Host an Olympic-style event in your own backyard!

Opening Ceremonies
Inspired Events
Awards

Opening Ceremonies
Kids can compete individually, or you can form teams made up of siblings, whole families, or just friends. Or how about Main Street against Oak Street? Each team can make its own flag and wear T-shirts of the same color. Decorate your yard with flags from around the world or make an Olympic symbol (five interlocking rings) by taping streamers onto a large piece of white paper or inexpensive fabric. You could even use hula hoops!

At the real Olympic Games, one athlete takes the following oath on behalf of all the others: "In the name of all the competitors I promise that we shall take part in these Olympic Games, respecting and abiding by the rules which govern them, committing ourselves to a sport without doping and without drugs, in the true spirit of sportsmanship, for the glory of sport and the honor of our teams." Prior to the event, collaborate with your child on a special oath for participants to recite at your games — something like, "I promise to take part in these games in the true spirit of sportsmanship and fun, and I vow to get my friends as wet as possible in the water events!"

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Events
Use your imagination to come up with competitions that will work with your particular group (in terms of ages, interests, number of participants, and whether or not they're competing in teams). These ideas will get you started:

• 25-Yard Dash: Teams of five race on their hands and knees; each "runner" goes 15 feet and tags the next teammate who does the same; and so on until all team members finish.

• Shot Put and Discus: Substitute water balloons and Frisbees for the real things, and see who can throw them the farthest.

• Hurdles: Race through an obstacle course (obstacles should be lower than the shortest participant's kneecaps and should have soft edges and sides).

• Gymnastics: Free-style dance and acrobatics on a soft mat.

• Pentathlon: Relay race with five silly legs: potato-sack, cartwheeling, crab-walking, egg-on-a-spoon, walking backwards, or whatever goofy method of locomotion you can come up with.

• Volleyball: String up a net or just a clothesline (make sure it's higher than the tallest child's head). Substitute a lightweight beach ball for a real volleyball and challenge kids to toss it back and forth over the net. For a fun, cooling variation, have kids use water from garden hoses or big squirt-guns to keep the ball aloft.

• Cycling: On a large open space or some nearby trails, set up a race course for bikers. Or, have big kids squeeze onto tricycles for lots of laughs.

• Equestrian: Use hobby-horses and set up a simple obstacle course around the yard.

• Swimming: If you have a pool (and, very importantly, plenty of adult supervision), of course you'll want to take advantage. Try relay races, synchronized swimming, or even a cannonball contest.

Also remember that the following classics are Olympic sports too:

• Table tennis (ping-pong)
• Badminton
• Soccer (known as football in international competition)
• Archery (use a kid-safe foam set)

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Awards
Make gold medals for every participant by having kids paint small paper plates gold. Write "I Went for the Gold!" on the front and add a piece of yarn to let it hang around each participant's neck.

In the real Games, winners receive a certificate as well. Consider creating your own. Be generous and clever with the categories: Award prizes for kids who come in first, but also those who try hard, show good sportsmanship, or compete with creativity and flair.

Finish up your games with appropriate snacks. Try a potluck of ethnic dishes to go along with the international theme. Or let sports be your inspiration, with multi-hued sports drinks, cupcakes or cookies iced to look like soccer balls or bicycle wheels, or sandwiches cut into star shapes (for superstar athletes).