Sports Day Event Cards: Free Printable Card Set for Year 1

Sports Day Event Cards is a free printable card set for Year 1 (ages 5 to 6), in Key Stage 1. Pick a card and have a go at the event. It comes from the Mini Minds Hub, a growing library of free printables from Jaques of London, the British games and toy company that has been making games for families since 1795.

It is two A4 pages. Page 1 is the activity for children. Page 2 is for the grown-up: it has notes on how to use the sheet, help for children who find it hard, and a stretch idea. Print it at home or in the classroom. Black and white printing works well.

What is on the sheet

This card set includes cards to cut out and use.

A look at what children will meet:

• Egg and spoon race
• Sack race
• Three legged race
• Hop to the line
• Bean bag toss
• Hoop jump
• Relay race
• Skipping challenge
• Balance on one leg
• Walk with a book on your head

Who this is for

Year 1 (ages 5 to 6) in Key Stage 1.

Key Stage 1 covers Years 1 and 2, ages 5 to 7. Children are building secure foundations in reading, writing and number, and short playful practice at home helps those foundations stick. Use it at home, in class, on a rainy afternoon or at a family gathering.

What children practise

• Balance
• Throwing
• Taking turns

Practises simple movement skills such as running, balancing, throwing and hopping.

Learning focus and curriculum link

Subject: PE. Key stage: Key Stage 1. It supports the subject at this level through short, focused practice.

This sheet is a practice and play activity. It supports classroom learning and is not a replacement for it.

How to use it

1. Print both pages. Page 1 is for the child. Keep page 2 for the grown-up.
2. 2 or more players. About 20 minutes. Play outside on grass and clear the space first.
3. Work through the activity together the first time. Talk about each choice.
4. Check against the notes on page 2.
5. Come back to it another day. Repeating a familiar activity builds confidence.

If it feels too hard

Use a soft ball or bean bag and keep distances short.

To stretch confident children

Time each event and try to beat your own score.

Make it a game

Make a medal for every player at the end.

Tips for parents and teachers

• Print on plain A4 paper. Black and white printing works too.
• Work through it together the first time, then let children try alone.
• Praise effort and thinking, not only correct answers.

A screen-free pe activity for Year 1

Children spend a lot of time on screens. This is a screen-free pe activity that needs only paper and a pencil. It works as quiet time after school, a rainy day activity, a holiday boredom buster or a calm moment before bed. Screen-free learning gives eyes a rest and gets children talking, thinking and writing by hand.

Free pe resources for teachers

Teachers can use this card set as a starter, a plenary, an early finisher task, a supply teacher resource, a homework task or a table activity. It needs no preparation beyond printing. The learning focus and skills are listed above so you can match it to your planning, and page 2 gives support and stretch ideas for mixed ability groups.

PE ideas for parents at home

You do not need to be a teacher to use this. Read the sheet through, sit with your child for the first go and let them lead. Short bursts of ten to fifteen minutes work better than long sessions. If you are looking for free pe worksheets for Year 1, or simple home learning for the weekend or school holidays, this is a good place to start.

Home education and tutoring

Home educators and tutors can print this as part of a wider pe plan. It pairs well with books, outdoor play and everyday talk. Because the sheet is free and printable, you can use it again for brothers and sisters or for revision a few weeks later.

Why it helps children learn

Hands-on, paper based activities slow learning down in a good way. Children read carefully, think before they answer and see their own progress on the page. Games and challenges add a reason to keep going. That mix of play and practice is why printable activities like this are popular with parents, teachers and home educators.

Curriculum links for teachers

This sheet supports the areas below. It is matched to the published England frameworks. Please check it against your own school plan.

What children will be able to do

• I can run, hop and balance.
• I can throw with control.
• I can try each event and do my best.

Check it worked

Ask these when the sheet is finished. Listen for the reasoning, not just the answer.

1. Which event was the hardest and why?
2. How do you stay balanced?
3. What could help you improve next time?

Play it for real

Jaques of London has made games and toys since 1795. These go well with this sheet:

• Skipping Rope - Kids Jump Rope
• Training Cones - Activity Cones for the Garden

More like this

• Indoor Dance Party Cards
• Kids Yoga Cards
• Parachute Games Activity Cards
• Water Play Games

Same subject, one year up: Swimming Lessons Progress Chart | Same subject, one year down: Egg and Spoon Race

Why basic movement skills matter

Running, hopping, throwing and balancing look like play. They are also the building blocks of almost every sport a child will try later. Sports day is a good moment to practise them, because the events are short, the rules are simple and everyone can have a go.

The Department for Education's early years framework says: "Physical activity is vital in children's all-round development, enabling them to pursue happy, healthy and active lives." It adds that "Gross motor skills provide the foundation for developing healthy bodies and social and emotional well-being." Year 1 children are building on those foundations.

Ofsted's research review of physical education says that pupils "need to develop adequate levels of fundamental movement skills (FMS) in the early years" and that "it can be argued that FMS are best developed between 3 and 8 years old." The review words this as an argument, not a proven fact, so we pass it on in the same spirit. It still explains why Year 1 is a good age for these games.

What the research says children find hard

Ofsted's PE review gives some figures, and we set out exactly what they cover.

• Mastery is less common than you might expect. The review reports that in a study by Duncan and others, "Less than a quarter of pupils in their sample had achieved mastery in the run, jump, throw or catch skills." The pupils were aged 6 to 9 in England. It was one sample, so it does not describe every child.
• Hopping, skipping and stability skills. The review reports a study by Lawson and others of pupils aged 7 to 10 in England. Fewer than 40% achieved mastery in each skill, and 27% had not mastered any of them. Again, that is a sample and the children were a little older than Year 1.
• Easier skills come first. The review says that Pickup and Price advise early skill learning should focus on bilateral actions, such as walking, running and hopping, before more complex actions like skipping and galloping.
• Teachers need support too. The review says that approximately a quarter of primary school teachers surveyed indicated low or no perceived knowledge of FMS. This is not a criticism of teachers. It is a reason to keep activities simple and clear.
• Skill and confidence go together. The review says the relationship between competence and confidence "could be described as mutually reinforcing" and that low competence in an activity can be associated with low confidence.
• Competition needs care. The review says competition is effective when strategically planned to provide varying degrees of challenge. It also says that when pupils are asked to do things they cannot yet achieve, "the least skilled pupils become uninterested bystanders, with little opportunity for personal improvement." The review does not name an age group for that sentence.

None of this means your child is behind if they find a three-legged race or a hop hard. These skills are learned, and short, repeated, happy practice is the right response.

What Year 1 children are expected to learn

The national curriculum for physical education in England says that a high-quality PE curriculum should "provide opportunities for pupils to become physically confident in a way which supports their health and fitness." Its aims say all pupils should "develop competence to excel in a broad range of physical activities", be "physically active for sustained periods of time", "engage in competitive sports and activities" and "lead healthy, active lives".

For Key Stage 1, pupils should be taught to:

• "master basic movements including running, jumping, throwing and catching", as well as developing balance, agility and co-ordination, and begin to apply these in a range of activities
• participate in team games, developing simple tactics for attacking and defending
• perform dances using simple movement patterns

The early years goal for Gross Motor Skills, which children work towards by the end of Reception, asks them to "Negotiate space and obstacles safely, with consideration for themselves and others", "Demonstrate strength, balance and coordination when playing" and "Move energetically, such as running, jumping, dancing, hopping, skipping and climbing."

The ten events on these cards, from the egg and spoon race to the bean bag toss, hoop jump and one-leg balance, practise exactly these basic movements.

How much activity do children need?

The UK Chief Medical Officers' guidelines say that children and young people aged 5 to 18 should do "moderate to vigorous physical activity for an average of at least 60 minutes per day across the week". They say this can include "all forms of activity such as physical education, active travel, after-school activities, play and sports." They also recommend "a variety of types and intensities of physical activity across the week to develop movement skills, muscular fitness and bone strength."

A set of sports day cards is not a full hour. It is a fun way to add some of that activity, and it covers the "variety" part of the advice.

How to get the most out of the Sports Day Event Cards

1. Choose a safe space. Our own safety advice: clear the grass of stones, toys and anything slippery. The early years goal asks children to move with consideration for themselves and others, so talk about space too.
2. Start with the simple events. Hopping to a line, bean bag toss and the hoop jump need less skill than skipping or three-legged races. Pickup and Price's advice, as reported by Ofsted, is to master simpler actions first.
3. Make distances short. The sheet says shorter distances, soft balls and bean bags make events easier. Lengthen them as confidence grows.
4. Let everyone have a go at every event. Ofsted's review warns about the least skilled pupils becoming bystanders. Keep turns short so nobody waits long.
5. Compete against yourself. Use a timer and ask: "Can you beat your last go?" That gives a challenge to every child at their own level.
6. Praise effort and technique. "You kept the spoon steady the whole way." That helps confidence, which the review says is linked to competence.
7. Finish with a cool-down. Our own advice: a calm walk and a drink of water are enough.

Common mistakes, and what to say

• Making it only about winning. Ofsted notes that competitions do not always give pupils the chance to show what they know and can do. Try team scores, personal bests or "everyone finishes" rounds.
• Starting with the hardest event. If the three-legged race goes badly, children may give up. Start with something they can do.
• Skipping too soon. If a child cannot skip yet, go back to hopping and running. Ofsted's review reports advice to start with bilateral actions.
• Letting one child wait at the back. Use two or more lanes, so that more children are moving at once.
• Leaving out the child who is less confident. Ofsted's PE review says: "PE is not for some; it is for everyone." Give them a job, a partner or an easier version of the event.

Why teachers matter to us

We are a games company, and we have been making games since 1795. We do not think a printable replaces a teacher. A good PE teacher or class teacher sees which child is wobbling, which child is too shy to join in and which child needs a bigger challenge. A 2011 Sutton Trust report found that for poor pupils, the difference between a good teacher and a bad teacher is a whole year's learning. It also found that qualifications and experience on paper tell us little about who will be effective: gender, race, teaching experience, undergraduate university, advanced degrees, certification and tenure explain less than 8% of teacher quality.

A study of English pupils from the University of Bristol also found considerable variability in teacher effectiveness. We think that is a reason to value the people who teach well, and to make their planning a little lighter. So these cards are free for classrooms. Use them for a sports day, a PE starter or a wet-playtime plan B.

A caution on the Sutton Trust figures: the report draws on US studies as well as English ones. The figure that paper credentials explain less than 8% of teacher quality comes from US research. We use them as pointers, not as a promise about any one child.

Why education matters to us

Learning is not only done at a desk. Our view: a child who feels confident running, throwing and balancing is more likely to join in. Education widens a child's options, and games are one of the oldest ways to build skill and confidence together. Jaques of London has made games for families for more than two centuries, including garden games. The Mini Minds Hub carries that on with free, screen-free sheets that work in a garden as well as in a school field.

Sports Day Event Cards: 20 questions and answers

1. What events are on the cards?

Egg and spoon race, sack race, three-legged race, hopping to a line, bean bag toss, hoop jump, relay, skipping challenge, one-leg balance and walking with a book on your head.

2. How many players do we need?

Two or more. More players make races more fun, but individual events like the bean bag toss work with one.

3. Where should we play?

Outdoors on grass, with the space cleared first. Check for stones and wet patches.

4. Which events are easiest?

Hopping to a line, bean bag toss and the hoop jump need the least skill. Ofsted's review reports advice to start with simple actions such as walking, running and hopping before skipping.

5. Which events are hardest?

Skipping and the three-legged race ask for more coordination. Leave them until children are confident with the basics.

6. What does the national curriculum say Year 1 children should do?

At Key Stage 1, pupils should "master basic movements including running, jumping, throwing and catching", as well as developing balance, agility and co-ordination.

7. Do most children master these skills by Year 1?

Not necessarily. Ofsted's PE review reports a sample of 6 to 9 year olds in England where less than a quarter had mastered the run, jump, throw or catch skills. It was one sample, so treat it as a pointer.

8. Why is hopping singled out?

Ofsted lists hopping among the fundamental movement skills. Ofsted's review reports a study of 7 to 10 year olds in England in which fewer than 40% had mastered each of the skills tested, including hopping, skipping and stability skills.

9. How can I make events easier?

Use shorter distances, soft balls and bean bags, bigger targets and an adult helper. Let children choose the version they like.

10. How can I make them harder?

Add a timer, lengthen the course or ask the child to beat their own best. The sheet suggests timing yourself.

11. How do I keep it fair for children of different abilities?

Let children race themselves. Ofsted says competition is effective when it provides varying degrees of challenge, and warns that the least skilled pupils can become uninterested bystanders.

12. What if my child hates losing?

Use team scores, personal bests or rounds where everyone finishes. Praise effort. Practise losing calmly in small games first.

13. How much exercise do children aged 5 to 18 need?

The UK Chief Medical Officers' guidelines say an average of at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity per day across the week. The cards are one way to add some.

14. Does play count as activity?

Yes. The guidelines say activity can include physical education, active travel, after-school activities, play and sports.

15. What is a bean bag toss good for?

It practises throwing and aiming, which are part of the "running, jumping, throwing and catching" in the Key Stage 1 curriculum.

16. What does walking with a book on your head teach?

Balance and control. The early years goal for gross motor skills mentions demonstrating strength, balance and coordination when playing.

17. Why does confidence matter?

Ofsted's PE review says competence and confidence are mutually reinforcing, and that low competence can be associated with low confidence.

18. Can we use the cards in a school sports day?

Yes. They are free for home and classroom use. They work as a PE starter, a sports day station or a wet-playtime plan.

19. Is this a replacement for PE lessons?

No. It supports them. PE teachers plan progression through the year, which a single set of cards cannot do.

20. Where can I find more Year 1 sheets?

See the More like this section below, or browse the Year 1 printables in the Mini Minds Hub.

Sources

1. Ofsted, Research review series: physical education: gov.uk.
2. Department for Education, National curriculum in England: physical education programmes of study: gov.uk.
3. Department for Education, Early years foundation stage statutory framework for group and school-based providers: assets.publishing.service.gov.uk.
4. UK Chief Medical Officers, Physical activity guidelines: gov.uk.
5. Sutton Trust, Improving the impact of teachers on pupil achievement in the UK, interim findings (2011): dera.ioe.ac.uk.
6. Slater, Davies and Burgess, University of Bristol CMPO Working Paper 09/212 (2009): bristol.ac.uk.

Frequently asked questions

What age is Sports Day Event Cards for?

It is written for Year 1 (ages 5 to 6), in Key Stage 1.

What will children practise?

Practises simple movement skills such as running, balancing, throwing and hopping.

How do I use it?

2 or more players. About 20 minutes. Play outside on grass and clear the space first.

What if it feels too hard?

Use a soft ball or bean bag and keep distances short.

Is it free?

Yes. It is free to print for home and classroom use.

Is Sports Day Event Cards suitable for teachers to use in class?

Yes. Teachers can use it as a starter, plenary, early finisher task, homework or table activity. It needs no preparation beyond printing.

Is this a screen-free activity?

Yes. It is a screen-free printable that needs only paper and a pencil, so it works well for quiet time, rainy days and school holidays.

Can I use it for home education?

Yes. Home educators and tutors can use it on its own or as part of a wider plan. It is free to print again for brothers, sisters or revision.

How long does it take?

Most children finish page 1 in 10 to 20 minutes. The notes on page 2 suggest ways to make it shorter or longer.

Do I need to print in colour?

No. It prints well in black and white on plain A4 paper.

More free printables

More Summer printables | More for Key Stage 1 | More pe printables | Free printable games | All Mini Minds Hub resources