The Winter Olympics are only a couple weeks away! The
Olympics are the perfect time to teach kids about all kinds of things. Not only
can we teach them about parts of the world that are different from where we
live, but we can also teach them about all of the different sports and the
science and dedication that is involved with the preparation for each sport. We
all have our favorite Olympic sports that we enjoy watching for both the summer
and the winter Olympics and we can use those favorite sports as education tools
for kids.
Starting with the location of the Olympics, kids can learn
about the cultural aspects of where the Olympics are being hosted. This year
the Olympics are held for the first time in Russia, in the host city of Sochi.
Sochi has a population of 400,000 people and it is situated in Krasnodar, which
is the third largest region of Russia. The
Opening Ceremony for the Olympics provides a glimpse into the culture of the
location through the use of dance and other cultural aspects that are integrated
into the ceremony. Another part of the
opening ceremony that is discussion worthy with kids is the parade of nations.
You can discuss with kids beforehand different countries to look out for during
the parade of nations, and turn it into a game. A possibility here is playing
Flags of the World Bingo, where each of the kids has a card then when the flags
go by the can mark it off on their bingo card.
When it comes to the actually events of the Olympics, you can talk through them with your child and help them to understand the rules of the different events. You can then help your child keep score of which country is in the lead to win the medals in each of their favorite events. You can even incorporate using motor skills by having your child write out the score board to keep track.
For more ideas on how to incorporate learning into watching
the Winter Olympics, head on over to our Pinterest page to see ideas from books
to read, games to play, and other fun activities for kids that are all Olympic themed.
