

Here’s a classic water game that’s easy to set up and always popular. Teams race to see who can full their bucket first, using only the water they can carry in a sponge.

Learn more: The Resourceful Mama

Pass the Water

Kids pouring water from a cup over their head to the person behind

We like this one best as a big team game. Kids line up, one after the other, each holding a cup. The person in front fills their cup with water, then pours it backward over their head into the next person’s cup. Play continues until the last person, who pours it into a bucket. Repeat as many times as needed to completely fill your bucket.

Learn more: A Girl and a Glue Gun—Pass the Water

Water Cup Race

Kid using a squirt gun to propel a plastic cup hung on a string

Hang plastic cups on strings, then use squirt guns to push them along to the finish line. (Don’t want to use water? Have kids blow through straws to propel the cups instead.)

Learn more: All for the Boys

Sponge Launch

Players using a homemade catapult to launch soaking wet sponges

Have each team design and build a launcher. Then let them fire wet sponges to see which team’s goes the farthest.

Learn more: How Does She?

Water Balloon Piñatas

Child using a stick to hit a hanging water balloon (Field Day Games)

No candy in these piñatas … just water! Hang them high and arm kids with sticks to hit them. The first team or person to break all their balloons wins!

Learn more: Hello, Wonderful

What are your favorite field day games? Come exchange ideas on the WeAreTeachers HELPLINE group on Facebook!

Plus, check out The Best Kids Gym Equipment for Fun at School and Home.