Olympic Fever: Engaging Kids with the Excitement of the Summer Games
The Summer Olympics is a global celebration of athleticism, unity, and the human spirit. Every four years, the world comes together to cheer on the best athletes from around the globe as they compete in an array of sports. For kids, the Olympics offer a unique opportunity to learn about different cultures, the values of sportsmanship, and the fascinating history behind this ancient tradition.
We’ve curated a collection of engaging learning resources, books, and activities to help bring the excitement of the Summer Games into your home or classroom. #OlympicFever
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Summer Olympics Teaching Resources* (PDFs)
The Olympic Summer Games (printable posters of each edition of the Summer Olympics, from 1896 to 2020) Each poster includes the dates, host country, number of athletes and events, interesting facts, and photographs. Did you know …
- in the first Modern Olympics swimming event, the swimmers were transported by boat out to sea and left to swim the required distance back to shore
- Waldi was the first official mascot of the Summer Games, Munich (Germany) 1972. He was a dachshund, a popular animal in Bavaria, famed for its endurance, tenacity, and agility.
- in Rio (Brazil) 2016, 10 refugee athletes took part in the Games under the Olympic flag
Try This! Graph the number of athletes and/or events over time. Locate the host countries on a world map. How many countries have hosted more than once? Research an athlete.
The Ancient Olympic Games -informational reading about the origins of the ancient Olympics. Activity choices are provided at the end. *Preview the images before sharing.
The Modern Olympic Games -informational reading about the different aspects and history of the modern Olympics. Activity choices are provided at the end.
How Well Do You Know the Olympic Games? An introduction to the essentials of the Olympics through 15 questions, including Who founded the Modern Olympic Games? What are the Olympic values? Where do the athletes live during the games?
Olympic Pictograms in the Classroom Explore the history and use of the “picture signs” that represent different events. Fun activity sheets for 6-10 and 11-15 year-olds.
#PARIS2024
Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games -printable posters with detailed information about Paris, pictograms, Phryges (the Olympic and Paralympic mascots), events, venues, and sustainability efforts
Paris 2024 Quiz -companion to the posters above; includes two quizzes, one with multiple-choice questions and the other with fill-in-the-blank questions
*Credit: International Olympic Committee
Paris 2024 Summer Olympics Sports
Learn about each sport’s rules, Olympic history, and schedule for Paris. Click here.
Summer Olympics Books
What Are The Summer Olympics? The first modern Olympics were held in Athens, Greece, with over two hundred athletes from fourteen countries. Today, nearly three thousand years after the first Games, the Summer Olympics attract one hundred thousand top athletes from over two hundred countries. Billions of fans around the world cheer on their national teams to bring back the gold. –Amazon
What Are the Paralympic Games? As the Opening Ceremony for the 1948 Summer Olympic Games commenced in London, a similar sporting competition was taking place a few miles away. But the men at Stoke Mandeville weren’t your typical athletes. They were paralyzed World War II veterans. The games at Stoke Mandeville were so successful that they would eventually evolve into the Paralympics. -Amazon
G is for Gold Medal: An Olympics Alphabet Brad Herzog showcases athletes and events that set sports records and impacted history and world views. Learn the meaning behind the five interlocking rings featured on the Olympic flag. Cheer on American Jim Thorpe as he won the pentathlon and decathlon at the 1912 Olympics in Stockholm, Sweden, only to lose his medals later. –Amazon
Kid Olympians: Summer: True Tales of Childhood from Champions and Game Changers Triumphant, relatable, and true biographies tell the childhood stories of a diverse group of international athletes who have captured the world’s attention at the Summer Olympics and Paralympics, like Simone Biles, Jesse Owens, Naomi Osaka, Tatyana McFadden, and 12 other incredible Olympians. -Amazon
Magic Tree House: Hour of the Olympics No girls allowed at the Olympic Games! That’s the rule when the Magic Tree House whisks Jack and Annie back to ancient Greece. But when Annie tells Jack to go to the games without her, he knows she’s up to something. Will Annie find a way to see the games? Or will she get herself—and Jack—into Olympic-size trouble? -Amazon
Ancient Greece and the Olympics: A Nonfiction Companion to Magic Tree House (Magic Tree House Fact Tracker) When Jack and Annie got back from their adventure in Magic Tree House #16: Hour of the Olympics, they had lots of questions. Where were the very first Olympics held? How are our modern Olympics similar to the ancient Olympics? Find out the answers as Jack and Annie track the facts. Filled with up-to-date information, photos, illustrations, and fun tidbits. -Amazon
You Wouldn’t Want to Be a Greek Athlete Get ready…as a young boy growing up in Athens, your father has high hopes that you’ll enter the Olympic games. It’s demanding! -Amazon
The Wildest Race Ever: The Story of the 1904 Olympic Marathon Forty-two racers registered, thirty-two showed up, and of the three racers vying for the finish line: one drove part-way, one was helped by his trainers over the line, and one was a postman who traveled from Cuba and ran in street clothes that he cut off to look like shorts. Find out who won in this well-researched picture book. -Amazon
Summer Olympics Activities
Host Your Own Backyard Summer Games Kick off the games with an opening ceremony, compete in track and field events, balloon tennis, squirt gun archery, and water balloon volleyball.
Discover More Games, including a water bucket relay, pool noodle hurdles, and hula-hoop-a-thon.
Related Product: Games Around the World Direction cards for 35 games from 23 countries.
World Flags Decor Create bunting, signs, buttons, and bookmarks for celebrating. Perfect for opening and closing ceremonies, food displays, and more!
National Anthems of the World Learn about the history and symbolism of country flags and listen to national anthems (lyrics included).
25 Olympic Crafts Great ideas for making a paper Olympic torch, a plastic spoon Olympic wreath, Olympic Ring sunglasses, DIY medals, and more!
