ART – Have your children make “torches” today by wrapping paper towel tubes with aluminum foil and then stuffing one end with yellow and orange tissue paper strips.   

MOVEMENT – Set out something in your outdoor play area (such as a plastic tub) to represent a large “flame pot”.  Then have your children take turns running around the yard with their torch held high and finally stopping to place their torch in the pot.              

MUSIC – If possible play inspirational music during this “Opening Event”.  When everyone has had a turn, and all the torches are sticking out of the pot, have your children join hands around the pot and sing this song.

HERE WE GO ‘ROUND THE FRINDSHIP FLAME
Sung to: “Here We Go ‘Round the Mulberry Bush”

Here we go ‘round the friendship flame,
The friendship flame, the friendship flame.
Here we go ‘round the friendship flame,
On our first day of games.
Today, we’re going to run some races,
Run some races, run some races.
Today, we’re going to run some races.
On our first day of games.                                                    

MOVEMENT – Plan several running races today for your children.  Try to make them “no-lose” so that everyone who finishes the race is a winner.

SNACK – Plan a week of international snacks.  Start off your Summer Olympics with a popular snack from south of the border, such as; nacho chips and soft cheese for dipping.

ART – Have your children make banners and flags today from different countries.  Have your children design their own country flags by creating symbols and colors on strips of paper.  Next, help them attach their flags and banners to cardboard tubes.

MOVEMENT – Let your children practice marching around your Flame Pot with their flags and banners.

MUSIC – Play marching music while your children march around.  Finally, have your children circle around your flame once again and sing the Friendship Flame Song.  Change the song to sing about today’s special events and the fact that it is now the second day of the games. 

MOVEMENT  - Today set up some ball games for your children to participate in.  Include some ball kicking, tossing and bouncing.  Explain to your children the ball games played in the real summer Olympics; such as; baseball, soccer, etc.

SNACK – Plan an African snack of fruits and nuts or a Middle Eastern snack of hummus and pita bread.
 

DAY THREE (Jumping and Balancing)

ART – Help you children make small Olympic Ring flags.  Place a small amount of five colors of tempera paint on five small paper plates (one blue, one black, one red, one yellow and one green).  Place an empty paper cup, up-side down in the middle of each paint plate.  One at a time, give your children a white piece of paper.  Then show them how to pick up each paper cup and make a circle impression on their papers.
            Show them a picture of the Olympic Flag with the five different colored rings.  Have them notice that the blue, black and red rings are overlapped on the top and the yellow and the green rings are below.  Encourage children to try to make their rings like the ones on the Olympic Flag but accept any attempt of five colored rings.  When dry, tape each child’s flag to a long straw to create a flag to wave.

MUSIC – Before you begin your games today, have your children again circle around the flame and sing the Friendship Flame song.  Be sure to change the song to fit today’s activities.

MOVEMENT – To practice jumping, set out a ring such as a hula hoop or a piece of yarn placed in a circle on the floor and have your children jump in and out of the circle.  For balancing practice, have your children walk on a piece of 2”x4” laid on the ground.  If you have time, you could also add a dancing with scarves activity to your day.

SNACKS – Plan an Asian snack today.  Serve fortune cookies and watermelon squares or some Chinese noodles and Mandrin oranges.
 

DAY FOUR (Water Games)

ART – Let your children help you make medals today.   Cut out some cardboard 3” circles and let your children color them with gold marking pens.  Later, tape safety pins to the backs of these or staple them to the center of a ribbon necklace.

MUSIC – Gather around your friendship flame and sing the Friendship Flame Song.  Be sure to change the song to fit today’s activities.

MOVEMENT – Practice water games today.  Depending on the abilities of your children you might want to do:  Activities using spray bottles; Shooting water with a water pistol into a cup or at a target; Jumping over a sprinkler; Relay races using spoons of water.

SNACKS – Celebrate with an American snack today.  Have small servings of Apple Pie or Hot Dogs.
 

ART – For art today, let your children color some pennant flags to use on your obstacle course. First cut out large triangle shapes of cardboard.  Give them to your children along with some marking pens.  Tape the finished flags to long garden sticks.

MUSIC – Sing the Friendship song again with your children, change the last verse to:
                Today, we’ll run an obstacle course,
                Obstacle course, obstacle course.
                Today, we’ll run an obstacle course,
                On our last day of games.

MOVEMENT -  Plan a simple obstacle course for your children outside.  Suggestions include:

• Riding trikes from one place to another.
• Climbing over or under an obstacle.
• Pulling a wagon and loading and unloading it.
• Pulling other children in a wagon.
• Rolling a ball from one place to another, etc.

SNACK – For snack today, why not have a special small treat at the end of each obstacle station.  Suggestions include:  candies, nuts, grapes (cut in half for safety), pretzels, fish crackers, cheese squares, etc.

*****THE GRAND FINALE*****

CLOSING EVENTS – At the end of the final day of your Summer Olympics, plan a closing event.

• Sing your Friendship Flame song one last time.  Change the last verse to:

Today, our special games must end,
Games must end, games must end.
Today, our special games must end,
As we wave to all our friends.

• Pass out medals to all your children for participating.
• Return their torches and flags to them to take home.
• Take their pictures with each holding their flames, flags and medals.

© Jean Warren, Warren Publishing House