The 2012 Summer Olympic Games are going to be starting soon (July 27th) and the Summer Paralympics are starting a month later (August 29th). This is a great opportunity to learn and explore with your children the many different types of sporting events but the different countries participating, too.
We have been enjoying watching the Olympic Pre-Trials on Saturdays over the last month. I was impressed with how interested my 4 and 6 year old were in watching them, too. Seeing their excitement got me even more excited! So, I have come up with some ideas to help encourage their interest and excitement before the games and while they are happening.
The following are some ideas that I am going to try to implement:
Crafts
A quick google search for “Olympic crafts for kids” (search via images and you will save some time) will give you a large variety of basic Olympic crafts. Popular crafts are various ideas on recreating the Olympic rings, the Olympic torch and the Olympic medals.
Flags
With over 200 countries participating in the games this summer there are many countries and their flags to learn more about. Decide on a country and either draw or do search for a flag coloring page of your country of choice. Again, do a search under “images” and you will save yourself a lot of time. Make sure to show your children what the actual country’s flag looks like in color and then let them color their own. My children are always talking about the flags we see while driving, so I know this will be something else they will enjoy doing.
Food
While you are researching other countries, try out a recipe for a popular dish. If possible, make sure you let your children help make it. We had the opportunity once to learn and try out food from Guatamala. We had a lot of fun and discovered some new food/recipes that we all loved!
Mini Olympics
Have your own Mini Olympics! Watching is fun, but we all know participating is even more fun. You can create your own Mini Olympics with your own family complete with medals (maybe some that you created from your “craft search”). They can be based off of real Olympic games or just fun to do. Here are a few ideas:
- Go to a local track, if possible, and have your own 100 yard dash.
- Instead of Shot Put do a boot toss and see who can throw it the farthest.
- Have a relay race or a three-legged relay race.
Whatever you choose to do for your Mini Olympic games, just remember the idea is to have fun!
Photo courtesy of: FreeDigitalPhotos.net
