GAME ON!

Every four years, our summer is interrupted by an exciting spur of national pride. People of all ages gather around their TVs and social media to tune into the Summer Olympics. Something about watching every country’s most talented athletes compete on a world stage is motivating. The only thing more fun than watching athletes compete on TV is doing it yourself! Looking for a way to get youth in on the action? We have some ideas for you!

2021 TYAN YOUTH SUMMER OLYMPICS

Get youth in the spirit of things by holding your own 2021 TYAN Youth Summer Olympics! Whether you have a group of 5 youth or 50, you can make this work. Split your youth into teams and let them choose a country to represent. If you have a smaller group of youth, each of them represents their own country; larger groups can pair up. Each country will compete in different events and go for the gold!

LET’S GET EDUCATED

Let’s make this a fun, but educational, experience. Once the teams have chosen their countries, prompt them to learn a little about their country. Ask them things like:

  • Where is their country located?

  • What language do the people speak?

  • What do people do for fun there?

 

Each team can present their country to the group and teach their peers about their choice. This will help them establish confidence, research skills, and good public speaking habits.

For younger youth, researching countries may be a bit more challenging. Instead, encourage them to get creative and make their own countries to present to their peers. To get their creative minds thinking, try asking them a few questions about their country. Questions could include:

  • What language would the people there speak?

  • An existing language or would they create their own?

  • What would the people do in their country?

  • What physical characteristics does their country have?

  • Is it rocky with mountains or sandy and surrounded by the ocean?

WE GOT SPIRIT

Now let’s get our athletes in uniform! Encourage them to go all out and proudly display their country’s colors. Teams can even decorate t-shirts with their country’s colors, name, or flag. For younger youth, have them design their country’s flag and pick out the colors they want to wear for the games!

LET THE GAMES BEGIN

It’s game time for your youth competitors. Here are some events to kick off the friendly competition and get the 2021 TYAN Youth Summer Olympics started!

  • Olympic torch races – Teams compete in a race to get their torch to the finish line. If you have larger teams of 3 or more, you can make this a relay race, passing the torch from player to player.

  • Cycling – Bust out the bikes because it’s time for a cycling race! Set up a course around a park, neighborhood, or any other space that is not near main roads.

  • Swimming – Are any of your youth secretly the next Michael Phelps? Head out to the pool and race some laps.

  • Football – No, not American football, we’re talking about soccer. Get out to the park and kick around the soccer ball. First team to 5 goals wins!

  • Basketball – Can any of your youth dunk like LeBron James? Let’s find out! Pick up a basketball and head to the court.

  • Volleyball – Teams can compete with a couple rounds of volleyball. Younger youth can play “balloon volleyball” too. (Know of a sand court nearby? Head out and play some sand volleyball.)

We can’t wait to see and hear about all the fun ways your youth are getting into the Olympic spirit. Remember to stay safe, stay hydrated, have a good time and share your games with TYAN on social media!!!

TYAN Summer Olympics Doc

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