Posted by
James Trenchard
10 Reasons To Choose A School Sports Day For Your Hen Party
School sports days are a thing of your past, but more and more frequently, hen party weekends are including them as part of their list of activities. We're going to have a look at why there is an upward trend for an having an old school activity as part of your hen party weekend, incorporating the games you used to love and loathe. Please do get in touch if you have any questions about anything in this article, or your hen party weekend in general.
Why choose a school sports day as part of a hen party weekend?
Why indeed? Here are the top 10 reasons for throwing a sports day into the mix for your fantastic hen party weekend:
1. It's a bit of fun
Think of the summer when you were at school and the sports day was coming up... basically having time off from the normal routine to sit in the sunshine and doss about... maybe take part in something sporty. Now think about that concept but in your 'grown-up' life. Whilst you're having a weekend off, why would you not chuck in an activity where space hoppers can propel you towards a load of fun and you'll be able to hurdle any stresses you may have had before?
There will most likely be games that you probably haven't done in years (maybe decades but we won't discuss ages) and will bring a beaming smile to your face, hell, maybe even a hearty laugh/fit of giggles. If you're not having fun during a hen party school sports day... we don't know what you will find fun.
- Have a flocking awesome load of fun and dress up in pretty much whatever you like -
2. Take yourself back to simpler times
Escapism is a word we're going to throw at you here. It might not be the last time either, but forget about the present and think about when you could turn up in your PE kit without a care in the world. Remember when you would attempt to jump into a sand pit, maybe tie yourself to a class-mate before attempting to run and/or all the other classic games from a much simpler time in your life. All you'll have to think about is trying not to get beaten at simple, 'child-friendly' games.
The only difference and possible extra complication between those halcyon days and the hen party sports day, will be the competition. You'll always find one or two people in the group who are competitive to the nth degree. Now this may have been the case at school too, but there are no teachers to stringently oversee all that is happening. The instructor(s) will obviously try to keep things civil but some people will do anything that they have to, to ensure the win... sometimes even the hen! Also; see point number 1.
3. No age concerns
It may have been a year (or two) since you partook in your last sports day, but that doesn't mean you can't kick it with everyone else. Maybe you grew up in a time where the Atari was mind-blowingly realistic and had mastered the art of space hoppers long before Mr PlayStation came along. Maybe you're an absolute demon in a sack race and can show everyone how it's DONE! Balancing eggs... easy and so on and so on. The point we're making is that everyone has their strengths and weaknesses and no matter what your age, there will definitely be something within a hen party school sports day that you will shine at.
No matter how long you've graced the earth, a school sports day for a hen party will include everyone.
4. Laugh at your friends
On a hen party, fun is a huge part of the weekend. It's point number 1 for a good reason. A massive part of the fun that comes during a school sports day for a hen party weekend is having a proper laugh at your friends as they attempt seemingly simple games and fall on their arse.
Whether it's failing to hurdle something which is the equivalent height of 3 stacked paper plates or showing a complete ineptitude for simple hand-eye coordination, there will be opportunities to playfully mock your friends over the course of the rest of the hen party weekend (maybe even the rest of their life/lives).
If you have any chances to get photos then you could well capture the moment that someone's feet failed to communicate with their brain and sent arms flailing, legs flying and causing general hilarity at their expense.
Overall, it's the group that makes the weekend so great and by choosing an activity as fun as a hen party school sports day, you'll only improve the chance of laughter at with your friends.
- Laughter is one of the best parts of a hen party school sports day, either with or at your friends -
5. Make new memories and new friends
It's very possible that a lot of the people on a hen party will never have met and just as possible that a good amount of the hen's friends are from a time after her participation in school sports days. So a hen party school sports day is a great way to create some fantastic new memories with these people and some that you can carry with you into the future.
Once the ice has been broken and a few drinks have been enjoyed the night before, a hen party school sports day is another great way for everyone to get to know the others in the group. Teams can be organised randomly so that you won't end up with the faces you're already familiar with.
The competitive edge between all of the teams will certainly make for great entertainment and will almost certainly help to form new and long-lasting friendships, with the sports day being the origin.
6. Simplicity rules
In the days of Donald Trump being the president of the United States of America, COVID-19 (oh how we loathe COVID-19) changing EVERYTHING and generally having to deal with the daily life of an adult, a hen party school sports day takes you out of complication and delivers you into simple.
A school sports day for a hen party is a truly simple activity. From the off, simplicity reigns supreme. The venues used are always close to where you'll be staying, generally at leisure centres or even at your accommodation. This means that wherever you have to should be a cinch to find.
Once at the centre, you'll have a very quick check of willingness and ability to take part, before being told what to expect. The instructor will then guide you into and through each game as much as you require them to do so.
Once you're done, leave with a big smile on your face, leave the instructor to pack everything away and head to whatever you have planned next on the big hen party weekend.
It is, very simply, a case of turn, up take part, toodle back home.
7. Flexibility
One fantastic plus for choosing a school sports day for your hen party weekend is the adaptability of the activity itself. The games can be run in or outdoors and so can be chosen at any time of year. If your hen party weekend is during the winter, you can stay safe in the warmth of a sports hall and if it's a summer gathering, request an outdoor sports day and breath in the fresh air.
The games can also be altered to suit all ages and abilities. For example, if someone has an injury, they're not going to be made to damage themselves (afterall, see point number 1) and if the mothers-of-the-bride and/or groom are no longer able to kick it quite as hard on a space hopper, then that game can be re-designed to make it a fairer competition.
Finally, as long as there is the space where you're staying for the weekend, the hen party school sports day can be run at your accommodation. This is a great option as it means you can roll out of the door and straight into the activity. It is also of benefit to our next point.
- Choose your preferred venue and then sit back on a space hopper and relax -
8. Value for money
Choosing hen party weekend activities can be tough, working out what the bride-to-be likes and throwing in a budget, all whilst making sure that there's enough time... there's a lot to consider. Well, one of the greatest things about a hen party school sports day is the cost. You won't find many activities that come in at the same price and give you such an active, energetic activity, also bringing back childhood memories.
Choosing this activity will probably also mean less money in travel as you can request close to or at your accommodation and if not at your accommodation, the venues will be sourced as close to you as possible.
The sessions usually run for 1-2 hours depending on your group size, but you'll get a whole load of games to play within that time frame and you will definitely feel like you've spent your money wisely.
9. Make the most of the weekend
A hen party weekend is usually a 1 or 2 day affair, so time is of the essence. Fitting in as much as possible is common and a school sports day fits the brief perfectly. As we've already mentioned, all you have to do is turn up, play the games and return to whence you came. With the whole thing most commonly lasting around an hour, you're not going to need to set aside a whole day to have this on your itinerary.
On the same note, if you choose to have this run at the private accommodation where you're staying for the weekend (and are also maybe not cramming the weekend to capacity) then this is a perfect activity to choose. Cruise out to the garden, play some games, head back in. If it starts raining, head inside until it passes or just carry on... you won't have to get taxis back in soaking wet clothes, simply step inside.
10. Demonstrate and dominate
Our final point is one that we have frequent experience of. The hen is a PE teacher, sports person and/or generally competitive and so this game was chosen so that she could shine smash everyone and love it.
You're also always going to get at least one person from the group who's competitive streak is unknown to many and comes out with fury during the egg and spoon race.
Hen Party School Sports Days in Summary
Hopefully you now have a good idea of why old school sports days work so well as part of a hen party weekend. Above all else, our first point is the most prevalent one; this activity is FUN and will bring smiles across the faces of all who choose it.
Get one of these booked. You certainly won't regret it.
If you're still not completely sold on a hen party school sports day however, it may be worth taking a look at our article on generally sporty hen party ideas, or if you want an even broader view; our website showing all hen party weekend activities.
In short, here's top of the best reasons why you should choose a hen party school sports day for part of your hen party weekend:
- It's a bit of fun
- Take yourself back to simpler times
- No age concerns
- Laugh at your friends
- Make new memories and new friends
- Simplicity
- Flexibility
- Value for money
- Make the most of the weekend
- Demonstrate and dominate your sporting prowess
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