The Paris Summer Olympic Games begin July 26 and we are pumped up to support our favorite athletes and meet those whose inspiring stories we are sure to fall in love with over the course of the competition.
We will all have plenty of chances to get our fill of our favorite sports with 329 events taking place during the Games (See the full schedule here).
Want to get the kids pumped up for all the excitement? Inspire their love of the Olympics with these four great (and easy!) Olympic-inspired crafts and activities:
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Create your own family javelin throw
Who can get the tube to travel the furthest?
Supplies needed:
- String
- Empty cardboard tube
- Tape
Directions:
1. Stretch a piece of string from one side of the room to the other.
2. Before securing the string in place, slide the empty cardboard tube roll onto the string.
3. Test your strength by seeing who can throw the tube the furthest along the string. For a challenge, secure the string at an incline.
Light that spirit with your very own torch
The Olympic flame dates back to the first Olympic games in ancient Greece. A flame was ignited by the sun and kept burning until the end of the games. The flame represents purity and a quest for perfection.
Supplies needed:
- 11x17 piece of white paper (other sizes work too!)
- Clear tape
- 1 sheet each of yellow, red, and orange tissue paper
- Glue
Directions:
- Roll the white piece of paper into a cone shape and tape it closed.
- Layer sheets of tissue paper flat on the floor. Grab and gather the sheets in the center.
- Place the bouquet of tissue sheets into the cone opening. You can apply glue around the inside of the opening before tucking in the sheets. Once dry, the glue will hold the sheets in place. Children can choose to decorate the cone to their liking to make the torch their own!
Play a game of paper plate tennis
Supplies needed:
- Paper plates
- Craft sticks
- Balloon
- Tape
Directions:
- Decorate each paper plate to represent your team.
- Tape a craft stick to the back of the plate to form a handle.
- Hit a balloon back and forth using your new paddles.
- Determine how players earn points or just try to keep the balloon from hitting the ground.
DIY salt dough medals
Supplies needed:
- 1 cup salt
- 1 cup flour
- 3/4 cup water
- Acrylic Paints (gold, silver, and bronze)
- Paint brushes
- Ribbon
Directions:
- Make your salt dough by combining the flour and salt and adding water gradually. Knead it until it gets a dough-like consistency. (If it's too sticky, add more flour. If it won't hold together, add more water 1 tsp. at a time.)
- Shape your salt dough into a circle about one centimeter thick. We used a mason jar lid to help shape ours, but cookie cutters or other household items work great too!
- Using a straw, poke a hole at the top (this is where the ribbon will go through).
- Press a 1, 2, and 3 into each shape. I used molds from a Play-Doh® kit. You can also use cookie cutters or a butter knife to make your own!
- Place the finished "medals" onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for about 2 hours at 200 degrees, turning once.
- Cool.
- Paint your medals — you can use the traditional gold, silver, or bronze or let your kids paint them in whatever colors they love.
- Thread the ribbon through the hole and tie a knot at the ends.
