Olympic’s 2012 – MMF Kid-style
Guest post written by Mommy & Me Fitness Director of operations, Jen. Jen is a mother of 4 and taught kindergarten for 4 years and first grade for 5 years. We are so thankful to have Jen on our team!
Amazing. Inspiring. Heart-pounding. Incredible. I have always enjoyed watching the Olympics, even as a chi
ld. I remember cheering for the different athletes who represented our country. I also remember being in awe that these people give up everything else in their lives to be the best at their sport. This year’s Olympics have been no different as my family has cheered for swimmers, gymnasts and other athletes who have been amazing!
As we look to this second week of the 2012 Olympic Games in London, I have some fun ways my kids can get into the Olympic spirit here at our home. Keep in mind these can be serious or not , depending on what you want. It might even be fun to have some homemade medals….
- Javelin
Take old wrapping paper tubes (no sharp pointy things here – we would most definitely puncture some part of some child) and have the child(ren) see who can throw it the farthest.
- Sprints
This one is really complicated! J Line up however many kids you can find and shout “Go!” See who finishes first.
- Volleyball – Water Balloon Style
Fill up some water balloons. Spread out a net, or just have the kids hit the balloons back and forth to each other in the air. Make it as crazy or simple as you want, but everyone must get wet! (Not really, but this seems to be an unspoken kid rule at our house when water is involved. Bet you wish you lived here!)
- Shot Put
Fill up some more water balloons or use wet sponges. Make a start line with a jump rope or chalk if you do this on the driveway. Have children throw water balloons/sponges. The splash spot makes the results easy to see!
- Biking (or Triking)
Find a hard surface (driveway, sidewalk, bike trail, parking lot…some place safe) where the children can race. Line up the bikes or tricycles and let them loose!
- Long Jump
Use a jump rope or other item to create the start jump line. Have the child(ren) run up to the line and jump into something soft like grass.
There are many other things you could do to create your own version of the Olympics at home, but the most important thing is to have fun and to practice good sportsmanship. The concept of being a gracious winner or gracious loser is a work-in-progress at our home, but it is a vital part of life for all of us! The best Olympic moments are the ones where we witness someone either sacrificing for the team or encouraging the people who win the medals. As for me, even though I am learning to like lunges, sprints and burpees (kind of), I still think most athletic moments should be followed by some tasty chocolate!
“…whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31b, NLT)
About Juls, Author Of This Post
