3 Tips For A Successful Elementary School Field Day

Planning your elementary school's annual field day is a large undertaking that requires a lot of planning and organization. You want to plan a field day the kids and teachers will all enjoy and remember fondly, and you also want it to be well-organized and not stressful. The following tips will help ensure your school's field day goes off without a hitch:

Order Custom Ribbons

Instead of just picking up a few boxes of generic field day ribbons right before your field day, plan ahead, so you have time to order custom ribbons. Your ribbons can be in your school colors, have your school name and mascot on them, and can even include the date of your annual field day. You can include different categories of prizes, including ribbons for participation. Your custom ribbons will be special souvenirs of a fun and memorable day that the students will want to hold on to as a keepsake.

Be Sure to Delegate

You can't run a successful field day all by yourself, so it's important to enlist help early. A great way to do this is to form a field day committee comprised of parents and teachers. You will need volunteers to help plan the field day, including creating and distributing permission slips and informational flyers.

You will also need volunteers on the actual day of the event to help run the games, emcee, distribute your custom ribbons, pass out water, and more. One efficient way to delegate is to create an online sign-up sheet where your committee members and volunteers can sign up for specific tasks, and you can easily keep track of what still needs to be done.

Mix in Some Non-Competitive Games and Activities

While many traditional field day activities, such as sack races, are based on competition, it's a good idea to mix in some less competitive activities too. Games and activities where everyone gets to play with their friends and have fun, and there aren't any designated winners or losers, can be great for student morale. This allows even the kids who are less athletic or uncomfortable with competition have a great time and cuts down on hurt feelings. Make sure the kids have a say in which activities they participate in as well.

By taking the time to implement these field day tips, you will end up with a field day that runs seamlessly and makes the whole school happy.