Prepare one letter for parents to recruit volunteers and one letter for teachers. Students should take the letter home to their parents that has a tear-off form requesting volunteer help where parents can indicate how much time they can devote on field day and provide their contact information. The letter to the teachers is to inform them of the date of the field day and what classes participate in which activities at certain times.
Plan the day's activities for the children. Stations or center activities are designated areas for games, such as a sock throw, bowling with plastic bottles as pins, football throw, Frisbee throw and tug-of-war. Plan relays and other races on the school's track. Typical relays include rolling a tire to pass on and dribbling a ball to the next runner. Another relay activity involves an obstacle course consisting of going over a pile of rolled up newspapers, tunneling through a refrigerator box and skipping around a hoop before tagging the next relay runner.
Draw a map to indicate where all the activities will take place. Name each station activity on the map and show where each one is according to familiar landmarks such as buildings, trees, fences and track. Position water events near a hose. A circular pattern works well so children can rotate from one activity to another easily. Hand out the map to all volunteers and teachers.
Make up a schedule of events that outlines where every class and grade in the school should be at specific times and in which locations of the school yard. Depending on the size of the school lot, you may have to limit activities to two classes at one time during a period of one or two hours. A second grade and third grade class, for example, may be participating in activities at the same time but rotating between the relay area and station areas so they are not in the same area at the same time. Hand out the schedule to all teachers and volunteers.
Make a list of equipment needed for each activity and plan who will be responsible for ensuring that all the equipment is available and in place on time for the field day events.
Consider providing bottled water and chairs to volunteers at each station. Ensure that there is a first aid kit or school nurse on hand during the day in the event of any minor injuries.