The Olympics always bring plenty of fun and excitement for families who enjoy watching their favorite athletes and teams compete. Crafts and activities related to the events can make the games even more fun and educational for kids.
These are just a few of the many Olympic-themed crafts and activities that we found and tried, from some very creative bloggers.
DIY Olympics Gold Medals
Celebrate the Olympics and your kids’ achievements with a shiny gold medal. The craft below uses paper, but you can also make salt dough. For easy medals, download these printable gold medals and give them to kids to encourage them to go for their gold.
DIY World Flags
A highlight of every Olympic games is the opening and closing ceremonies and traditional “Parade of Flags.” Have kids create their own flags for different countries for a fun craft and geography lesson in one. You can string your flags on a garland, as below, or add a Popsicle stick for a flag to wave as you cheer on your team.
Have an Olympics Snack
Your child might not have Olympic aspirations, but we can all aim to be healthy and active! As the pinnacle of athletic achievement, the Olympics are a great time to talk with kids about the importance of exercise and healthy eating. Have a great breakfast while you watch the games, and you can even get creative and serve Olympic-themed food like these colorful snacks!
Olympic Fine Motor Skills
Work on your student’s fine motor skills by downloading these printables. Kids can work on matching colors, counting, patterns, following the lines, and much more. This activity will teach kids how hard athletes have to train for their activities, too.
DIY Olympic Torch
Hold a torch relay of your own with this DIY Olympic torch that really glows. What a fun way to let your kids recreate the opening ceremonies of the Games!
via OHMY-Creative
Olympic Rings Crafts
Of course, the most recognizable symbol of the Olympics are the Olympic rings. Take a few minutes to research with kids what the rings symbolize, then create your own. You can stamp, bend, or cut your rings, or make a science experiment out of it by growing crystals on them.
Olympics Printable Coloring Pages
Download these free printable Olympic sport coloring pages from Education.com and let them color their favorite events:
Homemade Olympic Athletes
Make miniature athletes, and work on hand-eye coordination by competing in their designated sport. This is also a great activity for kids who love fidget spinners as it allows them to learn while they keep moving.
Homemade Olympic Skating Rink for Toys
Freeze your own mini-skating rink for some fun pretend play. Kids can recreate the figure, pairs, or speed skating events with their favorite action figures or dolls:
Make Olympic Art
Here’s a great craft idea to make during the Olympics. This Olympic art is easy, colorful, and will give your kids an award-winning piece of art to hang in the house.
If you try one of these Olympics crafts, tell us about it and share a photo in the comments!
There are plenty more great ideas out there, so be sure to follow our Olympics Pinterest board for even more inspiration. And K12’s main Pinterest site is also a favorite source for more crafty ideas.
This post originally published in 2014 and was updated February 2018.