PreschoolFinder Blog

Been Stretching Lately?

August 11, 2008 – 10:46 am by Ben's Mom

It is that time of the decade - the Summer Olympics are upon us! This is when as a child, I started stretching and practicing my cartwheels and back-bends. OK - I admit it, I did this well into adulthood as well. The Olympics seem to bring out the athlete in each of us. They inspire us to push ourselves, get fit, reach for our dreams.

If you, like me, are always inspired by the Olympics - let your preschooler in on it. I have compiled a list of things you can  do to share your Olympic passion with your preschooler:

1. Let them watch some of the different sports and explain the sport to them. Using their bodies to explain is helpful - showing them how to do somersaults or cartwheels.

2. Swim their arms and kick their feet in the bathtub like Michael Phelps.

3. Make some silver metals out of tinfoil, a jar top, and some string. (Poke a hole near the edge of the top, thread the string, and cover the top with the tinfoil). Give one to your child each time he/she does something you have been trying to teach for a while (aka - putting all her toys away after playtime).

4. Keep a scorecard of the metals to help them with counting and adding. You can check the metal count each morning and add it to your own personal scorecard at the Official Bejing Olympics Website.

5. Wear red, white, and blue (or whatever colors are appropriate based on your nationality)!

6. Practice singing the Star-Spangled Banner, our national anthem with your child - of course standing up with your hand on your heart…

So share the Olympic spirit - who knows, perhaps you will be cheering your child on to Olympic gold in the decades to come!

How do you celebrate the Olympics? Let us know!