A Winning Combination: Watching the Olympics With Your Kids

Watching the Olympics with your kids can be fun and educational. We’ll show you how with these ideas!
Olympic Symbol Landmark

A Winning Combination: Watching the Olympics with Your Kids

The long-awaited Olympics have arrived for our household! We watched the opening ceremony together and discussed many of the Olympic traditions. The next morning, the kids were up early watching the first events – handball and shooting turned out to be some new fan favorites. But wait, is this just an excuse for more screen time? We still have math packets to finish and bucket list adventures to complete before school starts next month.

Then, my son asked me what event I would want to compete in and it turns out that watching the Olympics together can lead to some interesting family conversation and shared learning. So many new countries and sports to explore! 


Let’s Talk Olympics! 

Try out some of these conversation starters as you watch the games together. What can you learn about each other and the world?

  • If you could win a gold medal in any event, which one would you choose?
  • If you could set a world record doing anything, what would it be?
  • Which country would you most like to visit?
  • If our family had a flag, what colors and symbols would it have and why?
  • If you could create a new Olympic sport, what would it be?
  • What kind of skills do you think Olympic athletes need to develop beyond physical training?
  • Olympic athletes train hard, but not everyone wins a medal. What would you do if you competed and didn’t win?
Olympic runners waiting to start a race

Olympics Activities to Try

Of course, the educator in me can’t pass up the teachable moments. Here are some videos and activities that we enjoyed as a family:

 

All About the Olympics

7 Things to Know about the Opening Ceremony

All About Karate: A New Sport at the Olympic Games

Kids Guide to Japan

Create Your Own Backyard Olympics!

 

Faster, Stronger, Higher – Together! 

…and don’t forget, charting the medal count is a good way to practice those math and geography skills that may have lapsed over summer. Use a map to pick 3-5 countries that you think will win the most Olympic medals (bonus: spend some time learning about those countries that are unfamiliar to you). Then have your kids create a chart and record the number of medals each of those countries gets. At the end of the Olympics, celebrate by making a treat from that country!

 

About the Writer

Jennifer Herrington

Educator, working parent and lifelong learner
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Jennifer Herrington

Educator, working parent and lifelong learner.
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