Friday Field Day

In Japan, physical activity is not only valued, a National Holiday surrounds the idea. All the schools organize a Field Day or "Sports Day" of some sort. Many are quite elaborate. All have various competitor games for the kids and, most often, the adults as well.
They divide the school into two teams - red & white. This is usually accomplished by wearing the student's PE cap on its red side or flipping it inside out and showing the white inside.
At Dougie's first Seika Sports Day, I thought he just was wearing his hat inside-out and was semi-mortified at his behavior!
Seika's Sports Day got moved to Sunday last weekend - the same day as Stefan's swim meet. We divide and conquered. Eric went to Sports Day. I went with Stefan.
This last Friday was Hayama's Field Day - a much less elaborate, but super fun day for the kids and parents. Both Stefan and Dougie were on Team White (of course, the one color school shirt we do NOT own!).
They had silly relays holding paper in arm pits and knees, dribbling a ball through (or past... Whoops!) cones,














sack races,


and three-legged races. Dougie and Katrina paired up - once they got warmed up, those two really motored!!











Katrina's mom and I, on the other hand, provided the entertainment!
There was a scavenger hunt and the kids performed a Taibo dance. It was hilarious and AWESOME!

Neither of these boys are likely to be Fred Astaire, but Stefan may be good at break-dancing! Whodathunk?!?
All the kids got medals - necklaces made of candy and chocolate medallions.

All went home with smiles!

After Field Day, we went straight to the bowling alley for a birthday party. Ian and Io (another 4 year old) had a kick bowling. Ian really loved that he got to eat "in a cave"...


It was a long and super fun day!





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