5 Tips for a Successful Sports Day
With school sports days happening this month and throughout July, there couldn’t be a better time for National School Sports Week, starting Monday 20 June 2022. This year, children’s charity the Youth Sport Trust have chosen the theme of ‘Belonging’ and they are campaigning to guarantee that there is a place in sport for every child.
Inclusivity is key to a good school sports day, but how else can you make sure the event is a success? We provide five top tips for a successful sports day.
1. Offer Equal Opportunities
Some children may have a disability or health condition that makes it difficult for them to participate in sports day. However, as mentioned, inclusivity is key, and you should ensure that every child can get involved in some way, whether this is through activities or an alternative sport designed around their needs. This is a key focus of National School Sports Week, and if you’d really like to get into the spirit of it, you can register to take part.
2. Reward Participation
To further encourage pupils to get involved, there should be some form of reward or incentive for participating. You could offer the traditional medals, stickers, or certificates, or think of something unique that your pupils will appreciate, such as putting up the names of event winners on a display board or the promise of a future non-uniform day. This will help motivate them to take part and therefore make for a more successful sports day.
3. Drive Awareness
Putting up event signs, posters or banners around the school will help raise awareness of your upcoming sports day. For example, you could have a sign outside your school gates to capture the attention of parents or guardians as they drop their children off – why not use our sports day banner or create a custom school banner to advertise the event? The more people that are able to come, the better the atmosphere will be and the more encouraged the children will feel!
4. Be Prepared for Accidents
Accidents can happen when children play sports, so it’s important to be as prepared for this as possible by ensuring first aid is readily available. We offer a range of first aid signs to help direct staff, pupils and parents to the nearest first aid box or emergency telephone. This will mean that, if there is an accident, the injured person will receive treatment quickly and the incident is unlikely to detract from the overall success of the day.
5. Make it Fun
Many schools will be doing this already, but to help make the day more enjoyable for pupils, you can include some fun sports on the day, such as the egg and spoon race or three-legged race, alongside (or instead of) the athletic events. This may also help pupils who struggle with traditional sports to have a better chance at winning.
Contact us for Custom School Signs
Whether you’re running a sports day or a series of events, UK School Signs can meet your signage requirements. Choose the text, colours, and font for a custom school banner or, if you have a specific design in mind, please contact us to discuss your requirements.