40 Best Field Day Games & Activities for Kids

By: Britni Vigil

4/05/2023Updated: 4/05/2023

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Take the stress out of planning an incredible field day and searching for all the best field day activities for kids of all ages with these epic field day ideas. These field day games and activities are perfect for planning the best field day ever no matter what age kids you’re planning for!

collage of kids playing field games

Next week is field day at my son’s elementary school and I can’t begin to tell you how excited he is about it. And understandably, I remember field day being one of the highlights of every year when I was in school what feels like a million years ago!

When everyone can’t wait to get to the end of the school year, it’s definitely a highlight!

As someone who plans a lot of party games and parties, I understand how much work goes into planning field day for an entire school. That’s why I’ve put together the ultimate collection of field day activities – these work for any age from preschool to elementary school!

And these are unique activities like ball games, water games, and outdoor games , not just the traditional activities like a sack race, camping games, or wheelbarrow race for your next field day.

The kids will be talking about this year’s field day events until next field day!

Messy Field Day Activities

Let’s start with the ones that get kids the most excited – games that get them messy, wet, or something similar. These are often times the most popular games because they’re ones that they don’t typically get to do during the school year!

These are always a great idea, especially if you live somewhere that is going to be hot! They are also a really fun way to make field day extra special because they are things you don’t normally get to do in elementary schools!

Water games just to get wet

This post has 20 different water games that are perfect for kids of any age! There are so many hilarious ideas (the water game with plastic cups for example), I just couldn't pick one! Plus everyone's favorite water balloon toss! You could find your entire set of field day activities just in this one post whether you're planning for just older students or the whole school!

Collage of images of people holding cups

Watch out you might get wet! This is a hilarious event where kids will spin circles around a baseball bat and then try to walk in a straight line and carry a tray filled with cups of water. First team to fill an empty bucket wins!

adults launching wet sponges

Sponge Launcher

This is a super simple activity, see how far you can slingshot a wet large sponge. You could also play this one kind of like human battleship where you're trying to hit players on the opposing team with your shots!

Family trying to get each other shaving cream

Shaving cream fight

Here's a great activity for older kids, but the younger ones will love it too. Have a teacher hand out cans of shaving cream and let the game begin- shaving cream fight. Make sure there's a safe area for kids who need a break from participating and a time limit!

Kids squirting paint on canvases

Squirt gun painting

This one is something the art teacher will appreciate. Fill squirt guns with water and a bit of paint and then have kids squit the squirt guns at a canvas or large paper to create a new design. This is an awesome field day activity because it gives people the chance to be creative and messy!

Kid hitting a water balloon hanging on a string

Water balloon pinata

Hang water balloons from a clothesline and watch the kids take a whack at them. Make sure to have an extra bucket of water handy to keep making balloons. This is perfect for a hot day and an exciting event that the kids love!

Relay Races for Field Day

If there’s one thing I know about field day, it’s that relay races are a must! There’s just something about working with team members of your friends or classmates to compete against each other that is so fun! Team building and team games are a huge part of field day and relays are a great way to incorporate these!

family doing a pizza box relay

Pizza box relay race

Relay races are always a hit and this one will be too. Each relay participant will start behind the start line, carry a stack of pizza boxes back and forth and pass it off to the next player. The first team to get all boxes and students across the finish line wins!

Kids love to get wacky on field day so take advantage of that with this fun wacky relay idea that uses all sorts of different motor skills, silly movements, and more in a race kids will love!

Kid trying to pick up a rubber chicken with pool noodles

Start by breaking students into small groups. Each team has a pool noodle that’s been cut in half that will be used as the sticks. The first student will use the noodles to pick up a rubber chicken and run to a spot a few yards away then return with the chicken to pass off to the next student. The event continues until the entire team has had every student participate.

kids going through a pool noodle obstacle course

Pool Noodle Obstacle Course

We're on a roll with pool noodles! Use pool noodles with connectors to make a course for the kids to go thru, jump over, crawl under, etc. Easy way to have so much fun and great to do in a relay! You could either have every team member go through the entire course or just one part of an obstacle course.

Kid holding spelling games balloons

Just because it's field day doesn't mean learning can't be involved! In this fun game, kids have to run across the field, find letters to spell a word, then return to tag the next player to go! We did this with my son, and he had so much fun he forgot it was even educational!

Sporty Activity Stations

While field day is about having fun, it doesn’t mean you can’t get a little exercise too! These are some of my boys’ favorite field day activities because they incorporate sports into silly games! You could even do a whole section of field day events centered around sports!

Girl bowling a baseball at bowling pins

This hilarious game is played as a team and incorporates both baseball and bowling into one funny game! We played it with my nieces and nephews and everyoned loved it! You could use bowling pins or water bottles for the pins!

football toss game

This is kind of like bean bag toss except you have board with holes to throw a football through. This is a fun game for those jocks who love a little friendly competition.

kid kicking soccer ball at fence

This game is simple. Use sidewalk chalk to draw a goal on the side of the school wall and see how many points can be scored by each student or break groups of students into teams.

family playing human foosball

If yout have kids who enjoy competitive games, they'll love Human Foosball. Take the classic game of tabletop foosball and turn it into a live game. This activity is a great way to practice good sportsmanship and teamwork getting the ball to the other end of the field. It's one of the most fun field day activities we've done!

Pool Noodle Soccer

Soccer Ball March

This is so much fun and so easy! Use pool noodles to make arches all around the field then kids can kick soccer balls around and make it through all the goals, kind of like an obstacle course. Or you can turn it into croquet using the instructions in this ball games post!

Adult using a fly swatter to play golf

Fly Swatter Golf

The perfect activity for younger students! It's basically a relay race using a fly swatter to make it down the course and back to your teammates before swapping off to the next person.

a family hitting a beach ball with their feet

Circle Footie Game

This one looks absolutely hilarious and all you need is a beach ball! Everyone sits in a large circle and tries to keep the beach ball in the air with just their feet. It's kind of like Keepy Uppey (any Bluey fans!?!) but with your feet and a beach ball!

ring toss made out of pool noodles

Pool Noodle Ball Toss Game

Use the pool noodles to make different stations for the kids to throw a ball through.

kid using a backyard slingshot

Backyard slingshot

One of the best rated fun field day games when the kids went virtual but it can be played at school too. Create a large slingshot to sling soccer balls at upside down 5 gallon buckets!

Other Field Day Activities for Kids

And if that’s not enough ideas for you, check out these other great field day games and activities! I went through this list with my oldest son, and he vouched for all of these activities!

kids playing pool noodle tag

Pool Noodle Tag

Playing fun tag games is always a good idea, and this one incorporates pool noodles in a game of regular freeze tag for a nice summer vibe!

This classic carnival game is a great thing for hand eye coordination. Simply have a bunch of bottles all lined up and have the kids aim and and try to land a ring around a bottle neck. You could do any of these carnival games too!

kids standing in hula hoops

Hula Hoop Blocker

The object of the game is to try to toss your bean bags into the opposing teams hula hoop. Then when it's their turn you use your hands, feet, anything you can to block their bean bags from entering your hula hoop.

Parachute Games

Grab a parachute and play any of any these parachute games or activities with a large group! Easy, fun, and perfect for being silly and getting all that field day energy out!

cans stacked on top of each other

Bean Bag Toss at Cans

This takes the classic toss across bean bag game and has the kids aiming at cans. if you have to plan a virtual field day, this would be a super easy virtual event.

kids standing with pool noodles

Standing Pool Noodle Game

This is like musical chairs, but with pool noodles. Lots of laughter and physical activity.

In Between Field Day Activity Ideas

Sometimes you have downtime between the fun activities but still need to keep kids entertained. These are a fun ideas that you can have setup that kids can play in those in between time periods!

Or these could also just be used when you’re looking for a little slower field day event

giant matching cards on a lawn

Giant Matching Game

This one is pretty self explanatory, you make giant cards and have matching pair items on them. Kids can even help make these cards in art class! it's a great way to combine art and physical education.

Sidewalk Chalk Obstacle Course

Pretty self explanatory, use chalk to create the ultimate obstacle course. You can even incorporate the playground equipment or hula hoops. Feel free to increase the difficulty for the older kids and decrease it for younger kids.

painted rocks on a burlap sack

Rock tic tac toe

Decorate rocks different ways and let the kids play tic tac toe with the rocks. It's an easy activity when kids need a chance to wind down a bit.

kids playing floor square

Take your classic four square game and take it to the floor! This one may not work as well for young children, but elementary students and above would love it!

Traditional but still fun field day activities

If you want more traditional field games, any of these traditional games would work great for a field day as well!

Sack races
Three-legged race
Tug of war
Scavenger hunts – I have a huge list of scavenger hunt ideas you can choose from!
Outdoor volleyball (just need a volleyball court)
Spoon race
Kick the can

More Fun Activities for Kids

If you still need even more ideas, make sure to check out these kids activities too!

Swimming pool games – the best games to play at, in, and near the swimming pool! Some of these would also work if you had a kiddie pool at field day!
Outdoor games – the best outdoor games ever including tons of yard games, family reunion games, and more!
Minute to win it games – tons of super easy games including ones that definitely could work as field day activities!
Math games for kids – tons of fun math games that are educational but also really fun!
Board games for kids – if you need some downtime for field day or something fun to do in classrooms after, these board games are the best we’ve ever tried!

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