My children cheered when I told them that they wouldn’t be returning to school this year. Then one of them stopped and asked, “what about Field Day?”
Of all the things that have been canceled from COVID-19, my kids are saddest about missing out on Field Day. I think it’s because Field Day is such a stand-alone event. My kids know they will see their friends again in the fall. They know we’ll eventually go visit their grandparents. They know that we’ll still celebrate the holidays. But they don’t like the idea of waiting another year to experience Field Day.
So I’ve decided we are going to have our own field day in the backyard. I thought I’d write down some of my ideas and share them with you in case you are trying to come up with ideas for your own Field Day. Pick three or four things on this list and start dreaming up a fun way to celebrate the end of this unprecedented school year.
Ideas for a Back Yard Field Day: 
Fun Gear – Get some hula hoops or jump ropes and have your kids show you the tricks they’ve learned at school. Or show them the tricks you know.
Music – Find a fun playlist and have it playing in the background while your kids run around.
Bubbles – Even if you think your kids are too old for bubbles, you may be surprised at how fun it is to have a bubble machine casting hundreds of bubbles into the air. Last year I was in charge of the bubbles table at field day. I’d expected there to be only kindergarteners surrounding the table, but there were fourth and fifth graders playing in the bubbles that blew out of the bubble machine.
Water Activities – My kids have been begging to play in the water since the first full day home. I’ve repeatedly told them that we can play in the water on June 1st. I think I’ll surprise them with several water activities for our field day. We already plan to buy a decent-sized pool if the local pools remain closed. I’ll also get some water balloons. Last year we tested out those things that help you fill up 100 water balloons in less than a minute. They are definitely worth the money.
Races – This is a perfect activity if you have multiple kids. You can do traditional races, three-legged races, wheelbarrow races, etc. Time the kids on your phone to see if they can beat their best time. Your track doesn’t have to be far. It can be as simple as saying, run to the fence and back.
Obstacle course – Get creative and set up a course with lots of things your kids can climb over and under and move through in creative ways. You can buy things like cones and cheap rope at the dollar store and then use those to make your course. Or just use what you already have. Let your kids help you set up the course. They’d probably make it harder to complete than if you made it yourself.
Olympics – The 2020 Summer Olympics have been postponed, but you can create your own. Set up pretend race tracks and gymnastics courses. Then have your kids pretend to be Olympians. You can join in by offering commentary and awarding the winners. My mom did this with my siblings and me for hours when we were children. We loved all the attention she gave us.
Big Splurge – You’ve got a whole summer of entertaining these kids ahead of you, so why not splurge on a big purchase for field day and then use it all summer? You could buy a slip-in-slide or a pool. Maybe your kids would love to play croquet or badminton. A bubble machine is always fun. Or go really crazy and buy something the kids only use at school like those cool spectrum scooters that they roll around on to play crab soccer. Years ago my sister bought her own parachute, like what the kids use in PE. That parachute was the hit of every birthday party she hosted for years.
Frozen Treats – Have lots of popsicles to serve to keep the kids cool. Maybe buy something other than the brand you normally buy so it feels more special.
The most important thing is to make it fun for the kids. Don’t worry about making everything super cutesy or trying to put too much structure in place. I think my kids’ favorite thing about field day is how few rules or expectations they have to follow. After a whole year of following directions, my kids look forward to a day where they can run around and play. And this year it’s even more important to give our kids a way to celebrate the end of the school year.
I hope this list helps you come up with some fun ideas. If you have an idea that isn’t on the list I’d love to hear about it in the comments.
