The Summer Games are Here!

The 2016 Summer Games are here, and there is not one person more giddy than me! This event has been a huge part of my life, my whole life! My first memory is of Scott Hamilton skating in 1980 on Lake Placid. I was a 6-year-old little girl who watched from the basement of my grandparents’ home in Kentucky. He was smooth and flawless, and on the box of cereal that I ate every morning. Just a short 4 years later, I watched with my eyes glued to the television set {along with the rest of America}, as Mary Lou Retton tumbled her way to an All-Around Gold Medal. She was amazing, and I practiced my back walkover in the front yard so many times that I’m sure the neighbors thought I was crazy!

My clock has been set for the 2016 Summer Games since they blew out the torch in Sochi. As much as I love the Winter Games, I L-O-V-E the Summer Games. I hope that you will hop on the bandwagon with your family and really take the time to not only cheer on our own local heroes, but use these opportunities as teaching moments too!

Countries ::

It’s a fun time to invest in some geography. A globe or a world map from a teacher supply store is so fun to have around. Finding the countries of each medal winner or an athlete that catches your eye will lend to lots of learning. For our U.S.A. athletes, look up their hometown and find the state on a map. {Flag printables are all over the internet, as well! Great for coloring projects with little kids!}

Medal Count ::

Keeping track of the medal count online is so fun. Charting the number of gold, silver, and bronze medals each country wins is a great way to work some math fun into your day. If you have multiple kids, have the kids draw country names out of a hat and let each child look up the medals that their country has won – then compare how the number changes each day!

Distance ::

The Summer Games seem to have a lot of “distance” learning opportunities. All of the track and swimming events are great chances to talk about things like – “How long is 100 yards?” in a track and field event. “How big is their officially-sized swimming pool?” compared to our neighborhood pool. “How wide is a balance beam?” in gymnastics. Grab a tape measure or a chalk line and figure it out!

Character ::

The Summer Games show us a lot about people. Anytime you have a competitive event, you see a lot about the character of a person. Use these good and bad moments as times to point out the difference between a “good sport” and a “bad sport.” Asking your child how they would handle the instance if it happened to them will help them think {and hopefully} remember when the time comes.

Streaming ::

Gone are the days of sitting by the television and hoping that you didn’t miss a minute of the action. I’m so happy that NBC is streaming the events and has the schedule posted online. Athlete profiles, the medals race, newsfeed, even the chance to get email updates about your favorite athletes! I know my data plan will be maxed out with me watching everything that I can. Eek!

Grab some popcorn, a few red/white/blue cupcakes, your flag, and a healthy dose of nostalgia as we start with the 2016 Opening Ceremony at 6:30 {CST} on Friday, August 5th. Let me know how you share this special time with your family – I’d love to hear your stories too!

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Stephanie C
Stephanie loves life and living it to the fullest. She always has something new going on, and it is probably the most random thing you’ve ever imagined! A native of Beaver Dam, KY, Stephanie stays busy with her family. She is wife to her hilarious husband Don and is the mother of two tweens – drummer son Avery and dancer daughter Piper. As a family, they enjoy anything fun-in-the-sun and annual trips to Disney World. She lives the good life in the suburbs of Houston and works full-time in the travel industry. A complete social media fanatic, Stephanie is always up on the latest technology. She is a living “Six Degrees of Separation” and seems to have some sort of obscure tie to most anyone you might ask about! Stephanie has been blogging since 2004 at StephanieClick.com. You can also find her @stephanieclick on Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook.

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