Field Day is an exciting outdoor event held in many schools across the country. It gives kids the chance to celebrate the school year coming to an end, show some class pride and spend a day being active. Think back on your Field Day events from your school days. What do you remember? Many of you will remember how much fun you had, the games you played, and spending time with your classmates. Field Day is a great chance for students to let loose, get active, and have a good time. And at the end of the day, it is all about creating a memorable experience.
It is recommended that kids get at least an hour of moderate-to-vigorous exercise a day, therefore, at OLG, we make physical activity a priority for students. What better way to get kids active than through fun field day games and activities? Personal enjoyment and social interaction are some of the top benefits of participating in a field day, motivating students to have positive feelings surrounding physical activities with groups of classmates, friends and family.
What Does Field Day Teach?
While field day just seems like an excuse to get out of the classroom and enjoy the sunshine, it’s much more important than that. Personal enjoyment and social interaction are some of the top benefits of participating in a field day, motivating students to have positive feelings surrounding physical activities with groups of classmates, teachers and family.
The Value of Physical Activity
Field day is the perfect opportunity to show students how to use the skills they’ve learned in their physical education classes; and for them to showcase those skills. Think of it as a cumulative exam. Unfortunately, there is a general undertone that permeates some school cultures, which is that P.E. is not that important due to academic needs. Field Day is a time to show the entire school and community that, for OLG, physical education holds value. It is a chance to let everyone see what physically-literate children look and sound like. One more opportunity to show what makes OLG such a great school.
How to Work With Others
When students learn to value physical activity, they also learn how to demonstrate encouragement and provide support to classmates within the spirit of the games. Teamwork, communication and problem-solving are some of the most essential skills for young children to learn, and Field Day is all about working with others, especially when all grades are playing as one. These activities also teach them how to ask for help from their teammates when trying to meet a common goal.
A Mark in Time
For us, Field Day also acts as a “marker” of a passage in time. It is a celebration of another school year gone by. It gives our students, teachers and school families something to look forward to, and it is almost a proverbial archway to summer. Field Day gives everyone something to mark an important time in the year with and something to look forward to!
