If you were to design your family’s perfect grassroots sport event, what would it look like? Tell McDonald’s for a chance to win a £300 voucher! NOW CLOSED

[MichelleMumsnet]

McDonald’s have asked us to find out what Mumsnetters’ perfect family sport event would look like.

Here’s what they say, “We love a good kick about, so this year we held over 40 Community Football Days across the UK which were attended by over 14,000 kids, parents and families. With coaching sessions, fun games, and celebrity ambassadors there was something for everyone."

"These events helped to promote grassroots football in local areas and, being open to everyone, the Community Football Days were the perfect opportunity for grassroots clubs to attract both new players and volunteers. But what would make your perfect family sports event?”

So, what kind of event would you organise if you were in charge of a family sport event in your local community? Perhaps you would want to host a school style sports day with everything from egg and spoon races to sack races to hulla hoop competitions? Something for the youngest in the family, face painting, bouncy castles, or introductory coaching sessions? Or maybe you’d design an extravagant obstacle course for everyone to complete? Whatever it is, we’d love to hear it!

Everyone who posts on this thread will be entered into a prize draw to win a £300 Love2Shop voucher!

Thanks,
MNHQ

Always include more than one 'disability' sport, wheelchair basketball, blind soccer, wheelchair racing - all 3 sports mentioned are fully inclusive to able bodied people as are most disability sports.

I love the idea of an obstacle course for different ages and abilities.

And just a mud pit for the toddlers

I think team sports so all different abilities and ages maybe rounders cricket.
Lots of interaction and fun for everyone .

Rounders, definitely rounders! So much fun for all abilities.

Not one sponsored by a fast food company?

For a great family grass roots sports event try parkrun. Weekly, free, run by volunteers.

we always love to have a big rounders match in the summer. we go to a local park with a huge playing field, use frisbee's for posts, a small rug for the batting point, and a selection of tennis balls and anyone who wants can join in. i think the most we have had is about 40 people of all ages, from toddlers to the elderly joining in some way, whether its keeping score, helping the little ones bat, or running for those who cant. its always a massive thing, and we really enjoy it. so that would be our grassroots sports day, with a cool bag full of cold drinks to keep us going, and ice creams on the way home :)

Well, a bouncy castle is a must, of course, as are ample family toilet/baby change facilities. We really like little tykes cars, so races would be fun. I think an obstacle course is a fantastic idea. Food should be barbecue and ice cream!

Lots of little events, aimed at different age groups, from egg and spoon or sack races, to archery and beat the goalie. The aim would be to have a broad enough selection that everyone would find at least one thing they loved doing. Having bouncy castles and mini stall games on the side as well as a bbq, candy floss/pop corn snacks as well. Stalls could be coconut shys, throw to ring over the post/darts etc, games with an element of skill with small prizes, little bags of sweets or similar. If there were any costs involved with the stalls it would be very low max 50p but ideally 20p (to cover prizes but keeping it low enough that it doesn't cost a family £50 to enjoy everything and have a bite to eat!!)

There would be lots and lots of girls of all ages having fun taking part in sports and activities and not caring what they looked like...

We have a gorgeous blue flag beach just down the road from us so I would love a community beach day with sandy cricket, volleyball, knotted hanky hats and big wicker baskets full of hot flasks of tea and snacks!

I'd also like to add that all the participants would be drinking water. I hate the fact that children are being conned into consuming energy drinks, which they don't need and which are bad for them.

If McDonalds are at all serious about children, grassroots sports and children' health, here's an idea. Give as many children in the UK as you can a reusable drinks bottle. Start a campaign that "water is enough.' They don't need glucose drinks. They are not elite athletes. It rots their teeth, screws up their blood sugar levels and makes them fat. My children drink water when they play sport and they both have the energy of a duracell bunny.

Multi sport/activity - so there were quite a few different things for people of all ages to try out. Good old fashioned family fun style. A chill out zone too for when you just need a pitstop if it's all getting too much for younger members. Important to get the catering side of things right - nothing worse than having to queue for 45 mins to get anything to eat when the kids are hungry and thirsty... And clean toilets!

i think it really does have to go down the route of 'something for everyone' as some kids (and grown ups) worry with team games so it would be fun to have little challenges that don't involve playing as a team.

Also fun things like stacking cups etc so even those who are less abled eg unable to walk or run due to illness or disability can still take part in something.

I think to have a perfect family event for us we would need somewhere that we could do something with the baby, or at least sit and feed within sight of the toddler. The toddler loves running round so some very simple races or and area she could explore would be brilliant. And as someone up thread said, decent coffee!

Lots of different events to allow for different ages/abilities etc. Also some fun things which although sporty will appeal to those children who don't normally throw themselves into that sort of thing with wild abandon - e.g. hitting balloons back and forth over a badminton net sort of thing. Also some places where you could try a new sport. I do like the idea of an obstacle course.

In terms of "housekeeping" then adequate numbers of clean toilets, access to free plain water where you can refill your water bottle, first aid post, lost children post etc.

Being Welsh it has to be rugby, touch rugby of sons v dads and mums v daughters. A BBQ, decent coffee and gazebos to shelter from the inevitable rain.

Different children. I would definitely need a crop of different children to call my own for such an event to be successful. Children who were confident calm & cooperative team players. Tolerant, respectful, sociable, energetic, considerate, compliant.

Since I didn't get those, I suppose I'm out.

Something that isn't based on one sport (especially when that sport is football - probably the easiest to find already in any community).

So multisports, with a mix of team games (maybe netball and rounders), some races (including the silly ones, I've seen 'cool' teens love a good egg and spoon race), and some led activities (bit of dance, bit of body conditioning etc). And I love the idea of a disability sport, so anyone could try it.

Good (cheap/subsidised) refreshments for both participants and spectators.

Plenty of loos.

I think something along the lines of an event to try something new would be fun. Sports like Kin Ball, blind football, wheelchair basketball, handball, croquet. Sports that people are unlikely to have tried before. With activities for the little ones, like inflatables etc and then time for the older children to have a go with parents. There can still be a competitive edge, with prizes etc, but also as they are unusual activities there is also the element of no one really knows what they are doing!

I think a sort of sports bazaar - different things to try out, including fun family things based on splatalot which my children love. Also somewhere to sit and have a good coffee, and possibly cake

My event would have to have inflatables, sports should be fun not just competitive. I would like it we all ended up wet and muddy or covered in Goo.

I would love to see an event where there were lots of inspiring demonstrations by people who are actually really good at sport. So often in kids sport there seems to be a lot of instruction...without demonstration. As an example my son goes to athletics but the instructors very rarely show the kids how to do things like long jump. I'm sure the children would be inspired by seeing sports done really, really well.

lots of fun events and things for all people, not just the sporty ones. School sports day is horrible for the also-rans. Bring back egg and spoon race, 3 legged race, treasure hunts, and so on.

I'd love to see a country estate open up with bike ride routes around the grounds, muddy obstacle courses around the woodland areas or a colour run, areas to picnic with face painting and bouncy castles. :D

I'd have a big inflatable obstacle course, something that you really don't see every day so it'd be hard to resist!