Fun Supplants Lessons for Field Day [VIDEO]

Monday was the day longed for all year long by an entire student body — field day at , with more than 200 gradeschoolers taking part in fun and athletic games. 

All classes were divided up into either red or blue teams and asked to wear a corresponding T-shirt. These brightly colored tops, set against the deep green grass, made for quite a visual spectacle; that combined with the children's cheering and shouts of encouragement made for a festive school day.

Teams earned 30 points for finishing each station first, 20 points for second and 10 points for third. An additional 10 points was up for grabs for whichever group of students showed the best sportsmanship — encouraging theirs or the other team, following directions and being polite.

Traditional field day activities, like the potato sack race and water and sponge relay, were included, as were others like body beach volleyball, an Iditerod with a tarp and children replacing Alaskan dogs and a sled; and games like Swiss Alps, in which children hold the edges of a parachute, and make a "mountain" by trapping air underneath it. The goal is for each child to climb the mountain and tag the circular crest then return to his or her spot.

A 12-foot ladder hooked up to a garden hose provided a cool mist for sweaty kids to refresh themselves under and the picnic tables were set up as a watermelon hydration station.