Are you ready for the Summer Olympic Games? Get ready to go for the gold with an Olympic-themed play date with pint-sized Olympic crafts, snacks and activities. It’s a perfect way to get kids excited about the sports, their nation, medals, and of course, friendly competition! The Summer Olympics start Friday, Aug. 5, and run until Sunday, Aug. 21, in Brazil. Get your kids and friends together for some gold medal fun and don’t forget your podium for all of the first place fun!
EVENTS (and materials needed)
Gymnastics: Balance beam (beam or 2″x4″ — we picked up one at IKEA)
Athletics: 100m dash and 3200m run (crepe paper for a finish line)
Athletics: Long jump (yarn to mark the start and yard flags to mark how far kids jump)
Athletics: Shot putt (water balloons and a hula hoop)
Athletics: Discus (Frisbee and a hula hoop)
Athletics: Hurdles (two 10.5-inch PVC pipes cut to three two-foot pieces, six 10-inch pieces, and six 12-inch pieces, along with 12 90-degree angle 1/2″ elbows — you can make three hurdles for less than $8)
Athletics: Javelin (pool noodles and a hula hoop)
Volleyball: (beach ball and a net)
Football (aka, soccer): (soccer ball and a net)
Golf: (putt-putt play set)
CRAFTS (and materials needed)
Olympic Torch (toilet paper rolls, aluminum foil, tape, red/orange/yellow tissue paper)
Olympic Rings (red, yellow, green, blue and black paint, white paper, toilet paper tubes, and wipes for messy hands; kids can paint the rings with the toilet paper tubes or paint their hands for a fun twist)
Olympic Bracelets (yarn or beading string, colored beads, tape and scissors; use the tape to secure one end of the bracelet so the beads don’t fall off during stringing)
Medals (air-drying clay, paper plates to transport medal home, and red/white/blue ribbon)
For additional Olympic themed fun:
- Create an Olympic paper chain countdown with Olympic facts
- Play Olympic sports BINGO
- Olympic Torch Snack — fill an ice cream cone with popcorn or Cheetos
- Olympic Ring Cookies — sugar cookies with white frosting and M&M’s to represent Olympic rings
“The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph, but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered, but to have fought well.” — Olympic creed