Sports Day Ideas (that are Covid friendly!)

 

In our school, Sports Day is one of the highlights of the year. So many activities and trips had to be shelved this year due to Covid but Sports Day can still happen with perhaps a little more consideration of the guidelines and plenty of sanitiser. Here are a couple of ideas that could be used and adapted this year.
 

Noughts & Crosses

Simply draw a 3 × 3 grid using chalk or use skipping ropes/hoola hoops. It is effectively x's and o's with beanbags.
Two teams have 4 beanbags each (e.g. 4 red and 4 blue) Like a relay, the first child in each team runs and places the beanbag in the grid. The next child can go when their teammate returns. When they have used the 4 beanbags, the next child runs and can move 1 of their coloured beanbags to try and get 3 in a row.  Continue until a team has 3 in a row.
 
*If you would rather not use beanbags, you could use plastic cups which can be easily cleaned.
 

Don't Drop the Ball!

This is a great team building activity. My dad was recruited to make these for me and they were great fun!
The idea is to have a pipe per child and they move from one point to another (e.g. aim is to drop the tennis ball into a bucket) without dropping the tennis ball. They also can't touch the ball once it is placed in the pipe. They need to keep moving to the end of the line once the tennis ball has left their pipe.  The first team to reach the end point/have the ball in the bucket wins.
 
*Easy to spray the pipes between each group.
 

Giant Obstacle Course

We do this every year as the final event in Sports Day. Usually 6th Class are team captains and it is a whole school event. You could still do it class by class this year. It is always a favourite, especially when we do the water relay with holes in the cups!!!
 
*With a little thought on the equipment used, it could easily be made Covid friendly.

Traditional Sports Day Races

Last but not least, most of the traditional sports day races can still take place. 

Ask the children to bring in and label their own spoon & potato for the egg and spoon race. Sprints and relays can still happen (maybe an elbow tap instead of a baton).
 
Another one we use in our school is the welly toss! Children can bring in their own or sanitiser and spray can be used.
 
Waddle like a duck: all children bend down on their hunkers and they waddle to the finish line. Extra points for quacking!!

Grand National hurdle jumps: set out some hurdles and the children put their acting skills to use to be the quickest/liveliest/funniest horse over the hurdles to the finish line!

I have also put together a list of Parachute Games that you can find by clicking on the image below.

Above all, I hope your school manages to have a fun Sports Day, centred around the children in your school!  

Add any other Sports Day ideas in the comments below.

Parachute Games

 The summer term is almost upon us! Here are a few ideas of games that you could use with the parachute.

Maths on the Move

Since it is Maths Week, it is nice to do some fun Maths activities away from the book.  This activity can be done with any class level outdoors or in a hall (or even the classroom if you wish!).

Image Source

How I structure it:

1. Choose a Maths topic (e.g. addition facts, long multiplication)
2. Create question cards and matching answer cards.

 

3. Arrange your class into teams/pairs.
4. Hide the answer cards around the area you will be playing in (if outdoors I put them under cones so they don't blow away).
5. Give each team/pair their first question card.  Together, they work out the answer and then run to find the matching answer card, which they return to you.
6. Give them the next question card and see how many they can complete in a set amount of time or the team to complete a certain amount of them first wins.

Variations/Tips

• Print the questions on different coloured pages (one colour per team) so that you can use the same questions with all teams.  Each team must find the answer card to the question card that matches their team colour (e.g. if the answer to my question is 10 and my team colour is orange, I can't take a 10 printed on a blue page back to my team, I must find the orange one!)  The first team to have completed all their question and found the matching cards wins.
• Teams complete the question behind their cone and only one child from the group runs to find the answer each time.
• Give one question to each team at a time rather than giving them all the questions together, which encourages them to work together to figure them out.
• Give a sandwich bag to each group to gather their question and answer cards.
• It facilitates differentiate, for example, one group could be doing long multiplication but another group may be doing short multiplication.

What can I use the game for?

It can literally be used for all Maths topics but ones that I have used it for include:

• matching fractions and decimals
• long multiplication (figure it out and find the answer)
• matching analogue and digital time

Feel free to share other ideas below!

All things Irish.... (September Thematic Planning)

Each month I choose a theme to teach the children. I find that it really helps me with time management, learning becomes more meaningful and connected for the children and it gives you time to explore a topic in depth.

For September, I usually choose a theme relating to Ireland. This year is fits in even better as the Rugby World Cup is on!

I have uploaded an outline of my thematic planning for free here is you want to download it. 

Here is a brief outline of ways to integrate 'All Things Irish' (or choose another suitable heading) for your class.

English

• Study an Irish poet (e.g. The Lake Isle of Inisfree by W.B. Yeats)
• Read an excerpt from 'Under the Hawthorn Tree' by Marita Conlon McKenna (It has excerpts in the Wonderland series if anyone uses these text books)
• Write a set of interview questions for an Irish author/sportsperson

Gaeilge

• Mé Féin
• learn words to Amhrán na bhFiann
• Caitheamh Aimsire (a perfect time to do more about All-Ireland Final & Rugby World Cup)

History

• Irish Myths & Legends (Poolbeg has some lovely versions available here)

• History of the GAA (Download a useful booklet here)
• History of your locality

Geography

• Learn about Irish counties, rivers, lakes & mountains (Ask About Ireland Website)
• Learn about your locality

Science

• Learn about my Skeleton

Music

• Learn Amhrán na bhFiann
• Learn tin whistle notes to Amhrán na bhFiann
• Learn Ireland's Call

Drama

Depending on the SESE you do, it could be linked to

• Irish myths & Legends
• GAA match commentary

Art

• Draw your impression of the Lake Isle of Inisfree using pastels
• Self Portrait (could use Picasso as stimulus although not Irish!)
• Design a Class or County Jersey (Download the template here)
• Make a clay model of an Irish landmark/symbol (e.g. Dublin Spire)
• Create a wall frieze of an Irish Legend 

PE

Now would be a great time to introduce the children to Touch Rugby or develop their hurling/Gaelic Football skills

Project Work

• Research an Irish County
• All Ireland Final Project Work
• Research an inspirational Irish player (hurling/football/rugby etc.)
• World Cup Project by A Crucial Week

Feel free to comment more ideas below!