The Summer 2012 Olympics in London are in full swing, and the competitions will continue through August 12. This is a great opportunity to celebrate the games with your kids with fun crafts and cute foods—and to sneak in a little extra summer exercise and learning.
Here are some great ways to combine watching the games with interactive fun and learning:
Red Ted Art's Blog has collected 20+ Crafts, Activities, and Ideas to Inspire, which include fantastic projects like Medal Cookies, Laurel Wreaths, and Olympic Cupcakes.
See more Olympics craft ideas –>
Tip Junkie shares lots of amazing ideas with 18 Summer Olympics Activities and Crafts for Kids. In addition to party tips and crafts, there are lots of suggestions for active games kids can play in their own backyards.
Kitchen Fun with My Three Sons offers easy and delicious recipes for an Olympic Torch Breakfast.
Bedtime Math has clever ideas for incorporating math while the kids are watching the Olympics. Kids can keep track of medals won by U.S. athletes by creating a chart and using gold, silver, and bronze stars to track medal wins. Use a measuring tape to record how far your child can leap long-jump style, or use a stopwatch to measure how long it takes each family member to run from a starting line to a finish line. Compare times and see who ran the fastest. And don't forget to count everything during the Olympics—from counting the number of players on the field to the lanes in the pool, math is everywhere.
Go for the gold! Use our Olympics resources to get young athletes on the right path. –>
We have lots more ideas on our Olympics Pinterest Board like popcorn Olympic torches, Olympic crown crafts, DIY Olympics shirts, and much more.
And in our article Summer 2012 Olympics Inspire Young Athletes, you'll discover what amazing things children can take away from watching the games, such as cultural awareness, teamwork, and good sportsmanship. We even have tips about how the Olympics can encourage your child to finish her vegetables!
Plus, we've got a list of New Jersey athletes to watch in the Olympics, too.
Photo courtesy of IOC.