We are very 'miserly' with our time spent with the children at MIC. Every opportunity that we can, we try and incorporate a learning objective. So we planned to do a sports day for the school; but with a dramatic difference.
Design the Games
The first issue was that we wanted the children to design the athletic activity themselves (or with our guidance). We gave them instructions that the games had to be fun - classic games that you may remember would include 'three legged race', as well as a 'sack race'. We invited the children to go beyond these games and to have competitors work in teams of 5 or more people.
Trial the Games
The children got to trial their games, got to try and give the other children who hadn't designed it, a go too. This way they could learn whether it worked or not and adapt the game.
Run the Games
Finally we had the children on the actual sports day, be the judges, time keepers and measurers of the different sports. Our competitors? - they were the children's parents.