Jumping with both feet in a sack, racing a straight line, and nearly always falling over at least once along the way. The Sack Dash is a classic field-day race that works well as one leg of a bigger multi-event relay.
What you need
Sacks, or sturdy pieces of fabric, one per racer. A marked race line, roughly 10 metres for younger children, longer for older ones. Several teams of around five players each.
How to play
Each racer steps into a sack, holding its top edges with both hands, and jumps the length of the race course as fast as they can. If a player falls, the rule is simple: get back up and start again from the beginning of the course, no shortcuts. The order of finish earns points for the team: first place scores the most, and points descend from there down the field.
Variations
Without sacks, tie a soft piece of material around each racer’s ankles instead, and have them jump the course with feet together, which achieves much the same wobbly, laughter-inducing effect.
Safety notes
A soft, even surface matters a lot here, since falling is practically guaranteed and the race is genuinely more fun when a tumble is just funny rather than painful. Keep a reasonable gap between racers running at the same time so a fall does not take anyone else down with it.
Why it works
Nobody looks graceful jumping in a sack, which levels the playing field between naturally fast and naturally slower runners, and the inevitable stumbles tend to get as much cheering as the finish line does.
