| It's a very special time-it's time for the Summer | | | | Fuwa represents a different animal (fish, giant panda, |
| Olympics! The very best athletes from around the | | | | fire, Tibetan antelope, and swallow) and Chinese |
| world will meet to compete for gold, silver, and bronze | | | | element of philosophy (water, metal, fire, wood, and |
| medals in a wide variety of sports ranging from track | | | | earth), and each has as its primary color one of the |
| and field to gymnastics to swimming and diving. The | | | | colors of the five Olympic Rings (red, blue, green, |
| Olympics are also time for people from many different | | | | yellow, and black). Encourage your child to create a |
| cultures and backgrounds to make friends and learn | | | | mascot similar to the Fuwa that represents your city |
| acceptance. Bring the Olympics into your home by | | | | or state. Visit our site for free coloring pages for each |
| planning some activities and crafts to inspire your | | | | mascot. |
| children to be active and experience the Olympic spirit. | | | | Olympic Medals |
| The Olympic Flag | | | | Create some easy to make medals for your children. |
| Explain to your child that the Olympic Flag is a very | | | | Draw a circle on a piece of cardboard and have |
| special flag. It has five interlocking colored rings on a | | | | children color it with yellow crayons. Spread a thin layer |
| white background. The rings represent the five major | | | | of glue over painted circles and while glue is still wet, |
| land areas, or continents, of the world. Show children | | | | lightly sprinkle on glitter. Shake off excess glitter and let |
| these land areas on a map or globe. Explain that the | | | | dry. To add the neck ribbon, cut a length of ribbon |
| rings are interlocked to show friendship among the | | | | approximately 32 inches. |
| different nations. Then, have your child paint or color | | | | Olympic Sports Day |
| interlocking rings on a sheet of white printing paper to | | | | For the opening celebration, play some marching music |
| resemble the Olympic Flag. Attach to a drinking straw | | | | and have children follow a torch-bearer with their own |
| for the handle. | | | | creation of flags to start your games. |
| The Olympic Torch | | | | Water Sports |
| During opening ceremonies of the Olympics, a specially | | | | Have your children jump over a sprinkler, move water |
| chosen person lights the Olympic cauldron to signal the | | | | balloons from one clothes basket to another, throw |
| official start of the games. The flame is kept burning | | | | water balloons or resealable plastic baggies filled with |
| during the entire length of the games. Have your child | | | | water from one bucket to another,, and toss sponges |
| make his/her own Olympic torch and let the games | | | | from a bucket filled with, water trying to hit a target. |
| begin! To make a simple torch, have your child cover | | | | Gymnastics Event |
| the outside of a paper roll with aluminum foil. Then, | | | | Put on music and spread out a large sheet to use as a |
| have him/her glue red, yellow, and orange tissue paper | | | | gymnastic floor. Let children make their own gymnastic |
| inside the paper roll. Let your run around the cauldron | | | | floor exercise. Let children dance with crepe paper |
| pretending to light the big torch with his/her torch.) | | | | streamers to music or hop in and out of hula hoops. |
| Olympic Mascots | | | | At the end of the event make a podium out of |
| The Olympic Games Mascot for 2008 is the Fuwa. | | | | cardboard boxes, etc. and hand out the medals to all |
| The Fuwa consist of five doll-like creations named | | | | participants of the Olympic Games. |
| Beibei, Jingjing, Huanhuan, Yingying, and Nini. Each of the | | | | |