Celebrate the 2008 Summer Olympics
Thursday, July 31st, 2008With the 2008 Summer Olympics beginning next week, now is the perfect time to teach your kids all about the cherished tradition, the history of the games and all the fun sports they may not already know about. You could even find Beijing on a world map together, look up kid-friendly articles about the Olympics in National Geographic Kids or create some homemade flags and streamers to wave while you watch the games at home.
To really get in the spirit of the games, throw a Summer Olympics Party! You can easily transform these patriotic summer party invitations to reflect your Olympic theme. Then, set up fun relay races for kids and parents alike, and hand out ribbons and homemade medals to all the participants. Head over to the park and try pairing classic games like three-legged races, marshmallow eating contests and limbo with traditional track and field contests like the long jump, a Frisbee shot put toss and a team relay race.
By highlighting the fun of Olympic sports, the history of the games and the amazing way that athletes from all over the world come together for one spectacular event, you might just inspire your little ones to run, jump or shot put for the stars!
Did you know that 2008 marks the 100th anniversary of Mother’s Day? The first Mother’s Day was celebrated by Anna Jarvis in Grafton, West Virginia at the Andrews Methodist Episcopal Church. On that day, Jarvis passed out more than 500 carnations to each mother in the congregation - a white carnation was worn to honor deceased mothers and a pink one to honor a living mother. This custom quickly caught on and spread throughout the country and in 1914 President Wilson declared the first national Mother’s Day as a day to honor mothers whose sons had died in war.
