Activities for an Olympic Themed Party
Sporting Contests & Crafts for a Children's Olympics Celebration
Add creative sports themed crafts and Olympic-style activities to your Summer Olympics party.
With your invitations sent, your teams selected and your decorations set, now it's time to implement the activities that will make your guests remember their Olympic experience for years to come. The key to this part of the event is to mimic several of the summer Olympic events, in a friendly, non-threatening and safe manner. Remember that not everyone will be a winner in the Olympics, and the thrill and camaraderie of competing is what the Olympic experience is all about.
Activities and Events
Track & Field
- Shot Put: Use a 16" softball to simulate a shot put event. Using spray paint, create a shot launch area in the corner of your yard. The competitors will begin in the corner of the yard and throw the shot towards the center of the yard. Instruct the guests that the shot is not to be thrown (like a baseball), but rather it should be launched from the shoulder. Spray paint concentric circles in 1 foot increments radiating out from the the launch area, so that you can "measure" the distances that the competitors throw.
- Javelin Throw: You can use the same Shot Put launch area for this event, or create a longer area in another part of the yard. Rather than throwing a real javelin, obtain the Nerf javelin or create your own using a flexible pool "noodle" with a length of narrow radius PVC pipe inserted through the middle of the Noodle.
- Hurdles: This single event is the epitome of Track and Field. However, it can be somewhat scary to jump over a real hurdle. Create your own kid-friendly hurdles with two uprights (can be made from orange cones, tomato stakes, or scrap wood. Separate them enough so that there is no risk of the kids crashing into them. Complete the hurdle be stuffing a length of flexible Noodle (or use the inexpensive styrofoam pipe insulation) over the uprights. Make the uprights tall enough to be a little challenge, but not so high that the kids cannot leap over them. Just create one hurdle path -- each kid can be timed individually.
Gymnastics
- Tumbling: This event is simple to stage – it's basically an exercise in forward and backward somersaults, an occasional cartwheel and some leaps. But what makes it really fun is to explain that a gymnastics floor exercise is the marriage of the athletic elements and the expressive part of the music. So unless you have a fledgling Kerry Strug on your guest list, most of the kids will be doing the same tricks. You will get to judge them on how much fun they make of the music! Prior to the party, pick out several short selections of music – about 30-60 seconds – that have great character. You may choose a waltz, some salsa, current hits or anything that makes your body want to move! Delineate an area for the tumbling – either spray paint a square on the grass, or use your family room carpet. Use a boombox to randomly select a musical selection for the competitiors. Set up some chairs for the "judges" and let the fun begin!
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The copyright of the article Activities for an Olympic Themed Party in Entertaining is owned by Janice Benoit. Permission to republish Activities for an Olympic Themed Party in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
