Our First Annual Family Olympics

Our grandkids have been spending a lot of time at our house this summer (They do love me, but it’s the pool that’s the big draw), so I thought it was only fair to warn them about our potential abandonment. No, we weren’t going on vacation or moving; we were about to become obsessed with the Olympics! Every four years, my husband and I stop what we’re doing and become glued to the television for two weeks. I told the grandkids they had a choice to make. They could either become obsessed with the Olympics, or we’d see them on August 12, when the Olympics are over.

It was an idle threat. If you know me, you know I can’t stay away from my grandkids that long. However, my empty threat did serve the purpose of motivating the kids to watch some of the Olympics with us. I’m not totally unrealistic, or at least not most of the time. I’m aware that a three-year-old and a seven-year-old will have a limited attention span and interest in the Olympics. I decided to conduct the First Annual Family Olympics to get them excited and involved.

They had to choose five out of the eight activities.

Family Olympics

Kids

I chose eight activities for them, and they had to choose at least five to participate in to earn a medal. Because there’s a significant disparity in their ages, I chose not to make it competitive and tried to include activities that had a range of difficulties. I was expecting my seven-year-old grandson to think he was too cool and do the minimum. Surprisingly, he was so excited about it all that he was jumping up and down and wanted to do it all!

Three-year-old Sylvia had an ear infection, so she picked everything that didn’t involve swimming. They had a great time completing the activities and were even game to step on my makeshift podium and receive their medals. The entire family attempted to sing the national anthem as I presented their medals. Due to our poor vocal abilities, we switched to singing “Oklahoma” – a much easier song for the vocally challenged.

Adults

I designed a quiz with ten questions about the Olympics for the adults. Learning new facts about the Olympics was fun, interesting, and sparked some good conversation. My 37-year-old daughter decided she also wanted to complete five of the kids’ activities, and therefore, she earned a medal! I guess you’re never too old to want a gold medal!

Getting the gold on the (makeshift) podium!

Decorations and Food

I threw this together the afternoon of the Olympics opening, so I didn’t have much time. Also, I am absolutely NOT a “Pinterest” type of person. I’m the kind of person whose efforts might be featured on the “Pinterest Fail” site. However, I managed to dig up a gold tablecloth, hang some gold medals around, and turn my Olympic Barbie from the ’90s into the centerpiece.

For the cake, I decided to go to the grocery store, buy a bakery cake, and ask them to put the Olympic rings on top. I was surprised (but shouldn’t have been) when they said they couldn’t do the rings because of trademark rights. So that left me, the anti-Pinterest woman, to buy the frosting decorating tubes and do it myself. Thank goodness my grandkids have a low bar set for expectations.

It may be a “Pinterest Fail,” but my grandkids loved it!

Results

Our first annual Family Olympics was so fun that I would give myself a gold medal for effort. The kids had such a good time that they wanted to do all the activities again the next day when they visited. They both learned a little about the Olympics and showed a slight interest in the opening ceremony, gymnastics, archery, and swimming. Sylvia became enamored of Caleb Dressel, nicknaming him Birdie because of his big Eagle tattoo and cheering “Go Birdie” every time he raced. I’m going to call our first “Family Olympics” a win!

Did I manage to turn them into Olympics fans? That remains to be seen, but we created some fun family memories and possibly a new annual family tradition. They aren’t Olympics fanatics like me, but maybe I planted a seed that will bloom in four years when Los Angeles hosts the 2028 Summer Olympics. The Paris Olympics last until August 11, so you still have time to conduct your Family Olympics!

She wanted to do this event over and over!

Olympics Questions

1. What are the colors of the Olympic rings, and what do they represent?
2. How often are the Olympics held?
3. Where were the original Olympics held?
4. When was the last time the United States boycotted the Olympics?
5. What is the Olympics motto?
6. Which country has hosted the most Olympics games?
7. What year were women first allowed to compete in the Olympics?
8. How many medals did swimmer Mark Spitz win in the 1972 Olympics?
9. What year was the first women’s Olympic marathon?
10. Which two cities have hosted the modern-day Summer Olympics three times?

Olympics Answers

1. Blue for Europe, yellow for Asia, black for Africa, green for Australia, and red for Americas
2. Every four years
3. Greece
4. 1980
5. Faster, higher, stronger
6. U.S.
7. 1900
8. Seven
9. 1984 in LA
10. London and Paris

My grandson loved the swimming challenges!