Any fellow Americans remember having a field day in elementary school?
April 19, 2026
So, a field day is a day at school where classes are canceled for the day in favor of games, outside. Lunch was served outside and everything. I remember those days fondly. Anybody else?
32 comments
For sure
they had it every year in elementary school
We had them but I hated it and faked sick to get out of it most times.
Yes. Field day was like the highlight of the year.
Yeah. My sons school just did field day a week or two ago
Yes. Never liked them. I was not athletic and it felt like torture. I just wanted to sit inside and draw.
Yeah! Everyone got the day “off” in May or so. We had a ton of games like Capture the Flag and the like. It was the highlight of the year. Meant to be a reward for all the work over the school year. Damn man, I haven’t thought about Field Day in years, thanks for the blast from the past.
Living in Pennsylvania, we had a cheap amusement park at the end of the school year.
We also went to Gettysburg every year, a few turn of the century museums.
And 4th and 5th graders went to DC and Philly alternating years.
Yup, I won the basketball throw and got a blue ribbon in second grade. We also released balloons with our names and school info asking people to write to us.
I teach at a middle school and we still have it every year
Yes and I still have my ribbons!
Field day was awesome. Tug of war was always the highlight.
Yeah, I remember field day. My memory is that it was more of a half day sort of thing, but that’s just quibbling.
Yes! They were great!!
Last week of school we did various field activities. It didn’t hurt that state testing was in early May. We did state testing, about a week of finish-up work/presentations. And last week for field day stuff and generally lazy day stuff so teachers could finish up grading etc.
Absolutely!
Oh absolutely! Best day of the year, and also signals the last days of the school year!
The school where I went to 6th grade had a field day scheduled. I wasn’t sporty and absolutely dreaded it for weeks. Then I broke my leg the day before and my mother swore I did it just to get out of field day.
Yeah it was always like the 2nd to last day of school
Yep. There was a stand where a PTA mom gave out either bags of popcorn or cotton candy at my school. Grades would rotate between activities and classes would compete with each other.
I don’t recall them as a kid but my kid has them now, maybe it’s because it’s a different state?
I don’t remember it from my own school days, but both my teenagers had field days in grade school.
Yeah we went to the local sewage treatment plant in sixth grade. I wish I were kidding lol
Yes, they were the complete opposite of fun. If we’d been allowed to run around with our friends, or try different activities of our own choosing, that would have been enjoyable, but no, it was structured, assigned team sports. I wasn’t athletic or interested in sports, so I spent the entire day being screamed at and repeatedly told how “sorry” I was at everything. I think eventually I convinced my parents to let me skip those days.
Yeah we even had lawn darts
Yup. We had it at least once a year. To my neurodivergent, non-athletic, routine-loving little brain, it just felt like chaos, and I absolutely hated it. Lol
I have not-so-fond memories of field day. It sucked for those of us who were bad at athletic activities. 🤣But it was a day outside in the spring, instead of in a classroom, so there was that.
Yes, and it really fucked up my head when I was in U.S. Navy boot camp and we were told “today’s a field day’.
What commenced was ***NOT*** the “field day” I remembered from school.
I hated field day lmao, I was not an athletic kid so field day was just a day of suffering.
We had to pick what events we participated in and HAD to be in 3. Nightmare.
I remember being physically assaulted by my 2nd grade teacher at field day, when I couldn’t run a mile and he decided to drag me along the ground by my wrist for the rest of the mile.
I never told my parents because I thought they would blame me.
Yes. Recently, my sister reminded me that our whole school was divided up into two teams named after the school colors for field day, so you might find you were on team red, while your sibling or best friend was on team blue. I guess this makes more sense than making classes or age groups compete against each other.
Yes, and I haaaaaaated it. You mean you’re going to force me to compete in sports in front of the whole school and parents when I suck at athletics? Yeah great. They’d force me to choose several events to compete in like a 100 yard dash, long jump, shot put or other such bullshit after never teaching me how to do any of them or offering any training throughout the school year. Then I’m supposed to compete against the kids who do every sport all year long and are in good shape? Oh, but I get half a twin popsicle to split with some kid who’s been bullying me all year? Oh, I get a sunburn too, neat.
Let me go home and read Little House On The Prairie and Anne of Green Gables in my room in peace.
32 comments
For sure
they had it every year in elementary school
We had them but I hated it and faked sick to get out of it most times.
Yes. Field day was like the highlight of the year.
Yeah. My sons school just did field day a week or two ago
Yes. Never liked them. I was not athletic and it felt like torture. I just wanted to sit inside and draw.
Yeah! Everyone got the day “off” in May or so. We had a ton of games like Capture the Flag and the like. It was the highlight of the year. Meant to be a reward for all the work over the school year. Damn man, I haven’t thought about Field Day in years, thanks for the blast from the past.
Living in Pennsylvania, we had a cheap amusement park at the end of the school year.
We also went to Gettysburg every year, a few turn of the century museums.
And 4th and 5th graders went to DC and Philly alternating years.
Yup, I won the basketball throw and got a blue ribbon in second grade. We also released balloons with our names and school info asking people to write to us.
I teach at a middle school and we still have it every year
Yes and I still have my ribbons!
Field day was awesome. Tug of war was always the highlight.
Yeah, I remember field day. My memory is that it was more of a half day sort of thing, but that’s just quibbling.
Yes! They were great!!
Last week of school we did various field activities. It didn’t hurt that state testing was in early May. We did state testing, about a week of finish-up work/presentations. And last week for field day stuff and generally lazy day stuff so teachers could finish up grading etc.
Absolutely!
Oh absolutely! Best day of the year, and also signals the last days of the school year!
The school where I went to 6th grade had a field day scheduled. I wasn’t sporty and absolutely dreaded it for weeks. Then I broke my leg the day before and my mother swore I did it just to get out of field day.
Yeah it was always like the 2nd to last day of school
Yep. There was a stand where a PTA mom gave out either bags of popcorn or cotton candy at my school. Grades would rotate between activities and classes would compete with each other.
I don’t recall them as a kid but my kid has them now, maybe it’s because it’s a different state?
I don’t remember it from my own school days, but both my teenagers had field days in grade school.
Yeah we went to the local sewage treatment plant in sixth grade. I wish I were kidding lol
Yes, they were the complete opposite of fun. If we’d been allowed to run around with our friends, or try different activities of our own choosing, that would have been enjoyable, but no, it was structured, assigned team sports. I wasn’t athletic or interested in sports, so I spent the entire day being screamed at and repeatedly told how “sorry” I was at everything. I think eventually I convinced my parents to let me skip those days.
Yeah we even had lawn darts
Yup. We had it at least once a year. To my neurodivergent, non-athletic, routine-loving little brain, it just felt like chaos, and I absolutely hated it. Lol
I have not-so-fond memories of field day. It sucked for those of us who were bad at athletic activities. 🤣But it was a day outside in the spring, instead of in a classroom, so there was that.
Yes, and it really fucked up my head when I was in U.S. Navy boot camp and we were told “today’s a field day’.
What commenced was ***NOT*** the “field day” I remembered from school.
I hated field day lmao, I was not an athletic kid so field day was just a day of suffering.
We had to pick what events we participated in and HAD to be in 3. Nightmare.
I remember being physically assaulted by my 2nd grade teacher at field day, when I couldn’t run a mile and he decided to drag me along the ground by my wrist for the rest of the mile.
I never told my parents because I thought they would blame me.
Yes. Recently, my sister reminded me that our whole school was divided up into two teams named after the school colors for field day, so you might find you were on team red, while your sibling or best friend was on team blue. I guess this makes more sense than making classes or age groups compete against each other.
Yes, and I haaaaaaated it. You mean you’re going to force me to compete in sports in front of the whole school and parents when I suck at athletics? Yeah great. They’d force me to choose several events to compete in like a 100 yard dash, long jump, shot put or other such bullshit after never teaching me how to do any of them or offering any training throughout the school year. Then I’m supposed to compete against the kids who do every sport all year long and are in good shape? Oh, but I get half a twin popsicle to split with some kid who’s been bullying me all year? Oh, I get a sunburn too, neat.
Let me go home and read Little House On The Prairie and Anne of Green Gables in my room in peace.