The teams are set. The venues are ready. Paris awaits. It is a summer Olympic year!
July 26, 2024, the Olympic Games begin.
I am always very inspired by the Olympics. Every four years, the world comes together to celebrate competition, athleticism, and sport. As always, this year’s games are certain not to disappoint. They will captivate us with glorious acts of perseverance, endurance, and strength. There will be dramatic triumphs and trials. We will witness acts of friendship, leadership, and compassion. The human element, for me, is by far the best part of the games, bringing with it tears, celebration, and a desire to be a better human being.
The Olympics can be more than just an opportunity for your family to sit together and absorb the action. It can be a very memorable time. Like slipping a handful of spinach into your kids’ smoothies, The Olympic Games offer opportunities to sneak in some life and academic lessons.
Here are five Olympic rings for family learning.
The blue ring represents character.
As we watch the events and listen to commentary, you will inevitably recognize character traits that reflect values that are important to your family. Be on the lookout for times when athletes or coaches model these values. Resist the urge to lecture, but definitely call attention to athletes who demonstrate traits that you hope your children will aspire to. Use these example(s) to spark family conversation and be curious about your kids’ experience of them. A conversation might sound something like this:
Wow! Did you know Suni Lee has a chronic illness? I think it is incredible that she is still competing at such a high level. How do you think she was able to do that? I admire her determination.
I can see that you think Victor Montalvo (break dancer) is really cool. Why do you like him?
Perhaps you can even find an opportunity to sneak in a lesson about setting goals, what it takes to achieve them, and getting up after a setback; a lesson you might refer to at back-to-school time.
The yellow ring represents cultural awareness.
Pick up a world map and lay it out on the table or hang on a wall. Use stickers or map flags to mark the countries as they walk in during the Parade of Nations. Locate athletes’ home countries while you watch the events.
Expand cultural awareness by trying food from some of the participating countries or hosting a Parisian-style dinner. Create your menu and choose recipes together.
The black ring represents competition.
Use the games to inspire your own competitions. Brainstorm some ideas with your kids. Here are a few to get you started.
Use a balloon for a “volleyball” and a safe slow-mo indoor game. A rope tied between two chairs can be your net. Later, attach a paint stick to a paper plate for a racquet and now you have a tennis match.
Two pool noodles can be a kayak. More pool noodles and floating toys can be a slalom course.
A strip of masking tape can be a balance beam.
The green ring represents math.
Keep a tally of each country’s wins on your map. The tally marks encourage counting by 5’s.
Use the athlete’s scores to practice a wide variety of math equations. Resist drill and practice, just wonder out loud. “I wonder, how close is Noah Lyles’ time is from beating the sprinting world record?” “Let’s jog 100 meters because I am not sure how long that is” “How many more years until the Olympics is back in the US?” How many Olympics have there been in my lifetime? In Grandmas?
Play games. For example, use sidewalk chalk to draw a target on the wall outside. Toss water balloons at the target. Use the rules of archery to score the game. When you google how to score archery, you will see it is not complicated, but there are multiple steps which is great for organic math practice.
The red ring is creativity.
Turn off the sound on your TV and pretend to commentate the games live.
Make a commercial to watch in between events.
Pretend you were tasked to create the next Olympic mascot. Draw it.
Using recyclables, design medals for your family’s Olympic games.
And if you are looking to expand beyond these rings, make your way to the library. Investigate countries, sports, athletes, the history of the games… whatever makes your kids (and you) curious. Multiply the fun by joining with friends to create a neighborhood Olympics club. If you’d rather not be in charge of the festivities, many youth organizations and education centers will be hosting Olympic-themed camps and activities like the ones offered by my company, The Study Coaches.
Childhood is fleeting and so few Olympic Games fall during that time. Embrace this fleeting moment and immerse yourselves in the wonder of the events. Don’t miss your family’s moment to embody the Olympic motto:
“Faster, higher, stronger,”…together.
