Olympics Activities for Kids

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If you are looking for Olympics activities for kids, here are some of our very best ideas. Take this opportunity to get kids of all ages excited about physical activity. As mentioned on our Torch Craft Page, children are less active and healthy than ever, so take advantage of the millions of dollars spent on promoting the games to develop a long-term interest in healthy behaviors!

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Basketball
If you don't have a hoop available, or don't want to make one, just have children throw balls or beanbags into a bucket or a laundry basket.

Gymnastics

• If you have tumbling mats available, allow children to roll and/or tumble at their level of ability,
• If you have a balance beam, use it! If you don't have a balance beam, lay a strip of masking tape on the floor and have children walk the line.
• The trampoline is one of the events, so whatever you can use that is safe (a jogging rebounder with a bar to hold on to, children's inflatables, etc.). Jumping is always a hit with kids!

Hide and Seek
How about a spirited game of hide and seek? It may be best for this to be an indoor event, especially if you are an anxious mama like I tend to be!

Hopscotch Olympics
Got chalk? Use sidewalk chalk to draw a hopscotch outline on flat concrete, or use masking tape on carpet or hard floor (it is a little harder to peel up off of a hard floor, so use your judgement!)

Obstacle Course
Use what you have to make an obstacle course with lots of under (crawling) over (stepping or jumping) and through (got a tunnel?). Have each child complete the course while classmates wave flags and/or cheer their "Olympian" on.

Soccer Olympics
Do this outside! Allow children to kick a ball toward a net. Cheer like crazy!

Swimming
This might be kind of hard to pull off, but if you want to have a pretend swimming race, have children WALK while moving their arms in various swim strokes (butterfly, breaststroke, etc.) after demonstrating to them, first.

Track and Field
Have some races. Allow children to burst through a crepe paper streamer for the finish line. Try to make sure everyone gets to win. If necessary, eliminate the winners one by one, make sure they cheer their friends on!

Volleyball
Set up a net (we happen to have the Bella Dancerella barre but it is kind of short - width wise) using string, crepe paper streamers, whatever you have on hand. The children can try to volley a balloon over the "net" or you could just allow them to play with the balloons by hitting them up in the air.

Weightlifting
Fill plastic bottles with water weighing various amounts (none so full that the children wouldn't be able to lift them). Allow children to try to lift the bottles and discuss light and heavy.

Wrestling
I wouldn't recommend this, but if you're brave... (seriously, I don't recommend it!)

If you have a YMCA or similar organization closeby, consider having someone come by to bring real sporting equipment for the children to see, or take them to a field trip to see a sport in action. A Taekwondo or Judo school might like to put on a demonstration.

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