How to Get Kids Excited About the 2024 Paralympics: Fun & Educational Ideas
The 2024 Paralympic Games are an incredible celebration of resilience, determination, and athletic skill! From today, August 28th until September 8th, the world will come together to watch extraordinary athletes compete in Paris.
The Paralympics offer a brilliant opportunity to teach children about overcoming challenges, embracing diversity, and celebrating all abilities. It’s also a fantastic way to introduce kids to adaptive sports and help them develop a deeper understanding of inclusivity and sportsmanship!
You might also be interested in our FREE Summer Olympics activity pack.
What Are the Paralympics?
The Paralympics started as a small competition for injured World War II veterans in 1948, organised by Sir Ludwig Guttmann in England. Over the years, it evolved into the major international event we know today.
The first official Paralympic Games took place in Rome in 1960, with 400 athletes from 23 countries competing in events like swimming, athletics, and wheelchair fencing.
Today, the Paralympics include more than 4,000 athletes from over 150 countries! Where athletes with various disabilities, including visual impairments, limb loss, spinal cord injuries, and more show the world that limitations are only in the mind.
The Paralympics are held every four years, immediately after the Olympics, and follow a similar format. Athletes compete in sports like wheelchair basketball, sitting volleyball, para-swimming, blind football, and many more adaptive events.
Fun Fact: The Paralympic Symbol
Just like the Olympics, the Paralympics have their own unique symbol! The three Agitos (from the Latin “I move”) represent motion and reflect the Paralympic motto: “Spirit in Motion.” The Agitos surround a central point, symbolizing the athletes coming together from all corners of the world to compete.
Learning About Inspiring Paralympians
One of the best ways to get children excited about the Paralympics is by learning about some of the incredible athletes:
- Tanni Grey-Thompson (UK) is one of the most successful Paralympians in history, winning 16 Paralympic medals, including 11 golds, in wheelchair racing over her 16-year career.
- Ellie Simmonds (UK) is a five-time Paralympic gold medalist in swimming, who made headlines when she won her first gold at just 13 years old!
- Marieke Vervoort (Belgium) competed in wheelchair racing and won gold and silver in the 2012 London Paralympics, showing incredible courage by competing while living with a degenerative muscle disease.
- Matt Stutzman (USA) is a Paralympian archer born without arms. He became famous for his incredible archery skills, using his feet to shoot arrows and even setting a world record for the longest accurate shot!
These athletes are living proof that no obstacle is too big to overcome, making them fantastic role models for children of all abilities.
Get Involved: Fun Family Activities to Celebrate the Paralympics
Here are some fun and easy ways to celebrate the 2024 Paralympics with your family and introduce children to the world of adaptive sports:
Try Adaptive Sports at Home!
Encourage children to get active by trying their own versions of Paralympic sports. You can adapt these games to suit your space and the equipment you have at home.
- Blindfolded Challenges: Experience the world of blind sports by playing a game of catch or setting up a simple obstacle course while blindfolded. It’s an excellent way for children to understand how teamwork and trust are vital in adaptive sports.
- Sitting Volleyball: Set up a low net or string across your living room or garden, and play a sitting version of volleyball. This fun and challenging game gives children a feel for how athletes with lower-body impairments play volleyball.
- Obstacle Course: Create a mini indoor or outdoor obstacle course and challenge the kids to complete it while hopping on one leg or scooting on their bottom. This helps simulate the experience of athletes who compete in para-athletics or wheelchair sports.
- Target Practice with Feet: Using soft balls, balloons, or beanbags, encourage kids to aim at a target using only their feet! This is inspired by Paralympic archery, where some athletes, like Matt Stutzman, use their feet to perform tasks that others might do with their hands.
- Balance Games: Teach children the importance of balance and coordination by playing balance games on one foot or while hopping. This can mimic the experience of athletes competing with prosthetic limbs in sports like track and field.
You might also be interested in our blog 20 Fun Family Activity Ideas to celebrate the Olympics!
Host a Paralympic Viewing Party
Get the family together to watch some of the Paralympic events on TV. Choose a few sports to learn about, discuss the athletes’ stories, and cheer them on! You could even decorate with the flags of the participating countries and serve snacks from different parts of the world.
Learn About Inclusivity
Talk to your children about the importance of inclusion and how the Paralympics celebrate the abilities of all athletes. You can encourage your kids to think about ways they can be more inclusive in their daily lives—whether it’s making sure everyone is involved in games or celebrating their friends’ differences.
Celebrate the Spirit of the Paralympics!
The Paralympics teach us all valuable lessons in perseverance, respect, and embracing differences. Take some time as a family to celebrate the spirit of the Games—whether that’s through trying adaptive sports, learning about inspiring athletes, or simply cheering on the incredible athletes from around the world.
More Fun Ideas for celebrating the Paralympics with kids:
For even more Paralympic-themed family fun, check out our 20 Fun Family Activity Ideas to celebrate the Olympics! filled with ideas to help you enjoy The Games together!
And don’t forget to claim your free Olympics activity pack for children!
We hope our ideas to Get Kids Excited About the 2024 Paralympics have gotten you into the Olympic spirit and will help to make the Paralympics a memorable and educational experience for the whole family!
We’d love to hear your feedback and see if you try any of the activities we’ve suggested. Please leave a comment below!