The Summer Olympics are upon us! Do you have a favourite country, or even specific team or individual that you’re going to be cheering for? I’ve always enjoyed the Winter Olympics much more, but when the London 2012 Olympics were in the UK, we just couldn’t help but get hyped up about them, and this year I’m looking forward to watching them with Tristan and Kallista and discovering what their favourites are this year.
We’ve been using the Olympics as a way to introduce more skills and sports into our homeschool. The kids want to learn more about the Olympics and it’s then a great way to encourage them to try something new. They can learn where their own skills lie and they can challenge themselves to a personal best.
We’ve done a few posts over the last 4 years about the Summer Olympics, and today I’m rounding them up into one handy place for you. So grab the craft supplies and let’s have some fun creating a Mini-Olympics at home! (This post contains affiliate links)
Summer Olympics For Kids
Preschoolers and toddlers can participate in some fun home-made Summer Games events:
Crafts
My kids love to craft; here are a couple of Olympic-themed crafts that are good for toddlers and preschoolers:
Paralympics
The Paralympics are very important for children to watch so that they can learn that with determination they can achieve their dreams, even if not in the way they may have been expecting. My kids loved trying out a few sports without sight or balance:
Snacks
And if you’ve worked up an appetite after all of that activity, here are a couple of snacks that will keep you going:
Books
And if that isn’t enough, here are a couple more ways to get in the spirit:
- Olympic Sports For Kids : Amazing Sports for Children Of All Ages
- What Are the Summer Olympics?
- G is for Gold Medal: An Olympics Alphabet (Sports Alphabet)
As I sit and type, my children are watching the Women’s 200 M Freestyle and working on this Olympics Lapbook.
What’s your favourite Olympic sport to watch? Who are you cheering for this year? Leave me a comment below and we’ll cheer together.
Blake says
Being in the sporting industry, it pained me when my kids just didn’t seem interested in sports or doing anything sporting related .. that was until the Olympics came round and they seemed to become energized!
What a change in attitude and outlook – they are now truly interested in sports and getting out and practicing some of the sports they just saw on the TV!
Crystal McClean says
I’m glad to hear that! The effect, sadly doesn’t often last long, but let’s take advantage of it and our children may find something they’re really interested in.
Augustus says
My favorite olympic sport is swimming, I love swimmers, It’s a skill i really appreciate, probably because I don’t know how to swim myself, so I respect those that can swim.
I am cheering my country, and I hope my team would bring the medal home.
As regards the post, I like the idea that you have used this season to get kids to be more involved in outdoor sports activities. Great work
Crystal McClean says
Thanks, Augustus! I think it’s great that although people cheer for their own countries individually, we’re all still a community that comes together to support all of the athletes.
I watched the synchronised diving at about 1:00am this morning and saw Tom Daley win bronze with his new diving partner. After all of the personal and public grief and stress he’s faced over the past 5 years, it was really inspiring. And now that Michael Phelps has become the most-decorated swimmer ever at the age of 41, it shows that persistence and determination pay off at every age.
My son has really gravitated to archery the most, and he’s been outside the past few days practising and improving. He doesn’t always like when he can’t do something new immediately, but this is (I hope) proving to him that if he keeps working at a task, he will improve and succeed. Always a good life lesson.