11 Aug 5 Ways to Intentionally Engage with Your Kids in the Summer Olympics

Inspire (v) – fill (someone) with the urge or ability to do or feel something, especially to do something creative.

Watching the Summer Olympics is a truly inspiring activity for families around the world right now. Our usually non-tv watching family has intentionally plugged in for at least 30 minutes each night to watch the best gymnasts and swimmers in the world compete against each other for gold.

Any time that we allow our kids to engage with media, we seek to have conversations around what we are viewing together. It could be as simple as discussing the setting of a film or the differences in the personalities of actors and actresses in a play.

When we take the time to intentionally discuss what we view with our kids, it teaches them (and us) to be critical thinkers of what we are viewing rather than passive observers who absorb everything we watch or hear with no filter or discernment.

Don’t Just Watch the Olympics – Discuss it With Your Kids!

The Olympics started in 776 BC and is a world-wide event that is generally looked upon as a positive media experience for all who partake of it. It’s a great idea to set some time aside to watch events and sports that are of particular interest to you as a family. You can view the full schedule of events here.

Here’s just a little guide to helping you make the most of your Olympic-viewing experience:

Learn About Your Favorite Athletes Together –  if your children are really interested in watching a particular athlete, you already know where to start with this. Make it a biographical lesson. Where is this athlete from? What is their country like? What was it like in their family growing up? Pulling out a map and take a few minutes to locate the country and learn a few things about it together will help you and your kids better appreciate all that it took for certain Olympians to get to where they are today.

Don’t Miss the Character Lessons! Many Olympians have overcome incredible obstacles in order to participate in the Games. Injuries, illnesses, and other hardships could have kept many of these athletes from competing, but these individuals determined to persevere in spite of difficulties. Their stories would be a good place to start a conversation with your kids about the importance of enduring hardship, maintaining a positive attitude, and completing worthwhile goals.

A Lesson on True Identity – Share with your kids the stories of Olympians like Steele Johnson and David Bouda who are outspoken about about their faith in Christ, giving glory to God for all they have experienced in the Games: “It’s cool because this is exciting, this is fun, but this is not what my identity will be for the rest of my life,” a dripping Johnson told NBC Sports. “Yeah, I’m Steele Johnson the Olympian, but at the same time I’m here to love and serve Christ. My identity is rooted in Christ, not in the flips we’re doing.”

Another famous Christian Olympian of the past is Eric Liddell. The Voice of the Martyrs Torchlighters series has put together a lovely kid-friendly, cartoon biography of him that my kids love. It is free to watch if you have Amazon Prime.

Learn About the First Ever Olympic Refugee Team with stories like those of Yusra Mardini of Syria who has said that swimming saved her life and also helped save the lives of those in her dinghy as she and two others pushed the boat for over three hours in the Aegean Sea.

Talk About the Reality of an Olympians Life – It is easy for those of us who view the Olympics to just enjoy the beautiful fruit of these athletes endeavors. The truth is that a winning a short, one-minute race is a result of months of diligent practice and a willingness to be coached and corrected.

What are other conversations you could have with your kids while watching the Olympic games? I would love to hear your thoughts! Leave a comment below and give all our readers some ideas on how to make the most of these exciting games!