On-the-day organisation for a Primary School Sports day
We’ve been speaking to ex-Primary School teacher, Jacqui Dalton, about planning and running a Primary School Sports Day. In this article, Jacqui has tips for on-the-day organisation to help make it go as smoothly as possible.
Split the children up by team colours
It is useful to mix the children up and put them into ‘colour teams’. This makes organisation easier and gives the children an extra incentive to cheer for other members of their team in the races they are not in.
You could ask the children to wear tops in their colour or give them a coloured sticky label. You can do this simply using felt tips/highlighters on your classroom white sticky labels. To make them feel extra special, assign them a coloured team bib like this one.
Stay safe in the sun
The good ol’ British weather means that many Sports Days get rained off at the last minute and have to be rearranged but, with a bit of luck, your chosen day will be a sunny one! Make sure the children stay safe by ensuring they have caps, water bottles and suncream, and don’t forget the extra loo rolls and wet wipes if you’re having a Sports Day off the school premises. They always come in handy!
Create an ‘alternative’ Sports Day
If you want a less ‘competitive’ feel for your event, you could arrange a ‘round robin’ of activities. For EYFS and KS1, parents/carers can follow them round to each activity to cheer them on. For KS2, you could set up different ‘sports’ e.g. Kwik Cricket, Volleyball, Hockey, Football, Netball, Rounders etc. which the children can rotate around in mixed groups (e.g. if it’s Y3 and Y4, mix these children up so that they can be on a team with children they wouldn’t normally be with).
Reward, Reward, Reward
Whilst the old adage ‘it’s the taking part that counts’ definitely rings true for Sports Day, it is always a good idea to invest in some sort of extra incentive for the day – to mark it as a special ‘event’ in the annual school calendar. This could be through investing in special Sports Day stickers, mini medals or a keepsake certificate. We’ve got you covered here with these FREE certificates and scoresheet, just waiting for you to download.
And finally…Tips from Teachers!
Check out these extra tips from our team of teachers at our educator platform, EuHu (pronounced ‘yoo hoo’) - where you can find curriculum content, including P.E. lessons.
- For EYFS and KS1, you could leave the water bottles at the finish line (in groups, so the children know where to look for theirs). This means they still get to hydrate after their races but minimises the risk of them fidgeting with their bottle throughout.
- Set up a refreshment stall for spectators so that they, too, can get a drink. You might even be able to get some Parent/Carer volunteers to man this for you.
- Get some older children to help you set up the equipment for each race. Year 5 and 6 pupils are perfect for this and will love the extra responsibility!
- If you know it will be a hot day, consider holding the Sports Day in the morning when the sun isn’t as fierce.
- Have a Parent Race/Toddler race at the end. Always a laugh and a good way to end the event. Be aware that some parents/carers can get very competitive though!
- Group all of your equipment together according to the race (on a trolley if your school has one or using a holdall/handy bags). This will make setting up each race much quicker, smoother and easier – and keep it stress-free for you!
For more equipment and ideas for Sports Day visit the dedicated page here.
Author: Jacqui Dalton
About: Jacqui was a primary school teacher for 18 years, a member of SLT and led a variety of subjects. She planned and delivered weekly P.E. lessons across KS1 and KS2 throughout her career as a teacher.
Jacqui is also one of the Education Specialists on the EuHu team, our teacher platform, containing a variety of curriculum content, including P.E. lessons. Find out more here https://www.euhu.co.uk/physical-education
