Olympic Ideas you Can Do with Your Kids in School or

at Home

Here’s an idea for a few events you can try, either at home or at the park:

Discus – use a Frisbee

Hammer throw – put a tennis ball down an old odd sock

Shot put – use a cricket ball or similar, or even a large rock

Running races – adults have to be handicapped to make it fair, or try time trials where you have to run your age times 10 metres.  Ditto cycle races.

Long jump – sandpit optional

High jump - putting a lightweight stick that doesn’t hurt when hit between two kitchen chairs. Don’t forget to get out a mattress to land on (that’s half the fun!)

Gymnastics: go to the park to use the jungle gym for bars, or do floor events in the living room – don’t forget the music!

Weightlifting – use actual free weights if you’ve got them or improvise with tin cans in shopping bags. This counts as a Montessori-style sensory experience, as it introduces the concepts of heavy, heavier and heaviest.  You can start by ranking the things to be lifted in order from lightest to heaviest to reinforce this one.

Equestrian: use hobby horses, play at being a horse or ride the adults in the family.

Shooting – use water pistols aimed at targets painted on cardboard, or try to shoot out candle flames.

Gracious behaviour and good manners are important in Montessori learning, and part of graciousness is being a

good sport. 

This can be something that you can discuss with your children as you watch various events. Is that particular athlete

being a bit of a show-off? 

Was he/she a good loser if they didn’t get a medal (or got the silver after just missing out on the gold)? You might have to watch your own behaviour

here, especially if you are getting particularly

enthusiastic

as what your children see you doing and what they hear you saying in an excited and unguarded moment will

probably have more influence on them than what you say when you’re

trying to teach them an important concept.

Of course, winning and losing depends on a number of mathematical and

physical concepts, some of which your child is still in the process of grasping through Montessori

sensory materials.

Don’t forget to use the important words when talking about what you’re

watching – things like “faster”, “higher”, “heavier”, “longer”

and so forth.

The Olympics, after all, are a very large exercise in ranking and sorting things

into order using a mathematical concept, so make the most of this learning opportunity.

Don’t forget to watch events with your child.

Preschoolers aren’t up to deciphering the ads that are inevitably screened

and you don’t want them unduly influenced by them.

Switch the TV off or at least mute it during the ad breaks and encourage

movement, trips to the toilet, etc. at this stage.

You will be able to do this better if you are watching with your pre-schooler,

and you will also be able to talk about various concepts and guide

your child as you watch together.

This article is from the Fridays Child Montessori Blog.

www.fridayschildmontessori.com