Blog home
A mini Olympics can be a fun way for children to celebrate this exciting sporting event and get active and practice skills by taking part in their own events with the chance to win their own mini olympics medals. Team games are also great for encouraging collaboration, communication and team work. Here are some ideas for games for a mini olympics.
1. Summer skiing race
A race using summer skis is the perfect way to get children practising teamwork as they work in pairs to co ordinate their movements in order to move forward.
2. Skipping Displays
Challenge children to create their own skipping displays to music. Children can each be given a skipping rope allow them to move around and experiement with different rhythms and types of skipping to create a display.
3. Throwing caterpillar
Stand teams of between 5 and 10 children in a line. The children should be spaced 3 big foot steps apart. They then need to throw the ball from one to another. Once each child has thrown the ball, they should run to the front of the line. They need to keep the throwing caterpillar going until one person (3 steps from the person behind) reaches the finish line. This game requires both energy and focus.
4. 100 metre dash
Instead of the usual 100 metre running race, there are lots of ways to add an element of fun to a running race. Running sideways or backwards are both good variations on the traditional sprint. Using sacks or tying legs together in a three legged race will also ensure that children work as a team to reach the finish line.
5. Water relay
If the weather is warm, a water relay can be a fun way of cooling down. Divide children into teams and for each team place 2 containers one empty and one filled with water about 10 metres apart. Each of the containers with water should contain exactly the same amount. Give the children something small to move the water from one container to the other such as a large spoon or an egg cup. At the end of the race the volume of water for each team can be measured with a measuring jug to work out which team has spilled the least water.
Additional Mini Olympics Ideas
- Allocate each child or team a country and allow them to make their own flags for waving and cheering during the mini olympics.
- Allow children to create their own medals for awarding at the end of the mini olympics.
- Add some maths to your mini olympics by getting children to time races and measure distances of items thrown.
- Use ice cream cones and cupcakes to make mini olympic torch cakes decorated with orange, red and yellow icing.
Do you have any fun ideas for a mini Olympics? Please share them with us on Facebook or Twitter! For more activity ideas, follow us on Pinterest.