[Exercise] Recreational Ideas for Olympic Sports
Many children look forward to the Olympics that come around once every four years!
Even with sports they don’t know, watching can make them want to cheer.
Seeing athletes compete with all their might can inspire kids to think, “I want to try that too!”
Here, we’ll share fun recreation ideas inspired by Olympic events.
These activities let children from preschool to elementary school move their bodies with ease, so everyone can have fun being active together—play energetically and enjoy yourselves!
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[Exercise] Recreational ideas for Olympic sports (21–30)
Tabletop curling game
Curling, the ice sport seen at the Winter Olympics.
This video introduces a simple craft that lets you enjoy curling casually on a tabletop.
By attaching a clear plastic file sheet, they’ve made it slide more smoothly.
If you have toy cars, they’ll glide even on plain paper or cardboard, making it even easier.
It’s also fun to write down point values and compete for scores.
A recreational activity incorporating parkour
Let’s work on improving children’s athletic abilities! Here are some ideas for activities that incorporate parkour.
Parkour is a culture originating in France; by integrating movements like running, jumping, and climbing, it trains the mind and body and aims for artistic movement.
In recent years, we’ve been seeing it more often on social media, haven’t we? This time, let’s create a course using boxes and mats made of soft materials and try parkour.
It’s a wonderful idea that helps children understand weight transfer and how to use their bodies.
skiing
How about giving skiing a try this year? Gliding down the wide-open slopes feels great.
If you enjoy being active, it’s an especially recommended recreation.
There are also ski lessons available, so be sure to give it a try.
Olympic Race
Here are ideas for events themed around Olympic sports.
Set up a course on a playground or in a gym and let participants enjoy it like an attraction while taking on the challenges.
It’s also recommended to include elements like a ceremony reenacting the torchbearer lighting the flame, or gymnastics events such as the balance beam.
Adding hurdles and a vaulting box to a straight course leading to the finish line will make the race even more exciting.
Try incorporating ideas that give older children a strong sense of challenge and accomplishment.
Shuttle Carry Relay
Here’s a shuttle-carry relay that kids and adults alike can enjoy.
Split into teams, place a badminton shuttlecock on top of a racket, and ready, set, go! Keep the racket level so the shuttle doesn’t fall, loop around a cone, and come back.
Hand the racket and shuttle directly to the next person, and the team that gets everyone across the finish line first wins.
If you drop the shuttle, restart from where it fell—so staying careful yet fast is the key to victory.
The rules are simple and easy to understand, so give it a try!
table tennis
Table tennis has now become a popular sport.
People of all ages—from children to the elderly, and regardless of gender—can enjoy it together.
All you need is a table, paddles, and a ball, so getting the equipment ready is easy.
You can have fun with various doubles pairings, such as mixed-gender pairs or child–adult pairs.
It’s great not only as a competitive sport but also for light, casual exercise.
It’s a perfect activity for getting more physical activity and tackling lack of exercise.
curling
Curling is an ice sport.
At the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics, the Japanese women’s curling team won a bronze medal and drew a lot of attention.
“Carooring” lets you play a curling-style game on the floor.
It does require a dedicated jet roller that serves as the stone, so there’s an initial cost, but once you buy it you can enjoy it for a long time.
Simply aiming at the target and throwing is easy enough for kids, too! It’s highly recommended as an interaction game for community events with participants of all ages.
Pass & Run & Touch
Basketball was officially adopted as an Olympic sport at the 1936 Berlin Games.
Pass & Run & Touch combines running while passing the ball with a game of tag.
Because players split into a “tagger” team and an “escape” team, it’s well-suited for fostering interaction among older adults.
Under the rule that members of the tagger team may only move when making a pass, only the person holding the ball can tag members of the escape team.
The game ends when everyone has been tagged or when the time limit is reached.
Give this indoor-friendly recreation idea a try.
mini archery
Archery is popular around the world, especially in Asia and Europe.
It’s a sport where you shoot arrows at a target, offering simple rules yet deep gameplay.
To make the arrows, cut slits into the end of a straw filled with decorative balls.
Next, combine a rubber band and a bamboo skewer to make the bow.
Once you attach an illustration with a target, you’re ready to go.
Put tape on the tip of the decorative ball and shoot the bow to hit the target.
It’s a recommended activity because you can focus on it carefully without moving your body too much.
Balloon badminton
As the name suggests, balloon badminton—played by using a balloon as the shuttle—is a recreational game that even small children can enjoy with ease.
Because both the racket made from a paper plate and chopsticks and the balloon shuttle are lightweight, it’s great that people without much stamina can play for a long time.
Plus, drawing your favorite pictures or decorating the paper-plate part of the racket can boost motivation to play again.
Although it’s a relaxed activity, it helps train dynamic visual acuity by requiring you to accurately track and hit the moving balloon, making it a highly recommended game.
In conclusion
We introduced Olympic-themed recreational activities that are perfect for kids from preschool through elementary school! There were plenty of ideas that make use of items you can find anywhere, like at home. Let’s all have fun moving our bodies with lots of energy and aim for our very own gold medals!