Remember when kids went outside for fun, getting exercise without even thinking about it? Who says we can’t get back to the good old days when it comes to raising money for our schools? It’s possible with a track and field fundraiser.
All you need for a school field day fundraiser is a big, open field which most elementary and high schools have right outside their schools. Other than that, all that’s needed is some basic sporting equipment, and most importantly, participation!
Participation will be a sure thing from your school’s young athletes, especially if you are raising money for their school team. Next, you’ll need some fun outdoor, and age-appropriate activities, such as:
- Three-legged race
- Water balloon toss
- Tug-of-war
- Potato toss
- Shot put
- Archery
- Hurdles
- Foot races
- Sports tournament
You can even include some childhood games for younger students such as:
- Red Rover
- Duck Duck Goose
- Freeze Tag
- Turtle races
- Egg balance races
With separate, age-appropriate competitions for teens and kids, you'll have a day full of fun planned for everyone.
How To Make Money
School track and field days make their money in the following ways:
1) Charge a flat fee to participate in the field day.
Or
2) Charge individual entry fees for each event.
One final thing to remember for moneymaking ideas: Provide a refreshment and snack stand, even if it’s just set up in the school cafeteria. Refreshments are a great way to make some extra money with homemade cookies and baked goods, juice boxes, soda, popsicles, or even grilled hotdogs and hamburgers, and of course, water. All that running around is sure to make your participants thirsty!
How To Manage Your Track And Field Day
A school field day can be run like any sports team fundraiser. Like a sports or team fundraiser, there are entry fees for athletes to enter the field day, either individually or with a flat rate for an entire team.
These entry fees are used to cover the cost of the field day, as well as to raise funds for the charities or school team’s operation and traveling costs.
You can also make money for your field day from the community. To go this route, each field day athlete goes out in search of sponsors to cover his or her entry fee.
The money is collected after the field day is over. You can ask sponsors to either donate a flat free, or to pay per hour of participation or per event.
Field Day Games
As far as the events you’ll feature in your field day, it’s really dependent on the age groups, and the school’s interest. For instance, you wouldn’t want to host a contact football game for a group of first graders who have never played the sport, and are more prone to injury.
To give you some ideas, we’ve put together a collection of our favorite field day games for all ages:
Sack Race
The individual sack race tests competitors’ coordination, and it’s so much fun seeing the kids jumping around and falling down in the grass. To set up, each contestant gets a sack and lines up at the starting line. A long rope or a bit of field powder will do the trick.
The fun starts when each contestant takes off, taking steps short enough to fit inside the sack without falling. Those who fall are encouraged to get right back up and try to catch the other contestants. For added fun, set up a two-person sack race where partners must work together to coordinate and outrun their competition.
Potato Race
Potato races are fun and inexpensive to put together. All you need are some spoons and potatoes. This race demands good hand-eye and body coordination as each player must control their body movements and maintain the potato’s balance on the spoon as they move forward. The first contestant to the finish line with the potato still on their spoon wins. If it’s dropped mid-race, the player is disqualified.
Foot Races
This is a true test of athleticism for a young person. Kids with the best cardio endurance will typically win this event. The great thing about a foot race is that most kids already know how to run a race and the rules associated. First runner across the finish line wins!
Team Sports Games
This can be an organized game of soccer, baseball, field hockey or any other team sport for which you have the proper ball or other necessary equipment available. And it’s the best finale to a long day of field day events.
