Let the Games Begin!: Ideas for Starting Your Own "Olympic Games" at Home

Every Sunday morning at 8:30 you can find our family at the local pancake restaurant with my husband’s parents. My father-in-law is first generation American. His parents arrived through Ellis Island from Italy. Gathering for a meal is part of who he is and so it has become a great part of who we are. Last Sunday, not unlike others we’ve shared, our two boys ordered grilled cheese and fries and the adults ordered pancakes covered in fruit or butter or in my father-in-law’s case, covered in fruit, syrup and vanilla ice cream. It’s a time for gathering, catching up on the past week and sharing plans for the week ahead.

My father-in-law, Frank, shouted from one end of the table to Max, our seven year old, “Can you believe that the Olympics are starting soon in Greece?” Coincidentally, about three miles from where we were sitting is the town of Greece. Max begged to go. We explained that it was the country Greece and that we just couldn’t go this time. I knew just how he felt. I have wanted to go to the Olympics ever since I can remember. As children we sat glued to the television coverage of the Olympics. We watched for hours silently and then when a United States team won, we screamed with pride. We kept accurate tallies of how many medals our country had won and carefully considered and estimated how many more we would win. I remember when Mary Lou Retton captured our family’s heart and the heart of our country. I remember watching Mark Spits win seven medals at the 1972 Olympics. And when I had to write my first essay in fourth grade I wrote about Wilma Rudolph, the first American woman to win 3 gold medals in the Olympics - the 100-meter dash, the 200-meter dash, and ran the anchor on the 400-meter relay team.

When my father in law and Max were talking about the upcoming summer games, I decided that our family should initiate our own Olympic spirit. Historically I am one of those mother’s who has all the best intentions but sometimes forgets to act on those intentions until after the fact and then I am left saying, “Why didn’t we pick strawberries in June?” Well, this year I plan to be ahead of the game…even if it is for only ten days. After a visit to our local library, we’ve planned a countdown and some celebrations. We made a paper chain out of the Olympic ring colors and each day we will tear one ring off as we count down. We are following the Olympic flame as it travels to Greece and we too will light our own flame, a candle on the dining room table. We bought a map to pinpoint the hometowns of all the USA medal winners. We’ll make a chart, watch as much as we can and cheer for our country. But I think the most fun will be the events we plan. We’re hosting an event a day between August 13 and August 29. We’ve invited friends, but we’ll be equally enthusiastic if it turns out to be “just us.” Each one of us has already designed an event. Ben, our eight year old, will have an ice cream eating contest and has invited his art teacher. I’ve chosen a fishing competition. Unfortunately, I’ll have to bait everyone’s hook. My husband has decided to design a timed bicycle obstacle course and Max has decided to host a frog catching contest. At the end of each day, medals will be awarded and each participant will walk away a winner. But most of all I hope our children walk away with Olympic fever.