Field day is a kids’ favorite for the end of the school year! Kids love the chance to run around outside with their friends all day, participating in exciting and challenging events. The best field day games and activities include options for all kinds of students, no matter what their age, interests, or abilities. This inclusive roundup of field day activities can help make your event a success for everyone involved.
Plus, we’ve partnered with two popular Instagram PE teachers to bring you their top tips for making field day a school favorite for everyone year after year!
Thomas Gelardi/Coach Gelardi is the 2025 SHAPE America National Elementary PE Teacher of the Year. Find him on Instagram, X, YouTube, and TikTok: @CoachGelardi.
Ben Landers runs the website The PE Specialist, full of resources for physical education teachers of all grades. Find him on Instagram at @thepespecialist.
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Coach Gelardi’s Top 3 Field Day Tips
Here’s what 2025 SHAPE America National Elementary PE Teacher of the Year Coach Gelardi (@CoachGelardi) recommends to make your field day fun and successful for students, families, and school staff.
1. Keep the games simple.
“If kids can understand the activity in 10 seconds, you’re on the right track,” Coach Gelardi says. “Field day should feel like play, not a complicated lesson.”
2. Organization matters more than the activity.
“Clear rotations, enough equipment, and adults who know their role make the whole day run smoothly,” according to Coach Gelardi.
3. Energy from adults sets the tone.
Coach Gelardi knows that leadership matters! “When teachers and volunteers are enthusiastic, the kids feed off that immediately!” he promises.
There’s a lot more to a successful field day than just choosing the activities, of course. Here are some tips to help you get started:
Before Field Day
Determine the date, time, and location.
Full day or half day? School grounds or another location? Plus, don’t forget to decide on plans for inclement weather. Will you set an alternate rain date or move your field day indoors?
“My school used to hold field day at the end of school in June,” says @thepespecialist. “The issue with that was that it would sometimes be over 100 degrees outside and the kids, parents, and teachers were all totally exhausted and overheated by the time it was over.”
He recommends an earlier date instead. “For me, the perfect field day date is the last day of school right before spring break, usually at the end of March. Another bonus of having field day earlier in the year is getting it out of the way before we have to deal with schedule interrupters like end of the year testing, end of the year events, graduations, finalizing report card grades, and other similar end of the year school events.”
Choose your activities.
Don’t try to cram in too many activities! For a half day, five to seven events is plenty, while a full day can accommodate 8 to 12. Would you prefer to focus on track-and-field-style events or mix more unique and creative competitions into the mix? Be sure to select inclusive events so everyone gets a chance to participate.
Plan the schedule.
This is one of the most important tips for field day success. Will you focus on one event at a time or rotate classes/teams through the events continuously? Tip: Always be sure to plan a little more time than you think you need, and don’t forget to include time for breaks.
Create a map.
Sketch out your plan for where each event will take place. It might even be helpful to provide teachers and volunteers with a copy of the map so they know where to direct their class/team next.
Recruit volunteers.
You’re going to need them! Reach out to parents and families and invite them to help with setup, score-keeping, crowd control, refreshments, and more.
“If you’re struggling to get parent volunteers, you might be able to get community members, non-homeroom teachers, previous students who are now in high school, nearby church groups, or even have your older students run the stations for your younger students—get creative and you can find some help!” @thepespecialist notes.
Gather equipment, supplies, and awards.
Don’t wait until the last minute to be sure you have enough balls, Hula-Hoops, water balloons, and other supplies! Make a detailed list of everything you need, including where you’ll get it from. Check each item off as you go.
Prep students and teachers.
Give teachers an overview of the day in advance. Encourage them to have their classes create cheers or decorate field day T-shirts to build excitement. Distribute the schedule of events, and ensure that students sign up in advance for each event (including alternates). This will keep things running more smoothly on the day.
I start teaching the field day games to my students about 2 weeks before field day. We call this our ‘Field Day Training,’ and I sometimes play a few of the games in the previous weeks as warm-up activities as well. —@thepespecialist
On Field Day
Set up activities and test equipment.
You’ll probably need to get an early start to get everything in place before your field day starts. Remember to make sure everything is in working order, too, so you won’t experience delays or disappointments later on.
Start promptly and keep things moving.
Keep up the pace! Field day is meant to be fun, so aim for a high-energy event where kids move smoothly from one event to the next while enjoying time with their friends.
Use an announcer to stay on track.
If you can, set up a PA system or even use a bullhorn to make announcements about the schedule and status of events. Play music to keep the energy high!
Ensure everyone stays safe.
Don’t forget to provide stations with water, sunscreen, and first aid. Take regular breaks, and set up shady areas if it’s an especially warm day.
Keep score as events are completed.
Enlist multiple judges to help with events, and report everything immediately to the official scorekeeper. Share updates throughout the day, or post the running scores on a big board so everyone can see them.
Announce the results.
Bring everyone together for a final event where you celebrate the winners and congratulate everyone on a fantastic day!
During field day, my co-teacher and I are walking around and helping teachers, students, and parents, taking pictures, and helping iron out any kinks that might appear throughout the day.
We radio each other every 6 minutes on a set rotation schedule and coordinate blowing an air horn or whistle to keep everyone moving to the next game. —@thepespecialist
After Field Day
Enlist volunteers to help with cleanup.
You’ll be exhausted when the day is over, so plan your cleanup duty in advance. Provide trash bags, gloves, and other supplies, and be ready to give clear directions on where everything needs to go.
Return equipment and extra supplies.
If you borrowed equipment, make sure it gets back to its original owners. Store leftover supplies in clearly labeled bins or boxes for next year.
Debrief with participants.
Talk with students, teachers, and volunteers to hear what they enjoyed and what they’d do differently next time around. You can do this in person or with an online survey.
Make notes for next year.
Use information from the debrief to jot down ideas for the next field day. It’s also helpful to create a list showing any stored supplies or equipment for next year’s organizer.
Thank teachers and volunteers!
Be sure to offer heartfelt gratitude to those who helped make the day a success. Handwritten notes, gift cards, or photo remembrances of the day are all a nice way to say thanks.
At the end of the day, I make a few notes about things that went well and things I want to change the following year and then send out a thank-you to all the staff at my school and my parent volunteers for all their help to make our day a success! —@thepespecialist
Classic Field Day Games
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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.
Want to jazz up your standard list of field day activities a bit? We love these fun and creative games, and your students will too.
Back-to-Back Balloon Race
Here’s one of @CoachGelardi‘s favorites! Partners stand back-to-back holding a balloon between them and try to walk to a cone and back without dropping it.
Keep It Up
Each team joins hands in a circle, then works to keep a balloon in the air without letting go. The team that lasts the longest is the winner.
Elephant March
Kids love Minute To Win It games (see all our favorites here), and this one is always a hilarious hit. Shove a ball into the foot of a pantyhose leg, then put the top of the hose over each student’s head. They race along a line of water bottles, trying to swing their “trunk” and knock over each bottle. First to the end wins!
Hand-and-Foot Hopscotch
Trace outlines on the playground or tape papers to the floor representing right and left hands and feet. Mix up the order to make it tricky. Students race along, placing the correct hand or foot on every square in the row to advance.
Pass the Hoop
This is another one of @CoachGelardi‘s top picks! Kids join hands to form a long line. Then, they must pass a Hula-Hoop along the line without breaking the chain, stepping through it carefully to move it along.
Blanket Pull
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.
Football Toss
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!
One team member tosses rings at the other in this life-size ring toss game. The human “target” can move their body but not their feet. (You can use Hula-Hoops, but large inflatable rings make this game a little safer.)
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!
Pool Noodle Croquet
Make oversized croquet hoops from pool noodles, and grab some lightweight balls. Kids can hit the balls with more pool noodles, or try to kick them through the hoops as they make their way along the course.
Parachute 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.
Coconut Bowling
Coconuts 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.
Hungry Hungry Hippos
Turn the popular game Hungry Hungry Hippos into life-size mayhem! One student lies on their stomach on a scooter, 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.
Frozen T-Shirt Race
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!
Balloon Stomp
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.)
This is really more about having fun than getting competitive, but kids relish the chance to run around flinging colored powder at each other! If you want a more competitive version, try adding colored powder to a traditional game of Capture the Flag.
Relay Race Ideas for Field Day
You can do the classic pass-the-baton relay race, of course. But these field day games put a new spin on the classic relay race and make the whole experience more fun for everyone.
Tic-Tac-Toe Relay
Set up three rows of three Hula-Hoops to be the tic-tac-toe grid. Then, have teams race to try to get three in a row first. They’ll be surprised to learn a little strategy can really improve their chances!
You’ll need an equal amount of people on each team, plus enough paper plates for each person to have one and one extra per team. The only way to move forward is by stepping on a plate, so the person in the front lays down the extra plate and jumps onto it. Everyone else moves up one, and the last person passes the extra plate up the line. Repeat until everyone has crossed the finish line.
Limbo Relay
Throw on some music and grab a long pole, then challenge teams to a limbo relay. Everyone on the team must make it beneath the poles on each round, and the slowest team is eliminated. Lower the poles on each round until only one team can manage it.
This one’s a classic: Each team member is given a balloon. One at a time, they race up to a chair, then sit on their balloon until it pops. Then they race back, tagging in the next team member. Tip: Underinflate the balloons a bit to make it a little more challenging. Or make them water balloons on a hot summer day!
Scooter and Plunger Relay Race
Scooter relay races are fun, but when you add in plungers, they get even better. In this version, kids must hold their feet up and use toilet plungers stuck to the floor to help them propel instead. Tricky, hilarious, and so fun!
Over-Under Relay
Kids stand in a single-file line, about arm’s length apart. Students on each team count off as “ones” or “twos.” The “ones” will pass the balls over their heads, while the “twos” must pass between their legs. Give the first person a ball, then start the passing. After a few seconds, give each team a second ball, and then a few seconds later, a third. Each team must get all of their balls to the end of the line and then back to the beginning. Don’t be surprised when things get a bit nuts!
Dizzy Bats
Here’s a classic relay, and all you need are some baseball bats. One at a time, team members race out onto the field and place their forehead on the end of a bat while the other end rests on the ground. In this position, they spin around five times, then try to make it back to the finish line so the next team member can go.
Get-Dressed Relay
You’ll need lots of old clothes for this one: a box each of shirts, pants, and hats, at least, with enough items in each box for every player. (Make it more challenging by adding socks too!) Kids line up in teams. At the signal, the first player runs to each box and puts on one of each item of clothing over their existing clothes. When all items are all the way on, they race back and tag the next runner. The game continues until one team has everyone back at the start and “dressed” in their fun new outfits.
Beach Ball Relay
The task: Partners carry a beach ball to the end of the field and back. The twist: They can’t use their hands! If they drop the ball, they need to pick it back up without using their hands, or go back and start again. Each set of partners passes the ball to the next pair on the team, again without using their hands, until one team wins.
Obstacle Relay
Obstacle races are a field day mainstay, but turning them into a relay makes them even more fun! You can make your course as simple or complicated as you like, so every race is unique.
Non-Strenuous Field Day Activities
Design activities where everyone can participate in different ways. That might mean offering multiple equipment options, like different-size balls or targets at different distances, allowing cooperative challenges instead of just races, and building in stations that focus on creativity or teamwork instead of only speed and competition. The goal is that every student leaves feeling successful. —@CoachGelardi
Not every kid loves running and jumping (and some of them can’t). Make sure the event is fun for everyone by including some of these non-strenuous field day activities. They let everyone shine!
Cookie Face
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.
Ball Toss
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.
Ping-Pong Tic-Tac-Toe
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.
Giant Kerplunk
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!
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.
Lawn Scrabble
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.
Ladder Beanbag Toss
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.
Yard Yahtzee
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!)
Scavenger Hunt
Complete a scavenger hunt as a team, or make it an individual event. Teens will especially love a photo scavenger hunt, where they get to use their phones to take pics of items on the list!
Kids love this fun game where they get to test their reflexes while whacking at those pesky pop-up moles. You can make your own DIY version, or even rent an official game booth for your field day.
Water Games for Field Day
If you’re willing to let kids get a little damp (or, let’s face it, soaking wet), these are the field day activities for you!
Fill the Bucket
@CoachGelardi loves including this classic water game that’s easy to set up and always popular. Teams race to see who can fill their bucket first, using only the water they can carry in a sponge.
Combine Dizzy Bats (above) with Fill the Bucket! After each player spins around with their forehead on the bat, they must pick up a tray of water glasses and carry it back to the finish line. They use any water that remains to fill up a bucket. Play continues until one team tops off their bucket.
Pass the Water
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 up to the last person, who pours it into a bucket. Repeat as many times as needed to completely fill your bucket.
Kids must pick up a water balloon and balance it on a wooden spoon, then race to the finish line. If their balloon falls off and doesn’t pop, they can pick it up and keep going. Otherwise, they have to head back to the start for a new one.
Water Cup Race
Hang plastic cups on strings, then use squirt guns or water bottles to push them along to the finish line. (Don’t want to use water? Have kids blow through straws to propel the cups instead.)
Dunk Tank
Give kids the chance to douse their teachers with a DIY dunk tank. Or divide kids into teams, and give each team a chance to soak the other. The team with the most wet players loses!
Toe Diving
Drop diving rings, marbles, or other small objects into the bottom of a kiddie pool. Kids have one minute to use only their toes to pull out as many objects as they can. The one with the most items at the end wins.
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.
This water balloon fight variation is perfect for a hot afternoon. Number water balloons and lay them out on a field. Draw a number from a hat, and send kids out to find a balloon with that number. (There will be more kids than balloons, which is part of the fun.) Those that find the right number then get a chance to throw their balloon at any other player. If it hits and breaks, that player is out. If the player can catch it without it breaking, the thrower is out. Continue each round with a new number until there’s just one player left dry.
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