On your mark. Get set. Learn! Get ready for a marathon of Olympic-themed summer learning as the world awaits the start of the games in London on Friday.
I’m pretty nerdy about the Olympics, and I’m guessing some of you are, too. Here are some fun facts about the 2012 Olympics to share with your kids (courtesy of our friends at Infoplease.com):
- London is the first city to host the Games three times in modern Olympic history
- Thanks to live streaming over the Internet, for the first time ever, fans will be able to watch the entire Olympics as they happen
- An estimated 4 billion people are expected to tune in to the opening ceremonies on Friday
- There will be 302 events in this year’s Games (learn about the events of the Summer Olympics)
- Bikinis (the former required uniform) are optional for beach volleyball players; they can now wear shorts if they choose
- Olympians will probably range in age from 14 to 71 years
- Women’s boxing will make its debut in this year’s Olympic
Kids might also be interested to know these other cool 2012 Olympic facts I found on the Web:
- For the first time in history, Team USA has more women (269) than men (261)
- U.S. Olympians range in height from 7 feet, 1 inch, to 4 feet, 11 inches
- Team USA includes at least two sets of twins and six pairs of siblings (remember, Olympians: no hitting -- unless you're a boxer!), plus 67 athletes with children (13 moms and 54 dads -- way to go, 'rents!)
Now, onto some cool activities! Print out these fun Olympic-themed worksheets for kids:
- Olympic Events Printable Word Search
- Olympic Sports Printable Word Match
- Olympic Geography Printable Word Search
- Going for the Gold Writing Activity
Test your family’s knowledge of Olympics history and trivia:
- Olympic Games Trivia Quiz
- Summer Games Trivia Quiz
- Ancient Olympics Quiz
- Olympic Mascots Quiz
- Top 10 Olympic Controversies
- Olympic Scandals Quiz
- Olympic Cities Quiz
And get your family more physically active by having your own imaginary Olympics on your home turf (hey, the average age of a U.S. Olympian is 27, so why not give your kids a head start at their Olympic dreams?!):
- Indoor Olympics Activity for Kids
- Top 10 Neighborhood Games for All Ages
- Top Summer Games and Activities for Kids
- 8 Fun (and Cheap!) Family Fitness Activities
I'll leave you with this final fun fact about the Olympics, which kids are sure to find fascinating: The athletes in the ancient Olympic Games usually competed in the nude. Imagine! (And you thought those beach volleyball bikinis were tiny. Ha!) Apparently nudity not only suited the warm Greek climate -- it also helped participants show off their athletic human figures, which were central to the celebration of the ancient games. (I think we're good with the Speedos and Spandex, thanks!)