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The goal of the Olympics is for athletes from seven continents to celebrate friendship, unity and peace. The Olympic rings consist of five interlaced rings of equal dimensions, which are, from left to right, blue, yellow, black, green, and red. The Olympic rings represent the union of the five continents and the meeting of athletes from around the world at the Olympic Games. 

The Olympics provides an opportunity for you and your children to discuss and reflect on the underlying values represented by the athletes as ambassadors of Canada. There should be ample opportunities to initiate discussions with children so they reflect on the importance of reaching goals by working hard, doing their best, and understanding that making mistakes is a natural outcome of learning.  It is also a time for all of us to reflect on the many positive attributes of competitive sports.

1.  Read and Sing together 📚

YouTube readings are unavailable for the following books. You may wish to try to locate these titles at your school or public library: 

  • A is for Axel by Kurt Browning. Four-time World Champion and professional figure skater Kurt Browning creates an ice skating alphabet. From holding an edge to laces and hooks, Kurt glides and dances through the alphabet explaining the history, techniques, and memorable moments of the sport. 
  • Snowman Paul Returns to the Winter Olympics by Yossi Lapid. Everything is about to change when Snowman Paul is invited to serve as a referee at the fast approaching Winter Olympic Games Will this sudden opportunity to bask in Olympic glory spoil Snowman Paul’s special friendship with Dan and all the other kids? This book is about all the values we would like our own children to embrace. Meet Paul, a snowman with big dreams who is not afraid to be different or tell the truth. Are you ready to experience the Olympic thrill with your little one? Join Snowman Paul in this fantastic Winter Olympics adventure.
  • Learning to Ski with Mr. McGee by Chris Van Dusen. One winter morning, Mr. Magee and his little dog, Dee, head out bright and early to learn how to ski. But what begins as a pleasant day in the snow quickly goes downhill when a run-in with a curious moose sends them flying through the air and hanging above an abyss! How will Dee and Magee find their way out of this snowy situation?
Learning to Ski with Mr. Magee: (Read Aloud Books, Series Books for Kids, Books for Early Readers)
  • The Winter Olympics (True Books: Sports) by Larry Dane Brimner. The world of winter Olympic sports comes to life in these colourful and informative series including several titles. Each book begins with the history of a particular sport and then describes aspects such as its mechanics, competitive elements, special Olympic moments, etc. Noteworthy items are highlighted in brightly colored “focus” sections, and pictorial aids, such as a chart that shows the length and number of curves in a luge run, provide additional details of the sport’s logistics. Recurring themes such as sportsmanship and teamwork emphasize the unique spirit of the Olympics, 
  • What Are the Winter Olympics? What Was? by Gail Herman.Although fans the world over have been fascinated by the modern Summer Olympics since 1896, the Winter Olympics didn’t officially begin until 1924. The event celebrates cold-weather sports, displaying the talents of skiers, ice skaters, hockey players, and, most recently, snowboarding. This book covers the US highs and lows including the Tonya Harding-Nancy Kerrigan figure-skating scandal in 1994. It includes 80 black-and-white illustrations and a 16-page photo insert.
  • What Are the Paralympic Games? What Was? by Gail Herman. As the Opening Ceremony for the 1948 Summer Olympic Games commenced in London, a similar sporting competition was taking place a few miles away. But the men at Stoke Mandeville weren’t your typical athletes. They were paralyzed World War II veterans. The games at Stoke Mandeville were so successful that they would eventually evolve into the Paralympics. Participants from all around the world vie for the gold medal in a variety of sports, including archery, basketball, swimming, speed skating, and ice hockey. This book highlights their achievements, describes how these athletes train–both mentally and physically–for the games, and gives the reader a better understanding of what makes the Paralympic Games one of the world’s most viewed sporting events.
  • Ashley Gish Winter Olympics Series.
    • Ice Hockey; Amazing Winter Olympics by Ashley Gish. Celebrate the Winter Games with this high-interest introduction to ice hockey, the team sport known for its pucks and sticks. Also included is a historical story about Women’s Team USA.
  • Curling; Amazing Winter Olympics by Ashley Gish. Celebrate the Winter Games with this high-interest introduction to curling, the team sport known for its rocks and brooms. Also included is a biographical story about curler Anna Hasselborg.
  • Figure Skating; Amazing Winter Olympics by Ashley Gish. Celebrate the Winter Games with this high-interest introduction to figure skating, the sport known for its singles, pairs, and ice dancing events. Also included is a biographical story about figure skater Yuzuru Hanyu.
  • Snowboarding; Amazing Winter Olympics by Ashley Gish. Celebrate the Winter Games with this high-interest introduction to snowboarding, the sport known for its halfpipe and slopestyle events. Also included is a biographical story about skier and snowboarder Ester Ledecká.
  • Alpine Skiing; Amazing Winter Olympics by Ashley Gish.Celebrate the Winter Games with this high-interest introduction to alpine skiing, the sport known for its slalom and downhill races. Also included is a biographical story about skier Mikaela Shiffrin.
  • Freestyle Skiing; Amazing Winter Olympics by Ashley Gish. Celebrate the Winter Games with this high-interest introduction to freestyle skiing, the sport known for its aerial and mogul events. Also included is a biographical story about skier Alexandre Bilodeau.
  • Speed Skating; Amazing Winter Olympics by Ashley Gish. Celebrate the Winter Games with this high-interest introduction to speed skating, the sport known for its short- and long-track events. Also included is a biographical story about skater Maame Biney.  
  • Luge; Amazing Winter Olympics by Ashley Gish. Celebrate the Winter Games with this high-interest introduction to luge, the sport known for its sleds and icy courses. Also included is a biographical story about slider Shiva Keshavan.

 

  • Olympic Jokes; 100% Unofficial. Children’s Books Macmillan. Get ready for the Olympics with this fun book full of sporting one liners and olympic puns! Why is a banana so good at gymnastics? Because they’re great at the splits! Why couldn’t the athlete listen to music? Because she broke the record! Olympic Jokes is filled with over 200 jokes about all sorts of sports! Perfect for any young athletes who like a good giggle.

SONGS

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Open-ended art projects encourage children to choose from a variety of materials made available at home or in the classroom. This allows children to choose the materials they want to use, how they want to use them, and what they will make. Each child’s creation is unique and original as there is no right or wrong way to explore and create. Creative expression offers children an opportunity to develop important skills that support positive social emotional health including the ability to name and identify their own feelings, think critically about the world around them and practice self-regulation for positive behaviour management. 

2. Create together: Puzzles, Crafts, Singing, Drawing and Constructing 🧩 

  • Have children enjoy creating some open-ended Olympic art activities in preparation to celebrate the Olympics. In this way they can learn more about the Olympic Circles, Mascots and much more. 
    • Have children create nature-themed Olympic Circles by finding natural items such as leaves, rocks, twigs, pinecones, to complete each of the five circles. They may have to paint some of the items as it can be challenging to find the right colours. Alternatively, they can simply create and leave their art in the natural setting.

3. Explore together 🌍

  • Introduce children to Beijing and the 2022 Winter Olympics:
    • View this video in Beijing showing some of the sights, sporting venues, and even a sneak peek of some of the events. 
    • Have children locate Beijing, China on the map and calculate how long it takes to travel there and also figure out the local time in Beijing.  
    • Share information about the torch relay. 
    • Learn about previous Olympic mascots and have children create a new one.
    • Learn more about the official Beijing 2022 Mascot Bing Deng Deng. “Bing” means “ice”, and symbolizes purity and strength, while “Dwen Dwen” means robust and lively and represents the children.With a suit of ice, a heart of gold and a love of all things winter sports, this panda is ready to share the true spirit of the Olympics with the whole world.
    • Learn about the official Beijing 2022 Paralympic Game Mascot  Shuey Rhon Rhon who represents a lantern associated with the Lunar New Year. 
    • Share the many Olympic Venues
    • Learn about the schedule and athletes competing in the Winter Games. 

4. Healthy Living: Movement and Nutrition 👭

  • Want to get kids excited and in the spirit of the Olympics? 
  • Organize a Winter-themed Olympic day at home or on the school playground. Before your home or classroom games, have children say the following  (Olympic oath)  Olympic Oath:
    • In the name of all competitors, I promise that we shall take part in these Olympic Games, respecting and abiding by the rules that govern them, in the true spirit of sportsmanship, for the glory of sport and the honour of our teams.
    • A simplified version for children to say could be: “I promise to follow the rules of the games;to be fair; to be a good sport, to  honour my teams and to play for fun!

5. Reflect: Thoughts of the Day about The Olympics and Learning 💭