We hold a field day every year. Each child participates in one event allowing every child to partake in the days events. We provide ribbons for the top six places and then participation ribbons for the rest. If we have more students then events then the remaining students do the tug-of-war at the end of the day and each receives a participation ribbon. The students don't care what kind of ribbon they get as long as they have something. At the end we provide freezer pops and everyone mingles out on the playground.
At our track meet we pass out ribbons to students. On the events 4 students compete against each other at one time. We give out 1st - 4th places. This allows each student that participates to have a ribbon.
We do not do ribbons or trophies. Our field day consists of each class going to twelve different stations to compete against each other or work as a team to complete a task.
There are no winners or loser (or non winners as I like to say).
After the events are over we supply ice cream sundaes.
Our school is doing a cooperative games field day this year, no trophies or ribbons will be given out. Personally I think this is a good idea (I've seen too many kids come inside crying because they didn't win.)
Some of the teachers at our school have raised the issue of awarding trophies to the top performers at our annual field day activities for elementary school children. This poses a concern for several parents and I wanted to learn more from other parents. Is this something that other elementary schools are doing? Please provide me with as much feedback as possible.
