Make Monday: Olympian Medals

Do not forget all those medals you need for your little Olympian as they participate in their own Olympic events. Here is a way to make your own medals.

Supplies

String
Metal Tin Can Lid
Nail
Hammer

Instructions

Use a lid from a can of food as your base. Different cans appear gold or silver in color. Make sure it is clean without rust. When opening the can, use a can opener that will not make dangerous sharp edges (Pampered Chef has one). Take the nail, making it upright, and pound a hole with in the top of the lid from which to hang the string. Punch more holes with the hammer to make a design such as USA. Decorate the lid as otherwise desired. Sport your medal after finished events.

Note: This project works well with older kids. Please supervise the kids using hammers and nails. Do this project on a surface used for hammering.

Toy Thursday: My Little Olympian

If your house has been like ours, the Olympics have been a big hit both on and off the television. Our son has been joining us in the evenings as we tune into the world competitions.

I remember as a kid the Olympics were a big deal. Four years between events is a long time for a kid. To add to the wonder, we grew up with stars like Mary Lou Retton and Kerri Strug among others in the summer Olympics. We dreamed big. We put up our posters. And we pretended we were gymnasts.

To be on the other side of those dreams watching your kid pretend is no different. We talk about the Olympics a lot: "Where are their pants (regarding the leotards)?" "What is Hungarian?" And "Why do they have masks (regarding fencing)?" And "Where is Michael Philips?" So with our globe beach ball in hand, our commercial breaks filled with somersaults and cartwheels, and our fencing costume, we have won gold medals in playing Olympics for sure.

In fact the other evening, our neighbor had her whole yard filled with Olympic track and field events for the kids. She had her tin foil shot put to toss, her straw javelins to throw, and the Frisbee disc to send through the air. We used a toilet paper roll for our relay race and long, rectangle flower pots for hurdles. We had yellow streamers for our finishers. Then we finished our evening with pop sickles before heading indoors to watch more Olympics.

Take this time to use the Olympics to your advantage for fun! Make a torch out of a paper towel roll, tin foil, and tissue paper (for the fire). Use pipe cleaners to make the rings. And by all means set up your own events. Do a simple geography lesson with a map. Dream big for the Olympics do not come often enough for young imaginations.