Inspiring Summer Olympics Study For Kids
Who’s excited to watch the Summer Olympics this year? I know I can’t wait to see some of my favorite summer sports and the new events coming to the Summer Olympics in Paris for the 2024 games. An inspiring Summer Olympics Study for Kids is a great way to learn and have fun over summer break.
I’ve put together an engaging interest-led Summer Olympics Study for Kids of all ages to inspire your kids with their favorite Olympic athletes, hands-on games and activities, and easy-to-follow lesson plans for parents and teachers. You’re going to love exploring the Olympic Games with this fun unit study!
The Olympic Games are full of learning opportunities whether your kids are curious about the sports, the athletes, or the fascinating history of the games. Whether you’re planning to watch the opening ceremony, as many events as possible, or just want something fun to keep kids engaged and learning this summer; this Summer Olympics Study is for you.
The Summer Olympics: An Overview
The Summer Olympics 2024 will happen in Paris, France. It’s an exciting year to learn more about the history of the Olympics, the city of Paris, and the fascinating athletes who compete for the gold!
Many amazing athletes are competing this year, including Kylian Mbappé (football), Sydney McLaughlin (track and field), and Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (mountain biking). The events will take place all over France in 16 different locations. Since surfing can’t be held in France, this Summer Olympic sport will happen in Tahiti this year.
Paris hasn’t hosted the Olympics since 1924. The world has changed a lot since then! In 1924, canoeing was introduced as a Summer Olympic sport, American Johnny Weissmuller won 3 gold medals for swimming, and the first Olympic Village for athletes was established.
There are expected to be several new sports and features in the 2024 Summer Olympics too. For example, this year the summer games will feature “breaking,” a form of breakdancing featuring b-boys and b-girls competing in solo battles judged on technique, creativity, and style.
The 2024 Summer Olympics are filled with learning opportunities for kids of all ages! Beyond learning about sports, kids can learn about the perseverance and work ethic of the athletes who have competed in the past and will compete this year. It’s a valuable lesson kids can use as they pursue their own passions and goals.
Additionally, the Olympic Games give us the chance to learn about different cultures all over the world and develop a greater appreciation for diversity while highlighting the importance of unity all over the world. Athletes from over 200 countries will compete in the Summer Olympics this year, showcasing their talents, backgrounds, and cultures as they compete for the gold. Their inspirational stories can motivate us to greater cultural appreciation, inspire teamwork, teach sportsmanship, and help us to develop resilience.
Inspiring Summer Olympics Study For Kids
Did you know that over 3 billion people worldwide watch the Olympic Games? If you’ve been searching for an engaging summer unit study, our Summer Olympics Study for Kids is one you won’t want to miss.
Many activities, lesson plans, and engaging resources are available in this interest-led study about the Summer Olympics for kids of all ages. Discover the activities in this inspiring Summer Olympics Study for Kids below.
What Are the Summer Olympics?
In this mini-unit lesson plan, kids will explore the history of the Summer Olympics. This lesson plan has fun book suggestions including What Are the Summer Olympics? by Gail Hermon and Olympig by Victoria Jamieson. You’ll also get access to my curated Pinterest board of hands-on activities including Olympic medal and torch crafts.
I’ve also included custom Summer Olympics coloring pages and printable handwriting practice with print and cursive copywork pages. There are also interesting videos for kids to watch to learn more about the history of the Olympics and the last Olympic Games in Paris in 1924.
Plus, you’ll get Summer Olympic Games mapping activities, writing prompts, word searches, crosswords, and timeline activities. This Summer Olympics mini unit also includes a fun printable trivia game and a timeline matching game to play with family as you watch the Olympic games.
Who Was Jesse Owens?
The next lesson plan in our Summer Olympics Study for Kids introduces students to Jesse Owens. He was a famous African American track and field star who competed in the Berlin Olympics in 1936. Jesse Owens won four gold medals at the 1936 Olympics, sending a powerful message to Nazi Germany.
In this section, kids will learn about Jesse Owens’ determination and work ethic with book suggestions like I Am Jesse Owens by Brad Meltzer and curated YouTube playlists all about Owens. There are also hands-on craft ideas including a Jesse Owens peg doll project. You’ll have fun with printable trivia games, word search pages, and crossword puzzles too.
Who Are Venus and Serena Williams?
Next, learn all about tennis superstars Venus and Serena Williams. These sisters competed in the Olympics lots of times! Venus and Serena competed in the games in 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, and 2016.
This is a fun way to learn about the tennis games at the Summer Olympics as well as learning about these amazing sibling athletes. Have fun with board games like the Tower Tennis Game. Then, enjoy printable puzzles, games, and writing prompts that encourage your kids to practice grammar, spelling, and vocabulary as they get creative sharing all they’ve learned.
Venus and Serena Williams have traveled a lot! Another fun activity in this unit encourages kids to map out their lives on a map of the United States. It’s a fun way to brush up on US Geography over the summer months.
Then, kids can compare and contrast themselves with the Williams sisters as they learn about how to use Venn Diagrams to compare similarities and differences. Finally, play a timeline matching game as you put all the exciting Olympic games where these sisters have competed in order.
Who Is Michael Phelps?
The final Olympic athlete included in our Summer Olympics Study for Kids is Michael Phelps. He is the most decorated Olympian of all time with 23 gold medals, more than any other Olympic athlete in the history of the games. Considering that the Olympic Games began in Ancient Greece, that’s quite a feat!
In this lesson, kids can learn more about Michael Phelps with biographies, quotes, custom coloring pages, and suggestions for further reading. As with all these units, I’ve also included YouTube playlists, Pinterest boards with exciting crafts, and board game ideas.
You’ll get printable activities including word searches, timeline cards, and crossword puzzles too. One of my favorite aspects of these Olympic athlete units is the printable biographical organizer. This page is great for encouraging kids to take notes as you read and helping them practice a variety of important skills as they learn about some very cool athletes.
12 Bonus Games!
I’ve saved the best for last with these 12 bonus games! You’ll get a dozen printable games you can play with your kids as you explore and learn about the Summer Olympic Games together.
The first game is a printable Word Scramble page where kids can use critical thinking skills to uncover secret Olympic vocabulary like “cycling” and “volleyball.” Next up, There’s an A to Z challenge to encourage your Olympic Games fans to think carefully as they work to write Olympic words for every letter of the alphabet. Then, play “Fact or Fake” together.
Olympic Fact or Fake is a game where players describe whether the sentence is a fact or a fake. It’s a fun way for kids to practice reading comprehension and critical thinking skills. For example, is it fact or fake that the 5 Olympic rings represent the 5 oceans of the world?
Another fun aspect of the Summer Olympics is the Olympic Mascot. These characters represent the spirit and culture of the country hosting the Olympic Games. They first appeared at the games in Munich in 1972 with “Waldi.”
As you try to guess what the Olympic Mascot for the Paris games will be, have fun guessing the names and countries of past mascots with this fun printable game. Can you find “Miraitowa,” the Olympic Mascot from the Tokyo Summer Olympics?
After playing an Olympic Mascot Game, enjoy guessing Olympic logos, naming flags, and guessing the Summer Olympic sports. Then, play Olympic Emoji Pictionary together by guessing the phrases and creating your own!
There are also Olympic mazes, trivia games, BINGO cards, and a printable to help you host your own family Olympic games in the backyard. All the games included in this summer unit study will make it one of the most fun units yet!
More Summer Studies For Kids
The 2024 Summer Olympics will officially end on August 11. After you’ve completed your Summer Olympics Study, check out some of our other engaging summer unit studies for kids.
Spy Academy
Train to be secret agents with our Spy Academy Unit Study featuring fascinating lessons in science, history, and geography. This is the perfect way to learn about the history of espionage while discovering some very interesting secret weapons and top-secret codes. Plus, learn about famous spies like Nathan Hale and Edith Cavell.
Survival Unit Study
Are your kids interested in Bear Grylls? Does your family love camping? Get prepared for anything with our Survival Unit Study all about surviving in the great outdoors. Learn how to survive a natural disaster like an avalanche as well as basic survival skills like building a fire in this exciting summer unit study.
What are you excited to learn about this summer? I’d love to read all about the fun summer learning activities you have planned, so don’t forget to share your great ideas in the comments.