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Bring the Summer Games home to your kids

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The Olympic Games are upon us and children will be curious to learn more about these exciting events.

A great overall reference book is ’ÄúOlympics (DK Eyewitness Books).’Äù This includes a history going back to ancient Greece and how the games have changed over the years. It has a host of famous Olympians with photos and unique illustrations. The glossary is useful too.

You and your child can choose a topic from this book to generate more research. Is there a particular game or athlete your child wants to learn more about?

Head to the library or your own computer to hunt for information. These research skills will help them all through school.

Another resource book is ’ÄúThe Summer Olympics (True-Books Sports)’Äù by Bob Knotts. This book includes all the summer events from judo to field hockey. It is written in short easy-to-read sentences and has exciting pictures for the youngest enthusiasts.

After reading this book, pick an event your child showed an interest in. Plan to watch the event on television and make it special with refreshments you make together like home-baked cookies or a fruit platter. Write down the contestants’Äô names as they appear and chart the results of the event.

For a glimpse at a real Olympic winner, read ’ÄúWilma Unlimited: How Wilma Rudolph Became the World’Äôs Fastest Woman.’Äù Written by Kathleen Krull and illustrated by David Diaz, this is the true story of a girl who faced terrible adversity and overcame it all to win three gold medals in the 1960 summer Olympics. Born to a family with 19 older brothers and sisters, she contracted polio at age five and had to wear a leg brace until she was 12.

You can encourage your children to exercise their running skills by having short races in the back yard in the early morning before it gets too hot. Use a stopwatch and chart progress every day. It is fun for children to see how much they can improve their time over the course of a week or two.

In ’ÄúHour of the Olympics,’Äù Jack and Annie from the Magic Tree House series travel to ancient Greece for the first Olympic games where girls are not allowed. After an exciting adventure they get to ride Pegasus the winged horse.

This series is written by Mary Pope Osborne and illustrated by Sal Murdocca. She also wrote a research guide with Natalie Pope Boyce called ’ÄúMagic Tree House Research Guide: Ancient Greece and the Olympics,’Äù also illustrated by Sal Murdocca. The two books work well together but can stand alone as well.

You can have your own Olympic games at your house. How about putting on a chariot race? Get two cardboard boxes and tie a rope or yarn onto each one. Decorate the chariots with markers and crepe paper. Put stuffed animals or dolls in the chariots and let your children pull them around the living room. You can make ribbons to give out as prizes.

Let the games begin!

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