Are you as excited as we are that it’s almost time for the Summer Olympics? The 2016 Rio Olympic Games open on Friday, August 5th. For those of you who can’t make it to Brazil, why not entertain your family’s Olympic dreams by throwing an Olympics party in your own backyard? From festive decorations to fun games and activities, we’ve got the low down on how to throw a totally memorable Olympics bash.
Let the Games Begin!
Invitation
Set the tone for your event with the Olympic Rings. We’ve provided you with a template for this invitation in the FREE downloadable printables. Simply print it, cut it out and write the party details on the back.
Do you know the meaning of the Olympic Rings?
The Olympic Rings represents the five continents and the meeting of athletes from throughout the world at the Olympic Games. The five colors combined with the white background represented the colors of the flags of all nations when the symbol was created in 1913.
Décor
Planning an event for kids and families gives you the opportunity to create an experience – one that your guests will never forget! For an Olympic themed party you can infuse a number of accents like: the Olympic Torch and Rings; flags from different countries; photos of your favorite Olympians; elements of the different sports; Brazilian décor and of course Olympic medals. You’ll also want to encourage your guests to dress up in Red, White and Blue to show their support for the U S of A!
The Banner pictured above is included in our Olympic Party Printable Pack below. The circle shapes and Olympic colors are very festive and when strung together in a banner, make for a great party decoration!
Games and Activities
During the last Olympics we invited friends over for dinner and at the last second I decided to come up with a few fun Olympic themed activities for the kids. They turned out to be a hit and were not hard to throw together at all. Here’s a few things that we did.
- Opening Ceremonies – Create an Olympic Torch using a paper towel roll wrapped in aluminum foil and topped off with yellow, orange and red tissue paper stuffed in the top to look like a flame. (You can insert a tea light into the tissue paper to add an extra glow.) We then had the kids run a torch relay for the opening ceremonies. Each started from a designated position and handed it off from one kiddo to the next until they all had run a leg. At the end we placed the torch in a vase on the table to preside over the rest of the party.
- The Games – The possibilities are endless! Play a variety of kid friendly games that you already have on hand or you can borrow from a friend or neighbor. Break out the croquet set; bocce ball; badminton net; have water balloon races; ping pong tournament; tug-of-war; bags or ring tosses.
- Medals Ceremony – End the party with an award ceremony and recognize the winners by presenting them with a medal. We created ours (pictured above) using gold paper plates, a gold paint pen and red, white and blue striped ribbon.
Food & Drink
If you’re having people over you’ve got to serve them something, right? Here are some unique Olympic themed foods that would be great to serve at an Opening Ceremony party or at any watch party during the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics.
- Brazilian Food – Try a bit of the host country’s cuisine. Brazil is known for their grilled meats, you can make up some skewers cook them outside AND keep the kitchen clean!
- All American Hot Dogs – Gotta represent the USA and nothing is more American than a good ol’ hot dog. Plus, you know most kids will eat them:)
- Olympic Donuts – Make or buy donuts and then ice them in the colors of the Olympic Rings.
- “Torched” Cupcakes – Use an ice cream cone as the base and create some flaming icing on top.
FREE Party Printables
Download Here: 07.21.16 Olympic Party FREE Printables
What will you be doing to get into the Olympic spirit this year?
