Paris Olympics Fun Patch Program®

Description

This 2″ iron-on embroidered patch is part of our patch program®.

 

Did you know that the 2024 Summer Olympics start July 24th? Although the opening ceremony isn’t until July 26th, there are competitions taking place prior to the start of the opening ceremony

Check back each day during the Summer 2024 Olympics. New suggested activities for your girls to earn the Paris Olympics Fun Patch will be added daily, to correspond with the start of each event.

Suggestions for how girls can earn the Paris Olympics Patch:

Olympic Events Starting July 24^th:

Football (Soccer): Competition and awards continue until August 10th.
Your girls might expect American football but in the Olympics, Football is actually what we call Soccer. The rest of the world refers to it as Football and since the games are international, American names for Olympic events are not the standard.
Suggested Activity: What if soccer was played with 3 teams? How would work? Try it with your troop.

Rugby Sevens: Competition and awards continue until July 30th.
Rugby is similar to football and soccer. In the Olympics, Rugby Sevens is played. It’s similar to Rugby but instead of 15 players on the field, there are 7. Each half of the game is 7 minutes instead of 40 minutes. Scoring in rugby is similar to football. Getting a ball past the try line is worth 5 points. Kicking it between the goalposts is worth 2 additional points. There are also penalty and drop goals which are worth 3 points each.
Suggested Activity: As your girls get to know the sports in this year’s Olympics, ask them if they see any other sports that are a combination of games or activities they are familiar with.

Olympic Events Starting July 25^th:

Archery: Competition and awards continue until August 4th.
Suggested Activity: Make and use homemade bows and arrows without pointed tips. The girls can color a target to tape to a tree or wall. There are so many ways for kids to make bows and arrows. Try one of these suggestions or have girls come up with their own ideas.

• Thin, flexible sticks on the ground can be used with embroidery floss to create the bow. Pencil cap erasers on an a stick make a great tip for arrows.
• Mini bows and arrows can be made with craft sticks, embroidery floss and q-tips with one end cut off. The end with the cotton swab would be the tip of the arrow.

Make sure to discuss archery safety, even when using toy bow and arrow:

• • never pointing an arrow at someone
  • never shoot it in the air
  • only pull the bow back when the arrow is facing the ground
  • pay attention and listen to adult.

Handball: Competition and awards continue until August 11th.
Your girls might think this is played with a small ball against a wall. Handball in the Olympics is referred to Team Handball in the US and looks more like a combination of soccer and basketball. There are 7 players on each team including a goal keeper. There are two 30 minute halves. The goal is a net, similar to a soccer net. Rules regarding dribbling the ball are similar to basketball. Men and women use different size balls to play.
Suggested Activity:  To understand a little about how handball is played, the girls can play soccer but with only hands instead of feet.

Olympic Opening Ceremony July 26^th:

Today is the Opening Ceremony. There are no sporting events starting today. The mascot for the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris is the Olympic Phryge. The brightly colored character is based on the Phrygian cap which is a symbol of freedom. The motto of the Olympic Phryge is “Alone we go faster, but together we go further.” This is the first year that the Paralympic version of the mascot features a visible disability (a prosthetic leg).
Suggested Activity: Your girls can make accessories or decorations to add to the fun of watching the opening ceremony. Free printables and craft ideas can be found at FreeKidsCrafts.

Olympic Events Starting July 27^th: 21 Olympic events start today. 

Artistic Gymnastics: Competition and awards continue until August 5th.
Artistic Gymnastics is one of 3 gymnastics categories at this year’s Olympics. Artistic Gymnastics includes vault, uneven bars, balance beam and floor exercise for women and vault, parallel bars, horizontal bar, pommel horse, rings and floor exercise for men.
Suggested Activity: Painters tape on the floor or mats if they are available can simulate a balance beam. Girls can practice trying to walk and doing some simple, age appropriate moves without ‘falling off’ the tape. If your troop has access to mats, they might try somersaults, cartwheels and handstand with a spotter.

Badminton: Competition and awards continue until August 5th.
Your girls are probably familiar with badminton.
Suggested Activity: If you have rackets and shuttlecocks, great. If not, crumble up a piece of paper and have the girls use one hand as the ‘racket’ to see how long they can keep their ‘shuttlecock’ in the air.

Basketball: Competition and awards continue until August 11th.
Basketball is another sport your girls are familiar with. Each team has 5 players.
Suggested Activity: Most girls probably have access to a basketball and an indoor or outdoor hoop. Have them try dribbling, passing and shooting the ball at a basket. If that’s not possible, have them toss crumbled up paper into a garbage pail from varying distances.

Beach Volleyball: Competition and awards continue until August 10th.
The beach volleyball court is slightly smaller than an indoor court. Each team has 2 players. Because each player has more ground to cover, this game requires the players to be very fast and agile. Of course the sand makes a soft place to land when reaching to get to the ball.
Suggested Activity: Players cannot touch the ball 2 times in a row and each team can only touch the ball 3 times when the ball is on their side of the court. Challenge your girls to try to get the ball to the other side (even if you don’t have a net) following these rules. Instead of a volleyball, try using a beach ball which is much softer and easier for girls to hit. If they aren’t playing on sand, remind them that they shouldn’t be diving to get to the ball.

Boxing: Competition and awards continue until August 10th.
Only amateur boxes are allowed to compete in the Olympic Games. Men box for 3 rounds for 3 minutes each. Women box for 4 rounds of 2 minutes each.
Suggested Activity: There are some boxing techniques that kids of any age can practice. Have the kids stand in a line, at least an arm’s length apart, all facing forward one foot slightly in front and one back. Challenge them to see how many punches they can do in 30 seconds. Remind them they aren’t trying to be wild and crazy, but to keep the palms facing down, and punch forward, extending the arms, alternating arms each time. A big part of Boxing is bouncing. After they practice punches, have them practice bouncing, with 2 feet, from side to side for 30 seconds. Ask them how tiring it was trying to do just those moves for 1 minute. Can the imagine the endurance it takes for a boxer to last 2 or 3 minutes with short breaks before going again?

Canoe Slalom: Competition and awards continue until August 5th.
Kayak events are included in the Canoe Slalom events. Canoeists kneel in a boat and use a single blade paddle. Kayakers are seated and use a double bladed paddle. Competitors navigate their boats through a course of gates. Similar to Ski Slalom, missing or touching a gate incurs a penalty. This year Kayak Cross is debuting in the Olympics. It’s a combination of all the canoeing disciplines with 4 competitors. While most Canoe Slalom events start in the water, the Kayak Cross is started on a platform that slants down to put all 4 racers in the water at the same time. Water roll barriers are included in this course, where the kayaker needs to do a 360 degree roll under a barrier.
Suggested Activity: Most girls are not going to have an opportunity to try Canoe Slalom. Watching the Canoe Slalom events would be one suggested activity that the girls will probably enjoy. If your girls want get an idea of how much endurance an athlete needs for this sport, try this activity. Using broom or a wrapping paper roll as the ‘paddle’, have the girls sit or kneel on the floor, more than a broom’s length apart and pretend to paddle for 2 minutes. Did they find it difficult to keep moving for 2 minutes? Can they imagine what it would be like doing that in a boat moving through fast moving water and trying to navigate around gates?

Cycling Road: Competition and awards continue until August 4th.
There are 5 cycling categories. Cycling Road is one of them. Your girls have probably seen cycling races with all of the riders setting off at one time in a mass start, (road race). Cycling Road does include that as well as individual events in which riders set off at staggered times (time trial).
Suggested Activity: Not everyone has a bicycle but if your troop can get access to a few your troop can have the girls take turns with 2 or 3 girls racing at a time. Of course you will want to do this in a closed, paved space or bicycle path. Remind the girls that Cycling Road courses for women in the Olympics are about ¾ of a mile for the road race and about ¼ mile for the time trial event. The road race in particular requires endurance and riders need to conserve energy instead of cycling at full speed throughout the race.

Diving: Competition and awards continue until August 11th.
Most girls should be familiar with Diving. Diving competitions take place on a 3 meter springboard and a 10 meter platform. Men and women compete separately in individual and synchronized events.
Suggested Activity: Diving is not something many girls will have access to. Of course divers do training and conditioning on dry land. Look up Dryland Conditioning Routine for Divers and you’ll find videos of how divers practice their Tuck, Kick, Look and Reach moves before getting into the water.

Equestrian: Competition and awards continue until August 6th.
There are 3 disciplines for Equestrian at the Olympics. Jumping is when the horse and rider jump over 10 -13 obstacles with time penalties for each obstacle that is toppled. Dressage, the most advanced form of horse training, is where the horse and rider perform artistic movements to music. Course Country is a long course of up to 42 obstacles with penalties for jumping errors. The athletes ride the same horse in all 3 competitions. There are individual and team competitions in Equestrian.
Suggested Activity: Riding a horse, especially with such advanced skills as jumping and ‘dancing’, is not going to be possible for most girls. You will find many ideas for creating a DIY Hobby Horse. We’ve shared a few simple ideas here. An empty wrapping paper roll can be used in place of a stick. A sock filled with stuffing can make a great head when you sew on embellishments for the eyes, ribbon for the halter and yarn for the hair. Another idea is to use a large piece of poster board and fold it in half. Trace and cut the shape of a horse head. Glue the two pieces together, leaving the bottom open to attach to the tube or stick. Punch holes the back of the neck to tie ribbon or yarn through for the mane. Draw on a nose and mouth. Use google eyes or markers for the eyes. Have your girls make up routines with their hobby horse for a Dressage Equestrian event.

Fencing: Competition and awards continue until August 4th.
There are 3 different types of blades used, the foil, epee and sabre. The scoring for each blade varies. The first fencer to reach 15 points, or scores the most points at the completion of a 3 minute round, wins the match. There are also team fencing events. In team fencing, the first team to score 45 points, or the team leading when time runs out, wins.
Suggested Activity: There are videos for learning fencing footwork without holding a sword. One shows how to use painters tape on the floor and a jump rope to learn the right timing for fencing footwork. Use the tape to create a row of blocks for the girls to step through as they advance forward in the en garde position. At the end of the row, two people are turning a jump rope for the girls to jump through. If you aren’t familiar with the en garde position or how to advance, there are explanations and videos online.

Hockey: Competition and awards continue until August 9th.
When your girls hear the word hockey, the probably think of Ice Hockey. In the summer Olympics, of course Hockey is referring to Field Hockey. In the Olympics, there are 4 periods, or quarters, in a match of 15 minutes each. Each team has 11 players. The team that scores the most goals wins. Did you know the type of field effects play? After switching from natural grass to heavy turf, the game was slower. Synthetic turf makes the game quicker. The pitch (field) is watered which makes the ball travel at a faster pace. A field hockey stick has a hook, or J, shaped end and is flat on one side, curved on the other. Only the flat side of the stick can be used.
Suggested Activity: Look up Origami Hockey Stick and Hockey Goal online and you’ll find several videos to help your girls make paper hockey equipment for a fun tabletop game of field Hockey at your meeting.

Judo: Competition and awards continue until August 3rd.
This is another sport that your girls may be familiar with. The objective is to throw your opponent to the ground, immobilizing them with a pinning hold or forcing them into submission with a joint lock or choke. Athletes are divided by weight class. Matches last about 4 minutes (with overtime when a match is a tie at the end of 4 minutes).
Suggested Activity: Mats are needed for Judo. Since most meeting spaces won’t have these, and you want to make sure the girls stay safe while learning proper techniques, it’s best to find a local Judo center to see if they will demonstrate some techniques to the girls during a troop trip.

Rowing: Competition and awards continue until August 3rd.
Rowing is unique in that the rowers cross the finish line backwards. The oars are fixed to the boat. In double scull events, the rowers hold one oar in each hand. In sweep rowing, the rowers hold a single oar with both hands. Rowing can be done by an individual or by teams of 2, 4 or 8.
Suggested Activity: We found some really fun ideas by searching Rowing Boat Craft Ideas online. There’s a carboard canoe, a printable rowing a boat craft that is like a moving picture where the girls use their finger to move the rower in the picture and of course, origami boats. Want something more physical for the girls to do? Using broom or a wrapping paper roll as the ‘oar’, have the girls sit on the floor in a row, one behind the other, and row for 6 minutes. Did they find it difficult to keep rowing for 6 minutes? This is the average time for athletes to complete a race of about 1 ¼ miles.

Shooting: Competition and awards continue until August 5th.
The 3 Olympic Shooting disciplines are rifle, pistol and shotgun. Rifle and pistol events take place on a shooting range with targets while kneeling, standing and in the prone position (laying down propped up on elbows). Shotgun competitions take place outside firing at flying targets coming from different directions and at varying angles.
Suggested Activity: Make pom pom or marshmallow shooters and paper targets. Tie a balloon without inflating it. Cut the rounded end of the balloon off leaving a couple of inches past the knot to put around a tube. The tube can be a toilet paper tube, a cup with the bottom cut off or any other kind of round hollow material. Put the open end of the balloon around the tube and secure it with a rubber band. Hang the target(s) the girls made on a wall or tree. Load a marshmallow or pom pom into the shooter, pull back on the knot in the balloon and let it go. How many times can each girl hit the target?

Skateboarding: Competition and awards continue until August 7th.
Skateboarding became an Olympic sport at the 2020 Olympic games, which took place in 2021 due to the pandemic.
Suggested Activity: There are many areas with skateboard parks where girls can learn how to skateboard. If your girls aren’t ready for that, they can set up a finger skateboarding course. Give the girls some cardboard and cereal boxes to let them get creative making ramps, half pipes, quarter pipes and rails. Purchasing a fingerboard for the girls to take turns using on their course is an option. While fingerboards can be made from cardboard, the wheels and axles are something that would need to be purchased. If you want completely DIY fingerboard, you can look online for Origami Fingerboard instructions but of course they won’t roll.

Surfing: Competition and awards continue until August 5th.
Surfing was also introduced as an Olympic sport at the 2020 Olympic games, which took place in 2021 due to the pandemic.
Suggested Activity: Unless you live near an ocean or have a waterpark with a surfing ride, your girls won’t get to experience this sport first hand. Your girls can make a toy surfboard using foam core board. You can search for a printable template or stencil or the girls can design their own. Once the girls have penciled their board shape onto a foam board, and adult can use an X-acto knif or large craft scissors to cut out the shapes for them. Using permanent markers, the girls can decorate their surfboard. If the girls have small figurines they can glue one onto the surfboard. Have the girls test to see if their surfboards float in a large tub of water. Have the girls try different ways of making waves in the water to see how their surfboards handle the ‘waves’. They can blow towards the water with and without a straw to see which works better. They can drop a pebble in the water and see if it works better if they drop several pebbles at one time. Will they get more waves if the container is moved gently back and forth?

Swimming: Competition and awards continue until August 4th.
There are four strokes in Olympic Swimming events. The breaststroke, butterfly, backstroke and front crawl (freestyle).
Suggested Activity: Remember to check safety wise for swimming trip requirements and take the girls to a local pool to try some of the strokes they have seen on the Olympics. If your troop isn’t ready for a troop swimming trip, ask the girls to share pictures of them swimming with their family. For dry land only activity, have the girls practice swimming movements such as arm rotations in the air, kicking on the floor or rotational breathing (turn head to side and take a breath, hold breath and turn head down, repeat several times).

Table Tennis: Competition and awards continue until August 10th.
Table Tennis and ping pong are the same game. So most of your girls will already know this sport is played with paddles, a small ball and a table. Because London based Hamley Brothers trademarked the term Ping Pong, Table Tennis is the official name of the sport in most of the world. Table Tennis athletes train and compete at national and international tournaments while ping pong players are usually playing for fun.
Suggested Activity: Don’t have a net to put on a table? Try lining up objects such as books on their side or set up a row of cans (such as vegetable cans). What creative ideas will your girls come up with to use as a net? Now you need paddles. The girls can draw paddle (with handle attached) patterns on cardboard for an adult to cut out. For each paddle, glue two of the cut out cardboard paddles together. Cut two pieces of sandpaper to fit on the paddle from the rounded top to a straight line above where the handle portion starts. Glue these to each side of the paddle. Cut two more pieces of cardboard of just the handle of the paddle, extending the handle into part of the curve of the bottom of the paddle. Also cut out two pieces of rectangle from the cardboard, the length of the handle portion of the paddle. Glue one piece of handle to each side of the paddle handle. Glue one piece of rectangle over the handle on each side of the paddle. You can also find video tutorials online. The ball is something that would need to be purchased if no one has one to borrow.

Tennis: Competition and awards continue until August 4th.
Tennis is one of the few sports that features mixed doubles as an event. Badminton and Table tennis also have mixed doubles events.
Suggested Activity: If your troop can borrow a couple of rackets and a ball, take them to a nearby court to try tennis for themselves. If not, there’s always paper plate tennis. Glue a popsicle stick to a paper plate and have the girls hit a crumpled piece of paper back and forth. The girls can decorate the plate with lines using crayon or marker. If you want a tennis racket with yarn or string, you can cut out the middle of the plate and punch holes through it for the girls to string their racket. This method would also work if they want to make a cardboard racket.

Volleyball: Competition and awards continue until August 11th.
Volleyball is played with 2 teams of 6 players each. The first team to score 25 (but they must win by at least 2 points) wins the set. Best of 5 sets wins the match.
Suggested Activity: If you can’t play volleyball, have the girls use a beach ball. How many times can they get the ball back and forth without it touching the ground?

Water Polo: Competition and awards continue until August 11th.
Two teams of 7 play against each other. There is a goal at each end of the pool. There are 4 eight minute quarters. The players may only hold the ball in one hand, except for the goalkeeper. The ball can be moved by swimming with it in front of them or passing it to another player. Athletes are not allowed to touch the bottom of the pool.
Suggested Activity: The pool used for Water Polo is almost 10 feet deep. Can your girls imagine trying to tread water for a long time? The most common way for players to tread water is the eggbeater kick. Your legs make large circles in towards each other one at a time like an eggbeater. The upper body stays upright. Your thighs are at a 90 degrees angle from the torso with the knees bent and feet hanging down. Since the position is like sitting in a chair, have your girls try doing the eggbeater move while sitting on a chair. How long do they think they can keep doing this move? Remember to check safety wise for swimming trip requirements if you plan to take the girls to a pool to try this.

Olympic Events Starting July 28^th:

Cycling Mountain Bike: Competition and awards continue until July 29th.
Riders start from the same start line and race around mountainous, rough terrain. Riders generally complete multiple laps in a race that lasts one to two hours.
Suggested Activity: The athletes in this competition have to have incredible endurance and stamina. Many cyclists can’t get out every day to ride. Most will train on a stationary bike on days they can’t ride in the mountains or they will do strength training at a gym. If a rider rests one day a week, they most likely still do stretches on that day to keep limber. Challenge your girls to do an exercise every day for one week. The amount of time should be age appropriate. Can they keep it up for one week? Can they imagine how much longer an Olympic Mountain Bike Cyclist must have to train every single day in addition to working at a job and having a family? This is a great opportunity to remind girls that many Olympic Athletes are not professional and they do all of their training in addition to having a job and family to take care of.

Sailing: Competition and awards continue until August 8th.
Sailing probably sounds like something your girls might not be interested in? Your girls might be surprised to learn that the Olympic Sailing events are Windsurfing, Kitebording, Skiffs, Dingy, Multi Hull and 2 Person Dingy. This is because sailing involves moving on the open water using only the wind. 2024 is the first year Kiteboarding has been in the Olympics.
Suggested Activity: If they get a chance to watch Windsurfing they will get to see that the new hydrofoil which lifts the board completely out of the water. A hydrofoil is also used in Kiteboarding. A fun activity for the girls could be to go fly a kite. On a windy day, can they feel how hard the kite pulls on the string? Can they imagine, how much a large kite out on the open water can pull them? Can they also imagine, how hard it must be to control the kite so they can navigate through a specific course?

There Are No New Olympic Events Starting July 29^th:

Girl Scouts in the Olympics:
Suggested Activity: We haven’t found any 2024 athletes who were also Girl Scouts but there are a number of former Olympic Athletes who were also Girl Scouts. Your girls may recognize some of the names on the following lists. Do your girls think these women earned a lot of sports badges when they were the age your girls are now?

Olympic Athletes Who Were Also Girl Scouts:

•  Adeline Gray: Wrestling 2016, 2020 (Silver).
  • Adeline remembers selling cookies but it was the work that went into earning badges that helped work towards her ambitions. Her troop had women in different fields visit to help them earn badges. This helped her realize what women could achieve.
• Lynn Colella: Swimming 1972 (Silver 200-meter butterfly).
  • Lynn loved being a Girl Scout. She especially loved camping and doing community service. Lynn earned her First Class pin, which is the what the Gold Award was called while she was a Girl Scout. Her mother was her leader and she became a leader for her daughters as well.
• Florence Griffith Joyner: Athletics 1980 (US Boycott), 1984 (Silver 200 m), 1988 (3 Gold: 200meter, 100meter, 4 x 100meter relay, Silver 4 x 400meter relay)
• Jackie Joyner-Kersee: Athletics 1984 (Silver heptathlon), 1988 (2 Gold: heptathlon, long jump), 1992 (Gold heptathlon, Bronze long jump), 1996 (Bronze long jump)
• Lisa Leslie: Basketball 1996 (Gold), 2000 (Gold), 2004 (Gold), 2008 (Gold).
  • Girl Scouts was clearly important to Lisa Leslie. She designed a limited edition 10oth anniversary Girl Scout patch that was auctioned with proceeds benefiting the Girl Scouts.
• Alysia Montaño: Athletics 2012 (Bronze 800 meter)
• Venus Williams: Tennis 2000 (2 Gold singles, doubles), 2004, 2008 (Gold doubles), 2012 (Gold doubles), 2016 (Silver mixed doubles)
• Serena Williams: Tennis 2000 (Gold doubles), (withdrew before 2004 due to injury), 2008 (Gold doubles), 2012 (2 Gold singles, doubles), 2016

Paralympic Athlete Who Was Also A Girl Scout: 

Tatyana McFadden: Wheelchair Racing

• 2004 (Silver 100 meter, Bronze 200 meter)
• 2008 (3 Silver 200 meter, 400 meter, 800 meter and 1 Bronze 4 x 100 meter relay)
• 2012 (3 Gold 400 meter, 800 meter, 1500 meter, Bronze 100 meter)
• 2016 (4 Gold 400 meter, 800 meter, 1500 meter, 5000 meter, 2 Silver 100 meter, marathon)
• 2020 (Gold mixed 4 x 100 meter relay, Silver 800 meter, Bronze 5000 meter)

Tatyana started Girl Scout camp when she was 10 years old. Although she was the only girl with a disability at the camp, it was fully accessible so she joined her fellow scouts hiking, swimming and participating in all of the activities at the camp. She continued as a Girl Scout until 8th grade when she qualified for the 2004 Paralympics team. Tatyana is a lifetime Girl Scout member.

Olympic Events Starting July 30^th:

3X3 Basketball: Competition and awards continue until August 5th.
3X3 Basketball is the number one urban sport in the world. It is played on one half of a basketball. Each team has 3 players that attack and defend the same hoop. The first team to score 21, or the team with the highest score at the end of 10 minutes wins.
Suggested Activity: If your girls already tried our suggested activities for Basketball, let them know that the 3 point line in Basketball serves as the 2 point line in 3X3 Basketball. This line goes from 21 feet and 9 inches in the corner, to 22 and 1 ¾ inches on the curve. Have them try shooting from within those distances. How much harder is it than shooting from 15 feet away (the distance to the free throw line)?

Cycling BMX Freestyle: Competition and awards continue until July 31th.
This is the second time BMX Freestyle has been in the Olympic games. Competition takes place on a course with ramps, box jumps and walls. The riders perform as many tricks as possible in 60 seconds. The judges base their scores on the difficulty of the tricks, height of the jumps and the creativity and style of the routines.
Suggested Activity: Most girls will not be able to try BMX Freestyle for themselves without a great proper training, and of course the right bike and protective gear. BMX bikes have a smaller and stronger frame to handle the jumps and tricks. They are lightweight to make the bike easier to control. The tires are thick and fat to absorb the shock and help with jumping. Watching the events during the Olympics or in person at a local park is the best way to learn more about this sport. Remind the girls that a regular bike is not made for this extreme sport and attempting the tricks and jumps they see is only appropriate using the correct equipment, with an instructor, and of course permission from their parent/ guardian.

Triathlon: Competition and awards continue until August 5th.
In this event athletes swim almost a mile, cycle for nearly 25 miles and run a 10K which is about 6.2 miles on a single race. The first to cross the finish line wins the event. One of the events is a mixed relay event with men and women competing over a short-course Triathlon.
Suggested Activity: If your troop can meet safety wise requirements and find a location where girls can swim, cycle and run, a troop mini Triathlon or relay Triathlon would be fun. If not, have your girls come up with 3 different events they can put together for their own Triathlon.

There Are No New Olympic Events Starting July 31st:

Another Name: The Olympics are a international so some sporting event names may be known by a different name in the USA.
Suggested Activity: Ask the girls which Summer Olympic sports for 2024 do we in the USA know by a different name?
Here’s what we found:

Olympic name	Known in USA as
Athletics	Track and Field
Football	Soccer
Handball	Team Handball

Olympic Events Starting August 1st:

Athletics: Competition and awards continue until August 11th.
Your girls might be more familiar with the term Track and Field which is used in the US. Events include running, jumping, throwing, walking and combined events. More athletes compete in Athletics than any other Olympic sport. Events include:

A Marathon (a little over 26 miles) is a race which take place on the streets of Paris and includes a number of hills.
The Hammer involves a solid iron ball (16 lbs for men and a little under 9 lbs for women) attached to a grip by a metal wire. The object is to throw the ball as far as possible. The athlete swings the ball around in a circle to gain momentum before throwing.
Sprints are races of 100 meters (a little over 109 yards and takes approx 10 seconds), 200 meters (almost 219 yards) and 400 meters (about a quarter of a mile). For reference, a high school track is usually 400 meters around. Relay races (with 4 runners per race) are 100 meters, 400 meters and mixed 400 meters relay (2 men and 2 women)
Discus is throwing a metal covered disc (about 8 ½ inches and almost 4 ½ lbs for men) (about 7 inches and almost 2 ¼ lbs for women) as far as possible. Similar to the hammer, the athlete spins in a circle while holding the discus to gain momentum.
Hurdles is a combination of sprinting and jumping. The races are 100 meters for women and 110 meters for men as well as 400 meters (women and men). For both distances, there are 10 hurdles evenly spaced. Hurdles range from 76 centimeters (about 2 ½ feet) to 1.06 meters (about 3 ½ feet) high.
The Javelin is between 8 feet 6 inches and 8 feet 10 inches long and at least 28 ounces for men and 7 feet 3 inches and 7 feet 7 inches long and at least 21 ounces for women. Javelins are tapered at both ends and are flexible. The athlete builds up speed on a runway of almost 33 yards and throw the javelin from behind a foul line which cannot be crossed even after releasing the javelin.
In the Triple Jump the athlete runs during the approach (18 – 22 strides) and then hops far, landing on the same leg they used to take off, then take a long leap forward but landing on the other foot and finally makes their jump pushing themselves upward and forward trying to stay in the air as long as possible before landing as far as possible into the sand. The Triple Jump is also known as the hop, step and jump.
Race Walk is walking as fast as possible over a set distance. This year the races are almost 12 ½ miles long. There is also a mixed relay team event this year. One male and one female athlete will be on each team racing a course of almost 26 ¼ miles long. The teammates alternate twice at about 6 ½ miles. Your troop might not realize there are very strict rules for the Race Walk. One rule is no lifting, which means one foot must be on the ground at all times. Another rule is the straight leg rule which means the athlete’s lead foot needs to make contact with the ground with a straight knee, and to keep that straight position until the hip passes over the foot. Judges along the route can raise a yellow paddle (to indicate a yellow card) or red paddle (to indicate a red card) toward a racer. A yellow card means the athlete is being warned they are at risk of a penalty. If they keep breaking the rules, they get a red card. An athlete that receives 3 cards is disqualified. If your girls have watched speed walking, they will notice that the athletes twist and rotate their hips which might look different but creates longer steps and generates power. Athletes swing their arms for momentum and balance.
Long Jump is a running jump. It’s a little different than the Triple Jump but they do not take a hop and step before their jump.
A Shot Put is a heavy metal ball (almost 15 ½ lbs for men and almost 9 lbs for women). Throwing the ball looks similar to throwing the Hammer or Discus although the athlete’s spin is a little differently in this event.
High Jump is when an athlete runs up to, and jumps over, a bar. The bar height is increased with each jump. The athletes have 3 attempts to make it over the bar and are eliminated if they fail the 3 attempts.
Pole Vault is when the athlete uses a long flexible pole to aid in jumping over a bar. They sprint at top speed holding the pole in front of them. As they reach the second to last step, they plant the pole into the planting box. They use the momentum and pole to vault over the bar feet first and turn to land on their back on a very thick padded mat.
The Middle and Long Distance Track Running races range from 800 meters (about ½ mile or 2 laps of the track) and 10,000 meters (almost 6 ¼ miles or 25 laps of the track).
Middle distant races are 800 meter, 1500 meter and the 3,000 meter Steeple Chase. In the Steeple Chase athletes must hurdle 4 barriers and navigate one water jump on each of the 7 and a half laps of this race. The long distance races are 5,000 meter and 10,000 meter races.
Heptathlon is a multievent competition. Female athletes compete to outscore each other in the 7 events of the heptathlon. The events are 100 meter hurdles, high jump, shot put, 200 meter race, long jump, javelin throw and 800 meter race.
Decathlon is a multievent competition. Male athletes compete to outscore each other in the 10 events of the decathlon. The events are 100 meter race, long jump, shot put, high jump, 400 meter race, 110 meter hurdles, discus throwing, pole vault, javelin throw and 1500 meter race.
Suggested Activity: Have your girls watch a video of Race Walking (or speed walking) and give it a try. Does it feel funny to walk with these strict rules?

Cycling BMX Racing: Competition and awards continue until August 2th.
Riders launch themselves from a gate on top of a start hill that is 26 ¼ feet high onto a track that is almost ¼ mile long reaching speeds over 37 miles per hour. Up to 8 riders are on the track with jumps, banked corners and obstacles.
Suggested Activity: The only appropriate suggested activity for this event is for the girls watch a race if they can. Only experienced riders should be attempting to do BMX Racing.

Golf: Competition and awards continue until August 10th.
Most girls are familiar with Golf.
Suggested Activity: There are many ways for your girls to experience golfing. There are many videos online that demonstrate a proper golf swing. If any parents in your troop golf, ask them to come to a troop meeting if you have access to a big enough outdoor space where the parents can show the girls how to swing a club and let the girls see how far they can hit the ball. There are some communities that have pitch and putt courses that are a fun way to try golfing. Of course most communities have mini golf so you can arrange a trip for the troop to practice hitting the ball through hazards and into a hole. Driving ranges may be an option for your girls to see how far they can hit a golf ball.

Olympic Events Starting August 2nd:

Trampoline Gymnastics: Competition and awards for this event start and end on August 2nd.
Athletes bounce over 26 feet in the air on a trampoline to perform a series of twists, bounces and somersaults. Each routine is composed of 10 elements and is scored according to their difficulty, execution and time spent in the air.
Suggested Activity: Make sure to check safety wise for your council. If your council allows girls to trampoline, then a trip to a trampoline park is a fun way for the girls to realize how much training is involved to compete in Trampoline Gymnastics. Whether your girls can make a trip to a trampoline park or not, watching an Olympic Trampoline event is sure to be a popular activity for your girls to learn about this sport.

There Are No New Olympic Events Starting August 3rd:

2024 Summer Paralympics :
Suggested Activity: The 2024 Summer Paralympics, which start August 28th with the opening ceremony and end September 8th, will take place in Paris and it’s suburbs.
On August 29th, 11 of the 23 events will start. 4,400 athletes will compete in the following events:

• Blind Football (remember, we know this as soccer)
• Boccia (similar to bocce)
• Goalball (a sport designed for visually impaired and blind athletes)
• Para Archery
• Para Athletics
• Para Badminton
• Para Canoe
• Para Cycling Road
• Para Cycling Track
• Para Equestrian
• Para Judo
• Para Powerlifting
• Para Rowing
• Para Swimming
• Para Table Tennis
• Para Taekwondo
• Para Triathlon
• Shooting Para Sport
• Sitting Volleyball
• Wheelchair Basketball
• Wheelchair Fencing
• Wheelchair Rugby
• Wheelchair Tennis

Ask your girls how they think the above events are changed to accommodate various disabilities. Encourage them to watch the Summer Paralympics to see if their ideas for making these sports accessible match how the Paralympics events are played.

There Are No New Olympic Events Starting August 4th:

The Olympic Flag: The 5 colors of the Olympic rings reflect the colors found on the flags of all participating nations so that everyone is represented. International cooperation and the coming together of athletes from all over the world is represented by the overlapping of the rings.
Suggested Activity: Can your girls design a flag that represents multiple things? Some ideas are a flag representing the interests of all of the girls in their troop, the coming together of the different branches of their family tree or a representation of their own varied interests. Of course your girls may have other ideas of combination of things they would like to represent in their flag design

Olympic Events Starting August 5th:

Artistic Swimming: Competition and awards continue until August 10th.
Artistic Swimming was previously called Synchronized  Swimming. There are two events. One is a duet and the other is a team competition. The duet event includes a technical and free routine. The team event includes both of those as well as an acrobatic routine. The scoring is based on level of difficulty, synchronization, execution and artistic impression.
Suggested Activity: If your troop has access to a pool and meets your council safety rules, have the girls try to do some simple things at the same time. Depending on their ability can they do a somersault under water and come up at the same time? Some girls may be able to stick their legs out of the water. Can they do that together? If you don’t have access to a pool, perhaps they can stand or sit in chairs in a row and try to do a few simple moves at the same time.

Cycling Track: Competition and awards continue until August 11th.
Leaders may have seen what a roller derby track looks like. The Cycling track looks similar to that, an oval, angled, wood track called a velodrome. Riders maintain speeds of almost 50 miles per hour. Track bikes are different than regular bikes in several ways, one of which is that they have no breaks. There are individual and team events each with different rules, techniques and strategies.
Suggested Activity: Your troop will most likely not have access to a velodrome cycling track or be allowed to ride bikes on a wood floor. But ask them to imagine trying to ride bikes on a wood floor instead of on a paved or dirt surface. Do they think that type of track would be easier or harder to ride on? Remind them that floor is smoother meaning there may be less friction. They may have already learned that less friction means more speed. Have your girls think about how fast 50 miles an hour is. Many highways have speed limits of about 55 miles per hour. Can they imagine a bicycle almost being able to keep up with a car on a highway?

Sport Climbing: Competition and awards continue until August 10th.
Sport Climbing includes Speed, Bouldering and Lead.  A safety harness is worn by athletes in the Speed and Lead climbs.
Speed is one event. Bouldering and Lead are separate disciplines but the medal winners in the Bouldering and Lead event are the ones with the highest combined scores in Bouldering and Lead.
In the Speed event, athletes climb a wall that is almost 50 feet high as fast as possible. The course is easier in comparison to Boulder or Lead courses.
Bouldering is when athletes climb high walls almost 15 feet high without ropes in a limited period of time.
Lead climbing is when the athletes climb as high as they can on a wall over 50 feet high in 6 minutes without having seen the route ahead of time. This course has a more complex obstacles on the climbing route.
Suggested Activity: If your troop has access to climbing facilities and meets council safety requirements, a troop trip can be a great way to experience climbing. If not, try to find something that would give them an idea of how high 50 feet is. Perhaps a building they are familiar with that you know the height of or measure out 50 feet on a floor. Let the girls know the best female athletes can climb almost 50 feet (with a slight incline of 5 degrees) in under 7 seconds in the speed climbing event. If climbing isn’t possible for your girls, have them kind of crawl on their hands and feet on the floor. Have them do that in a straight line for 7 seconds. How far did they get?

Wrestling: Competition and awards continue until August 11th.
There are two types of Wrestling in the Olympics.
Greco-Roman Wrestling is when a competitor can only use their arms and upper body to attack their opponent above the waist.
Freestyle Wrestling is when the competitors also use their legs and can hold opponents above over below the waist. The mats are the same with the circular combat area. The object in both is to pin their opponent’s two shoulders down to the mat or to get the most points based on the moves during the match.
Suggested Activity: Footwork is essential in wrestling. We found some fun agility and foot speed drills for wrestlers. Bunny Hops is just like the name implies. Keep your legs together and hop forward. The athletes appeared to be hopping on their toes but if your girls can’t keep their balance that way, they should do it flat foot. Carioca (also known as grapevine) is used for training in multiple sports including wrestling (there are many videos on-line if you need to see a demonstration). A sprint is another drill wrestlers use (running a short distance) as well as a backwards sprint. Lateral glides are when the legs are spread and you crouch down with arms dangling in front. You then walk sideways kind of like a gorilla which will probably make this the most fun one for the girls to try.

Olympic Event Starting August 6th:

Canoe Sprint: Competition and awards continue until August 10th.
As in Canoe Slalom, Kayaks are included in the Canoe Sprint event. Canoe Sprint is a fast paced race on calm waters. During the events, athletes race in lanes from less than ¼ mile to over 1/2 mile.
Suggested Activity: During at least one of the events, athletes kneel with one leg on the bottom of the boat and the other leg bent in front of them with their foot on the floor. They use one paddle to pull themselves along in the water. Using broom or a wrapping paper roll as the ‘paddle’, have the girls kneel on the floor as described, more than a broom’s length apart and pretend to paddle as described for 3 minutes. Did they find it difficult to keep moving for 3 minutes? The 1000meter race (over half a mile) will take longer than 3 minutes to finish.

Olympic Events Starting August 7th:

Taekwondo: Competition and awards continue until August 10th.
This martial art is a combination of kicking and punching in quick succession while avoiding being struck. Each match lasts 2 minutes and take place on an octagonal mat.
Suggested Activity: If your troop can make a trip to a local Taekwondo school, that’s a great way for your girls to experience this sport for themselves. If that’s not possible, your girls can learn drills and stances as well as exercises by searching Taekwondo Drills for Kids online.

Weightlifting: Competition and awards continue until August 11th.
There are two types of lifts in the Olympics. The snatch is when the bar is lifted from the floor to above the head in one movement. The clean and jerk is when the bar is first brought to the shoulders before being jerked over the head. Men and women each compete over five weight classes. The athletes perform both lifts 3 times and their best result of each lift are combined for an overall score.
Suggested Activity: A child of 7 or 8 MAY be old enough to use free weights, but weight lifting with your scouts should only be attempted under the supervision of someone who is properly trained in weightlifting. The girls can still have a little fun imitating this sport. If you have a mop with a removable mop head, you can use a pool noodle to cut ‘weights’ to fit over the end of the pole. The girls can take turns practicing the two different types of lifts.

Olympic Events Starting August 8th:

Marathon Swimming: Competition and awards continue until August 9th.
Marathon swimming takes places in a sea, river or lake. The course is almost 6 ¼ miles and takes athletes nearly two hours to complete. The race begins with a mass start from a pontoon. Athletes do have to lift their head out of the water once in a while to make sure they are swimming in the right direction (remember, they are in open waters that have tides and currents). Swimmers do get water or nutrients 2 or 3 times during the race. Coaches put water or energy drinks in a basket on the end of a long pole for swimmers to get. Rules forbid swimmers from touch a boat or float. Athletes flip over on to their back to take the drink.
Suggested Activity: Ask if your girls can imagine doing any activity for almost 2 hours with no real breaks? Is there any physical activity they think they can do for 2 hours? Even doing homework for 2 hours straight with no break seems impossible. Do they think, despite being surrounded other swimmers and many onlookers, the swimmers feel isolated? With their heads in the water most of the time, swimmers probably can’t hear or see much of what’s going on around them for most of the race. After thinking about these things, do your girls think it takes a great deal of dedication to be a marathon swimmer? Trying to grab a bottle of water from a basket on a pole while moving is probably something that is included in swimming marathon training. Can you set up a way for your girls to try grabbing a bottle of water from a basket while moving? Having to make sure you are still on course in moving water also must be part of their training. Did your girls think swimming was the only skill marathon swimmers needed to master?

Modern Pentathlon: Competition and awards continue until August 11th.
Modern pentathlon is made up of four events, the last of which combines 2 sports.

• Fencing
• Equestrian Jumping
• Swimming
• Running and shooting (shooting at a target with a laser pistol)

Suggested Activity: Were your girls surprised to discover which events are in the Modern Pentathlon. Challenge your girls to come up with their own pentathlon. Which 5 activities would they have in their pentathlon? Would some of them be combined like the running and shooting in the Olympics?

Rhythmic Gymnastics: Competition and awards continue until August 10th.
Rhythmic gymnastics may be a troop favorite. It combines elements of dance and artistic gymnastics. Athletes use a ribbon, hoop, ball and clubs during their routines. There are individual and team events (with the whole team on the mat at the same time).
Suggested Activity: Assuming most troops don’t have access to a mat, focusing on dance might be a good idea. A ribbon (on a stick) should be easy to find or make. A hula hoop and a ball should be easy to find as well. The ball appears to be a lightweight medium sized ball. A foam ball may be easier for younger girls. Your girls may already have some favorite dance routines or moves. Ask them to incorporate the ribbon, hula hoop and ball into their routine.

Olympic Event Starting August 9th:

Breaking: Competition and awards continue until August 10th.
Breaking is break dancing. It was introduced in the youth games in Buenos Aires in 2018. It was a huge success there and has been added to the 2024 Summer Olympics as a new sport that combines dance and athletic movements. Athletes will use a combination of power moves including windmills, the 6-step, and freezes, as they improvise to the beat of the DJ’s tracks.
Suggested Activity: If there is a dance studio near you that can offer a beginner breakdancing lesson for your girls, a trip would be a great activity to learn more about this new Olympic event. If not, there are some great videos for beginners. We searched Breaking Training for Kids and Beginning Breaking at Home for Kids. Pick one to have at your meeting for the girls to follow.

There Are No New Olympic Events Starting August 10th:

Former Olympic Events: Your girls may be surprised to learn about some events that used to be part of the Olympics.

• Tug-of-War: 1900 – 1920 Tug-of-War was one of the Track and Field events.
• Solo Synchronized Swimming: 1984 to 1992. Swimmer routine had to synchronize to the music.
• Distance Plunging: 1904: Dive into pool and coast underwater without moving limbs. Longest distance won.
• Rope Climb: 1896 – 1932: Fun Fact: US Gymnast George Eyser won gold in 1904 despite having a wooden leg.
• Croquet: 1900: Paris: Fun Fact: Only French competitors signed & only one single spectator purchased a ticket.
• Roque: 1904: St Louis: Fun Fact: Only American competitors signed up. Like Croquet, Roque was not very athletic which is the most likely reason neither of those games continued after being added by the Olympic host countries.
• Horse Long Jump: 1900: The Horse Long Jump was only part of the Equestrian event at one Olympic game.

Suggested Activity: We’ve shared just some of the former events that are not currently an event in the Summer Olympics. Are they any events from this list they would like to see return to the Olympics? Is there a current event that they think should be dropped from future Olympics?

The Closing Ceremony is August 11th. There are a few events finishing up today before the ceremony. 

New Olympic Events: 

New events to this year’s Olympics included:

• Breaking
• Kayak Cross
• Kiteboarding
• Team Acrobatic Routine Round was added to Artistic Swimming

New events for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles have already been announced. Some are returning after various lengths of absence (prior Olympic years listed):

• Baseball: Returning (1992 – 2008, 2020 (took place in 2021 due to COVID))
• Cricket: Returning (1900)
• Lacrosse: Returning (1904, 1908)
• Softball: Returning after  (1996 – 2008, 2020(took place in 2021 due to COVID))
• Flag Football: First Time
• Squash: First Time

Suggested Activity: We’ve shared the events that will be in the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. What sports would your girls like to see added as a future Summer Olympics event? As of now, Breaking is not going to be in the 2028 Olympics.

Additional information

Weight	.02 lbs
Dimensions	1 × 1 × 1 in
Item Number	MF-4103