Theme days / Games Day

Games Day ideas for OSHC

68 DIY activities for a games day at before and after school care or vacation care, usually run around World Chocolate Day (7 July) or 27 February. Pick and mix, or build a balanced day in one click.

Build a Games Day

Balloon Day · Games Day · Wet Weather Day +2

Balloon Games Mix

A session of balloon tennis, keepy-uppy and balloon rockets keeps children moving and laughing, with a little science mixed in.

IndoorHighSome prepPrep to Year 6 Backyard Play Day · Balloon Day · Wet Weather Day +1

Balloon Keepy-Uppy

Younger children try to keep a balloon in the air for as long as possible, building coordination and teamwork.

IndoorHighGrab-and-goPrep to Year 3 Down on the Farm · Games Day · Animal Theme +1

Barnyard Games

Children play classic circle and running games with a farm twist, such as farmyard tag and barnyard races.

OutdoorHighGrab-and-goPrep to Year 3 Wizard School Day · Fantasy Quest Club · Games Day +1

Broomstick Ball Game

A ground version of a flying broomstick sport where teams score by throwing balls through hoops while holding a broom between their legs.

OutdoorHighSome prepYears 4 to 6 Bubbles Day · Games Day · Healthy Heart Day +1

Bull Rush Running Game

Children try to run across the field without being tagged by the catchers in the middle, a classic high-energy playground game.

OutdoorHighGrab-and-goPrep to Year 6 Target Games Day · Games Day · Teamwork Day +1

Capture the Flag

Two teams try to grab the other team's flag and bring it home without being tagged.

OutdoorHighGrab-and-goPrep to Year 6 Board Games Day · Games Day · Before School Calm Start +3

Card Game Masters

Older children learn new card games such as rummy, snap variations or solitaire, building strategy, maths and turn-taking skills.

IndoorCalmGrab-and-goYears 4 to 6 Big Kids Club · Board Games Day · Games Day +1

Card Games Club

Children learn and teach new games with a standard deck of cards, from simple matching to strategy games. Builds maths, turn-taking and social skills.

IndoorCalmGrab-and-goYears 4 to 6 Chalk Festival · Backyard Play Day · Games Day +1

Chalk Hopscotch

Children draw their own hopscotch courts with chalk and play, practising balance, counting and taking turns.

OutdoorHighGrab-and-goPrep to Year 3 Fairy Tale Day · Book Week · Dramatic Play Day +1

Character Charades

Children act out a story character without words while their team races to guess who it is.

IndoorModerateGrab-and-goPrep to Year 6 Chocolate Day · Games Day · Board Games Day +1

Chocolate Button Bingo

Children play bingo using chocolate buttons as counters, with a small taste for everyone at the end.

IndoorCalmGrab-and-goPrep to Year 6 Big Kids Club · Backyard Play Day · Cricket Day +2

Classic Playground Games

Educators lead old favourites like four square, handball, red rover and backyard cricket. Simple, inclusive games that get everyone moving.

OutdoorHighGrab-and-goYears 4 to 6 Bubbles Day · Games Day · Gaming Day +2

Court Lines Tag

Children play tag where everyone, including the chaser, can only move along painted court lines, adding strategy to a classic chase.

OutdoorHighGrab-and-goPrep to Year 6 Challenge Day · Games Day · Teamwork Day +2

Create Your Own Game

Small groups invent a brand-new game, write the rules and teach it to the rest of the group to play.

EitherHighGrab-and-goYears 4 to 6 Creature Catchers Day · Mythical Creatures · Games Day +1

Creature Card Trading

Children design their own creature cards, then trade them with friends. Builds negotiation skills and fair play.

IndoorCalmGrab-and-goYears 4 to 6 One-Minute Challenge Day · Game Show Day · Challenge Day +1

Cup Stacking Pyramid

Children race to build and unstack a pyramid of plastic cups within 60 seconds.

IndoorModerateGrab-and-goPrep to Year 6 Crazy Hat Day · Board Games Day · Games Day +1

Dice Horse Race Game

Children roll dice to move numbered horses along a racetrack, cheering their pick to the finish line.

IndoorModerateGrab-and-goPrep to Year 6 Emoji Day · Games Day · Board Games Day +1

Emoji Bingo

Children play bingo using emoji symbols instead of numbers, matching faces as the caller describes them.

IndoorCalmSome prepPrep to Year 6 NAIDOC Week · Reconciliation Week · Games Day +3

First Nations Children's Games

Children play games from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures using official sport resources, learning the story behind each game.

OutdoorHighSome prepPrep to Year 6 Under the Sea · Beach Day · Games Day +1

Fishing Net Tag

Taggers link arms to form a fishing net and try to catch fish as they run across the field; each caught fish joins the net.

OutdoorHighGrab-and-goPrep to Year 6 Target Games Day · Games Day · Spy School +1

Foam Dart Target Practice

Children use foam dart blasters to knock down cups and hit targets, practising aim from different distances.

OutdoorModerateSome prepYears 4 to 6 Footy Day · Games Day

Footy Tipping Game

Children predict match results and scores, then track their tips on a leaderboard throughout the finals.

IndoorCalmGrab-and-goYears 4 to 6 Fruit and Veggie Day · Games Day · Healthy Heart Day

Fruit Salad Seat Swap

Children sit in a circle, each given a fruit name, and swap seats when their fruit is called.

IndoorHighGrab-and-goPrep to Year 6 Board Games Day · Chalk Festival · Games Day +2

Giant Chalk Board Game

Children draw a floor-sized snakes and ladders style board in chalk and become the playing pieces themselves.

OutdoorModerateSome prepPrep to Year 6 Silly Stories Day · Games Day · Fruit and Veggie Day

Giant Fruit Pass

Younger children sit in a circle and pass a big round ball like a giant piece of fruit, following silly instructions as the music plays.

EitherModerateGrab-and-goPrep to Year 3 Gingerbread Day · Christmas · Fairy Tale Day +1

Gingerbread Chase

An energetic tag game where a runner plays the gingerbread person and everyone tries to catch them.

OutdoorHighGrab-and-goPrep to Year 3 Glow Party · Neon Day · Bonza Bottler Day +3

Glow Bowling

Children bowl at bottle pins lit up with glow sticks in a darkened room.

IndoorModerateSome prepPrep to Year 6 Teamwork Day · Games Day · Circus Day +1

Group Juggle

Children stand in a circle and pass several balls in a set pattern, working together to keep everything moving without dropping a ball.

EitherModerateGrab-and-goPrep to Year 6 Superhero Day · Target Games Day · Frisbee Day +1

Hero Shield Target Toss

Children paint paper-plate shields, then throw them like flying discs at hoops to score points.

OutdoorHighSome prepPrep to Year 6 Superhero Day · Games Day · Big Kids Club

Heroes Versus Villains Tag

Teams of heroes and villains chase each other in a fast tag game with a safe base and freeze rules.

OutdoorHighGrab-and-goPrep to Year 6 Rabbit Garden Day · Easter · Treasure Hunters Day +1

Hide the Bunny

One child hides a soft toy rabbit while others search, using 'hot and cold' clues. A gentle, giggly hiding game.

EitherModerateGrab-and-goPrep to Year 3 Teamwork Day · Challenge Day · Games Day

Human Knot

Children hold hands across a circle to create a tangle, then work together to untangle themselves without letting go.

IndoorModerateGrab-and-goYears 4 to 6 Balloon Day · Wet Weather Day · Games Day +2

Indoor Balloon Volleyball

Teams hit balloons over a low net to keep them off the floor, a gentle indoor version of volleyball suited to all abilities.

IndoorHighGrab-and-goPrep to Year 6 Games Day · Board Games Day · Inventors Day +1

Invent a Board Game

Groups design, make and play-test their own board game, complete with rules, pieces and a board.

IndoorCalmGrab-and-goYears 4 to 6 Basketball Day · Challenge Day · Games Day +1

Knockout Shooting Game

Players line up and race to sink a shot before the person behind them, in a classic elimination basketball game.

OutdoorHighGrab-and-goYears 4 to 6 PJ Disco · Disco Day · Beach Day +2

Limbo Contest

Children bend backwards under a pool noodle bar that gets lower and lower. Simple, silly and very inclusive.

IndoorModerateGrab-and-goPrep to Year 6 Backwards Day · Opposites Day · Games Day +2

Lowest Score Wins Games

Familiar games are played with reversed rules so the lowest score wins, encouraging fresh strategies and lots of laughs.

EitherModerateGrab-and-goPrep to Year 6 Gaming Day · Games Day · Block World Day

Maze Chase Tag

Children recreate a classic arcade maze game as a tag game on court lines, with chasers and runners staying on the lines.

OutdoorHighGrab-and-goPrep to Year 6 Tennis Day · Summer Holidays · Games Day

Mini Tennis

Children play short-court tennis using smaller rackets, soft balls and low nets, so everyone can get rallies going quickly.

OutdoorHighSome prepPrep to Year 6 Book Week · Games Day · Children's Week +1

Musical Spots Book Walk

Children walk around numbered spots to music and, when it stops, a number is drawn; the child on that spot chooses a book to keep.

IndoorModerateSome prepPrep to Year 6 Netball Day · Games Day · Athletics Carnival +1

Netball Passing Drills

Children practise chest, bounce and shoulder passes in pairs and small groups.

OutdoorHighGrab-and-goPrep to Year 6 Netball Day · Basketball Day · Target Games Day +1

Netball Shooting Circle

Children practise goal shooting from different spots around a ring.

OutdoorModerateGrab-and-goPrep to Year 6 After School Quick STEM · Games Day · Board Games Day +2

Number Card Maths Game

Children use a deck of coloured number cards to play quick adding and multiplying games, turning maths practice into friendly competition.

IndoorCalmGrab-and-goYears 4 to 6 One-Minute Challenge Day · Game Show Day · Challenge Day +1

One-Minute Household Challenges

Children rotate through quick one-minute challenges using everyday items, like stacking cups or moving lollies with a straw.

IndoorModerateSome prepPrep to Year 6 Opposites Day · Dramatic Play Day · Games Day +1

Opposites Charades

Children act out a word while others guess it and its opposite, such as hot and cold or happy and sad. Builds vocabulary through play.

IndoorModerateGrab-and-goPrep to Year 6 Mismatch Day · Opposites Day · Backwards Day +2

Opposites Says

A twist on the classic follow-the-leader game where children do the opposite of what the leader says.

EitherHighGrab-and-goPrep to Year 3 Winter Wonderland · Recycle Day · Wet Weather Day +2

Paper Snowball Fight

Children scrunch scrap paper into snowballs and throw them across a divided room, trying to clear their side before time's up.

IndoorHighGrab-and-goPrep to Year 6 Soccer Cup Day · Target Games Day · Footy Day +1

Penalty Shootout

Children take turns shooting penalties at a goal, with turns as goalkeeper too.

OutdoorModerateGrab-and-goPrep to Year 6 Mini Golf Day · Craft Day · Games Day

Personalised Golf Balls

Children decorate ping pong balls with patterns and symbols so each player has their own ball for a mini golf game.

IndoorCalmGrab-and-goPrep to Year 6 Christmas · Christmas in July · Games Day +1

Pin the Nose on the Reindeer

Blindfolded players try to stick a red nose onto a reindeer poster, with plenty of laughs along the way.

IndoorModerateGrab-and-goPrep to Year 3 Around the World Day · Harmony Day · Games Day +2

Playground Games From Many Countries

Children learn and play traditional games from other countries, such as stone-counting board games and team tag games, and compare them with games they know.

EitherModerateSome prepPrep to Year 6 Mini Golf Day · Games Day · Target Games Day +1

Putting Contest

Children take turns putting balls into cups on a homemade green to see who can sink the longest putt.

OutdoorModerateGrab-and-goPrep to Year 6 Pyjama Day · PJ Disco · Birthday for Everyone Day +1

Pyjama Party Games

Children play classic party games like musical cushions, pass the parcel and pillow relays. Easy, giggly fun.

IndoorHighSome prepPrep to Year 3 Recycle Day · Clean Up Australia Day · Sustainable Superstars +3

Recycling Sort Relay

Teams race to sort clean rubbish into the right bins, learning which items belong in recycling, compost or landfill.

OutdoorHighSome prepPrep to Year 6 Board Games Day · Games Day · Challenge Day +1

Round-Robin Games Tournament

Children compete in round-robin tournaments of classic games, practising good sportsmanship and strategy.

IndoorCalmSome prepPrep to Year 6 Shark Week Day · Under the Sea · Games Day +3

Sharks and Minnows

Runners try to cross the field without being tagged by the shark, and tagged players join the shark team.

OutdoorHighGrab-and-goPrep to Year 6 Crazy Sock Day · Games Day · Board Games Day +1

Sock Matching Memory

Children play a memory game turning over socks to find matching pairs.

IndoorCalmGrab-and-goPrep to Year 3 Crazy Sock Day · Target Games Day · Games Day +1

Sock Toss

Children toss rolled socks into buckets at different distances to score points.

IndoorModerateGrab-and-goPrep to Year 6 Halloween · Disco Day · Glow Party +1

Spooky Party

A party session with spooky music, simple party games and costume celebrations to round off the day.

IndoorHighSome prepPrep to Year 6 One-Minute Challenge Day · Games Day · Great Race Day +1

Spoon and Ball Balance

Children hold a spoon in their mouth and carry a ping pong ball across the room without dropping it.

IndoorModerateGrab-and-goPrep to Year 6 Spring Fair · Games Carnival Day · Target Games Day +2

Spring Fair Games

Children play classic fair games like ball toss, ring toss and knock-down cans at a festive outdoor fair.

OutdoorModerateSome prepPrep to Year 6 Tiny Things Day · Games Day · Target Games Day +1

Tabletop Tiny Sports

Children play finger football, cup basketball and other mini sports on tables using ping pong balls and cups.

IndoorCalmGrab-and-goPrep to Year 6 Board Games Day · Games Day · Learn to Day +1

Teach a Board Game Properly

Educators teach the full rules of a board game to a small group so they can play confidently and independently.

IndoorCalmGrab-and-goPrep to Year 6 Grandparents Day · Time Travellers Day · Games Day +2

Then and Now Games

Children learn and play games from older generations, such as marbles and elastics, and compare them with games they play today.

OutdoorModerateSome prepPrep to Year 6 Time Travellers Day · Games Day · Medieval Times +1

Time Zone Capture the Flag

Teams represent different eras, such as dinosaurs, knights or the future, and play capture the flag across the yard.

OutdoorHighGrab-and-goPrep to Year 6 Birthday for Everyone Day · Mad Hatter's Tea Party · Games Day +2

Unbirthday Party Games

Everyone celebrates with classic party games like musical statues and pass the parcel, so no one misses out on a birthday party.

IndoorHighSome prepPrep to Year 6 Talent Show Day · One-Minute Challenge Day · Challenge Day +1

Who Can Do It Longest?

Children try quick endurance challenges like bouncing a ball, skipping, whistling or jumping, mixed with speedy general-knowledge rounds, to see who can keep going longest.

EitherHighGrab-and-goPrep to Year 6 Backyard Play Day · Music and Dance Day · Magic Day +2

Xylophone Freeze Game

Children dance and move until they hear the xylophone, then freeze like statues, building listening skills and self-control.

IndoorHighGrab-and-goPrep to Year 3