Celebrate the Olympics!

The Olympics are big at our house. (I'm SURE I mentioned that before.)

My favourite Olympic tradition is the hanging of the rings in the front window. We have hung them over 15 times. (This is my 3rd set.) I use hula hoops and coloured electrical tape. I can get most colours at the $ store. Sometimes I can even get the hula hoops there. I put the rings together with clear packing tape. When we take them down, I cut the tape and store the hoops in a garbage bag, hanging in the garage. Thank-you, Mark for hanging them for me this year. (Usually David does it for me.) Usually we have Super Nachos for the Opening Ceremonies. I put the toppings in large, low clear glass dishes. (pie size) Top row-l to r-blue sour cream, black sliced olives, tomatoes. Bottom row-cheese, green onions. (I also serve nacho cheese, ground beef, tortillas, tortilla chips, lettuce, refried beans, my cafe' rio dressing, black beans...)

Unfortunately, this year Mark requested them for Super Bowl Sunday.

We also try to have meals from different countries through out the events.

Don't forget mini flags. They are fun and cheap.

The running of the torch is a fun game-or easy dessert. We just use the pointed sugar cones and vanilla ice cream. To give it the "flame" we use sugar sprinkles or coloured sugar. You can get sprinkles at most $ stores. We did not have yellow so we just made some. (Put some sugar in a plastic container with a drop of food coloring. Let the kids shake away.) We roll it in coloured sugars and sprinkle the sprinkles.

(For a game, don't fill the cone. Get a red/orange light weight tennis size ball and let kids try to pass it from cone to cone-with no hands. (You can make cones with paper, but why?) You could also get the effect with a cupcake set or cooked in a flat bottomed cone. (These can be made ahead if time is an issue.)

My kids always loved Jello Jigglers and cookie cutters. We made the rings with the 5 Olympic ring colours. (For black we used grape.) I used 1 large box of Jello and 1 1/4 cup boiling water. I had my colours set up in my TUPPERWAVE so I could stack them in the fridge. Layne and I used a mixing bowl with a rim to cut out our circles. (Layne liked pulling the edges away.) (And eating them.) We loosened the circles with a spatula and set them up on our Olympic Flag. (O.K. It is really a lid from a container that we washed, well. Layne was happy there were lots of edges.
If you have younger children, you may want to watch for Gold medal behavior. On the evening of the Closing Ceremonies, have your owm Medal Awards. Make medals easily with gold coins, ribbon and a glue gun.

Spend some time with a map or globe and look at where the athletes are from.

Talk about the oaths. This is taken by one athlete and one judge at the Opening Ceremonies. It is taken on behalf of all the athletes and judges. (Integrity and fair play)

The Paralympics are held this month, also. It provides a chance to discuss disabilities, capabilities and perseverance.

For a movie activity consider MIRACLE, CHARIOTS OF FIRE, COOL RUNNINGS, THE CUTTING EDGE, ROWING THROUGH, ONE DAY IN SEPTEMBER, THE FIRST OLYMPICS:Athens 1896 (TV), JIM THORPE-ALL AMERICAN are a few.

And don't forget the music. There are many Olympic cds. I love John Williams' music, and the Utah schools Olympic music.

Emily had her students make their own "pins" that they will trade for "pin trading" day.

Please post your Olympic ideas in the comment area of the most recent post. Have fun with the Olympics and your family.

linked to http://todayscreativeblog.blogspot.com/2010/02/get-your-craft-on_16.html