Ways to Get Your Daughter Excited About the 2010 Winter Olympics

February 13, 2010 by Elizabeth Donovan, M. A.
Filed under Activities & Fun

By: Elizabeth Donovan, M.A.

The 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver bring with it a wonderful opportunity to explore, learn, get excited about the events and get to know more about Canada. For example, did you know that the number of participating countries who are sending Olympic athletes to Vancouver exceeds 80? Try these fun tips to get your daughter interested and excited about the Winter Olympics! Who knows? Maybe your daughter will be the next Lindsey Vonn!

Tips to Take In the Games:

1. Know your mascots. The mascots for the Olympic Games are very appealing to children and parents alike. The 2010 mascots are Sumi, Miga, and Quatchi. Each mascot has a unique story and what they stand for are great lessons in of themselves. Check out the Vancouver 2010 website (www.vancouver2010.com) for more great information about the mascots.

2. Tell your daughter stories. Many of us remember great Olympians from years past, and telling our children about them is a wonderful way to get them excited about the Games. Tell your daughter about Olympians throughout history and the fears and challenges they conquered. You can also explain to them what the running of the torch symbolizes and why it’s so special.

3. Take your daughter to participate in winter sports. If you live in an area where there are winter sports, let your child experience the fun first hand by allowing her to participate! Sports such as ice skating, skiing, snowboarding, and hockey are all fun activities to watch and participate in. If your daughter enjoys watching any of these sports, then she will be more likely to watch the Olympic events.

4. Read a book about Canada and/or Vancouver with your daughter. Take the opportunity to learn about a new country with your child. Reading books on the topic provides you and your child with a great way to learn together and get excited about the Olympics.

5. Party, Olympic style! Celebrate when your child’s favorite events are on TV by serving some of your daughter’s favorite foods. Watch the event as a family and answer any questions your daughter may have about the event or the ceremony. Let her invite some friends over to share the experience too!

6. Make an Olympic scrapbook together. Keep a collection of newspaper or magazine articles about the upcoming Olympics and during the Olympics. Allow your daughter to find her own articles about the Olympics and to help design the scrapbook. This is a great project as you can save it for years to come and make a new scrapbook together for each Olympic games.