Our Olympic Ideas to Share.........

In typical learning fashion in our home with the Olympics coming up it certainly required us to brainstorm some of our  favorite types of activities to celebrate and learn with for the event.

Of course we are late in sharing our brainstorming ideas but here they are anyway~
Themes are nothing in our home without the required dressing up as a particular person or representing anything......and so each of the children choose a country to study and then researched the traditional clothing for that country and tried to replicate this.

Here are our ideas we threw together quickly one day:
* obviously choose a country to learn about and to cheer for.
* make a flag for the country of your choice to barrack with
* research about the country and record your information
* choose a national dish both main and desert and we will attempt to cook it
* dress in national dress for the opening ceremony and have flag ready

Interestingly enough while Stephen and I ran some errands later in the day Father John our Parish Priest came visiting with Father Augustine  who is our new Nigerian Priest to introduce him to our family .The children were still finishing off their flags when they arrived.

I was so pleased the children showed hospitality to the priests while we were out and asked them in for coffee and a chat. Father John explained to Father Augustine that we home educate our children and then suggested to the children they make Father Augustine a Nigerian flag.

Of course the children were thrilled at the idea, but it was Rogan who was most keen to make it. Not only did her make one for Father Augustine but made the Lithuanian flag for Father John whose parents immigrated from there. We took them to Mass on the Sunday and Father John was so thrilled that he was thought of too.

I just love this photo of Corbyn. He decided he had to come as an Aussie Stockman after we showed him the Opening ceremony of the Sydney Olympics.

On with the ideas though~
*research the history of the Olympic Games
* make a map of London and where the events are being held
*read Asterix at the Olypic Games
* keep track of medals for both Australia and your favorite country

* make medals from clay and paint them or  sculpy
* watch what we can of the games
* Play these games for Tiny Time Games to print, cut and play
* make and obstacle course using the sports as the challenges

* make cupcakes and then ice them with the colours of the Olympic flag
* make Olympic rings out of clay or sculpy
* make the Olympic flag using calico and then draw on with crayon and set with a hot iron

These are not very complicated or very clever ideas. I am sure there are a lot more out there that you could use as well, but for us this will be plenty and we may not even do all these.

As you can see the children did dress up in what they could find of national costume

As it turned out, little Trahaearn was asleep when we did this and so his adorable little Chinese costume will have to wait until the Closing ceremony

You know there is always some one who won't join in at the last moment and Arwen just would not get into the scheme of things this time

I would be interested in hearing how you have celebrated or learned different things about the  2012 Olympic Games!

Blessings to you and your homes,