Summer Fun with Sports from Around the World!
Not only is it important to keep children’s minds engaged to avoid any summer learning loss, but it is also essential to keep them active and healthy as well. Here are a few ideas on how you can do both at the same time, while also incorporating some multicultural learning!
Grab A Book And Travel The Globe
Choose a sports-themed book and read with your child about the different sports from around the globe. Some sports might be familiar, like football or tennis, and some will seem unique, such as sepak takraw or yukigassen. After finishing the story, ask your child what their favorite sport was and why? Do any of the sports have anything in common? Why are the different sports played in certain areas of the world?
Get Creative and Invent A New Sport
Using the sports from the story as inspiration, have your child create a new sport. They will need to determine the game’s objective, the rules, and any equipment needed. It might be fun for older kids to create a poster depicting the sport, design a team logo, or even fashion uniforms.
Host Your Own Olympic Games
Host a backyard Olympics where kids can debut their newly invented sport while also playing more traditional games. While setting up for the event, have a discussion on why the Olympics began, what sports were originally played, and how the Olympic games have evolved over the years. Have participants bring food and drinks from different regions of the world to truly make it a multicultural event.
“Sport can bridge difficulties. Sport can bridge cultures. Sport can bridge conflicts. Sport is the best school of life.” – A. Ogi, Former UN Secretary-General’s Special Adviser on Sport for Development and Peace
By keeping it fun, children will learn about sports from different parts of the world which will work to foster awareness, tolerance, and acceptance among all cultures. They will also learn important life skills such as teamwork, discipline, and how to keep active and healthy. Check out Language Lizard’s blog for more information about Amazing Sports From Around the World!
About Language Lizard
Language Lizard, LLC (www.LanguageLizard.com) is a leading supplier of bilingual products in over 50 languages. The company provides award-winning bilingual books and audio resources to schools, libraries, literacy organizations, and bilingual families. Language Lizard offers culturally responsive teaching materials, multilingual posters, and free multicultural lesson plans to support diverse classrooms and homeschooling families.
Language Lizard Idiom Books are available as English and bilingual paperbacks at www.LanguageLizard.com, Ingram, and bookstores worldwide. eBooks are available on major eBook platforms and on Overdrive and are 32 Full Illustrated Color Pages for Grade Level K-5.
