Inspiring Olympics Facts For Kids With Printable

The 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris promises to capture the world’s imagination once again. With the dazzling spectacle of the opening ceremony and the thrill of seeing top athletes vie for gold, silver, and bronze medals, the Olympics offers a unique blend of sportsmanship, history, and international unity.

For parents and teachers, this once every 4 years event provides a perfect educational opportunity to engage kids with the fascinating world of the Olympic Games.

From the ancient foot races of Olympia to the modern marvel of the Olympic Stadium in Paris, the Olympics are not just about sports events; they encapsulate stories of personal triumph, cultural exchanges, and the timeless pursuit of excellence.

Using This Printable Resource for the Olympics

Our printable Olympic facts sheet is a fun and accessible way to introduce young learners to the rich history and exciting present of the Olympic Games. Designed with vivid colors and engaging graphics, it’s perfect for classroom use or at-home learning. 

Each fact is a conversation starter, and we encourage educators to delve deeper into each topic—perhaps starting a class project on the different countries participating or creating a mini-Olympic games in the backyard.

Olympics Fact Sheet Worksheets

We have put together a blank worksheet for kids to write their own olympics fact sheet, along with one already filled in, and you can also download the PDF file with all 50 facts written in list format.

Interesting Olympics Facts for Kids

Here are fascinating olympics facts to get started, and you can ask the kids to research and collect some more fun facts of their own. 

1. The first modern Olympics were held in 1896 in Athens, Greece, reviving the ancient tradition established by the Greeks.
2. While the ancient Olympic Games were a religious festival honoring Zeus, today’s games celebrate athletic prowess and international peace.
3. The Olympic flame symbolises peace and unity and is lit at Olympia and travels to the host city, culminating in the lighting of the Olympic cauldron at the opening ceremony.
4. Initially, the Olympics only featured summer sports, but the Winter Olympic Games were introduced in 1924, featuring sports like ice hockey and figure skating.
5. The Olympic Motto is “Citius, Altius, Fortius,” which means “Faster, Higher, Stronger,” and it has been the Olympic motto since 1894, encouraging athletes to embrace the spirit of improvement.
6. American swimmer Michael Phelps holds the record for the most Olympic medals won by any athlete, totaling 28 medals.

7. One of the most dangerous and popular events of the ancient Olympic Games, chariot racing involved teams of horses and chariots racing on a sand track. It was introduced in the Olympic program in 680 BC.
8. In ancient Greece, the long jump was part of the pentathlon event in the Olympics, and athletes would carry weights called halteres to increase their momentum. Unlike today, the ancient long jump consisted of a series of jumps, typically five, in one sequence.The tradition of athletes parading behind their national flags at the opening ceremony began at the 1908 London Olympics. This display underscores the coming together of nations from around the world to compete in peace.
9. The original and only event at the first recorded Ancient Olympics in 776 BC was a foot race called the stade, which was a sprint of about 192 meters. The event’s winner, Coroebus, a cook from the city of Elis, was the first recorded Olympic champion.
10. The Olympic torch relay was introduced at the 1936 Berlin Games to symbolize peace and purity
11. Gold medals were solid gold until 1912; now they are gold-plated silver
12. The Winter Olympic Games were first held in Chamonix, France, in 1924
13. In ancient Greece, athletes competed in the nude to celebrate the human body and as a tribute to the gods.
14. Art competitions were part of the Olympics from 1912 to 1948, with medals awarded for literature, music, painting, and sculpture.
15. The colors of the Olympic rings—blue, yellow, black, green, and red—appear on every national flag in the world.
16. Ancient Olympic winners received an olive wreath, also known as a kotinos, symbolizing peace and victory.
17. Women first competed in the Olympics at the 1900 Paris games in tennis and golf.
18. The 1908 London Olympics included motorboating as an official Olympic sport.
19. The longest Olympic Games were also in London, in 1908, stretching over 187 days.
20. A record number of countries, 205, participated in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Summer Olympics.
21. The first Olympic Games held outside of Europe and North America were in Melbourne, Australia, in 1956.
22. The only Olympic Games to be postponed rather than canceled were the Tokyo 2020 Games, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and held in 2021.
23. The United States has hosted the Summer Olympic Games four times: St. Louis (1904), Los Angeles (1932 and 1984), and Atlanta (1996)
24. The International Olympic Committee was established by Baron Pierre de Coubertin in 1894 to govern the modern Olympic Games
25. The ancient Olympics started in 776 BC in Olympia, Greece, as a festival to honor the god Zeus
26. Walt Disney produced the opening ceremony for the 1960 Winter Olympics in Squaw Valley, USA
27. Great Britain is the only country to have won at least one gold medal at every Summer Games
28. The Soviet Union competed in the Olympics for the first time in 1952 and quickly became one of the top medal winners
29. The Olympic rings symbolize the five continents of the world coming together in competition
30. Tokyo is the only city in Asia to have hosted the Summer Olympic Games twice, in 1964 and 2020

31. The 1940 and 1944 Olympic Games were cancelled due to World War II
32. The first Paralympic Games were held in Rome in 1960, immediately following the Olympics
33. Equestrian events include dressage, show jumping, and eventing, and have been part of the Olympics since 1900
34. The first modern Olympic Games in 1896 included 14 nations and 241 athletes competing in 43 events
35. The closing ceremony of the Olympics features a parade of athletes without any national distinction, symbolizing global unity.
36. The youngest documented Olympic champion was a Greek gymnast named Dimitrios Loundras, who competed at the age of 10 in 1896.
37. The Olympic flame is rekindled every two years using a parabolic mirror to focus the sun’s rays.
38. The 1924 Paris Games were the first to be officially called the “Summer Olympics.”
39. Before medals, the Ancient Olympics awarded winners with only a palm branch and a woolen ribbon.
40. The 1932 Los Angeles Olympics introduced the concept of an Olympic Village, housing all athletes in one location for the first time.
41. Olympic gold medals must contain at least 6 grams of pure gold.

42. Jamaica’s bobsled team debuted at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, inspiring the film “Cool Runnings.”
43. The Olympic Games have been hosted by 44 cities in 23 countries up to 2024.
44. The first time all participating nations sent female athletes was at the 2012 London Olympics.
45. The 2012 Olympics in London marked the first time every sport included female athletes.
46. A traditional part of the closing ceremony includes the mayor of the host city passing the Olympic flag to the mayor of the next host city.
47. The first official Olympic mascot was Waldi, the dachshund, for the 1972 Munich Summer Olympics.
48. The original Olympic sports in 1896 included athletics, cycling, fencing, gymnastics, shooting, swimming, tennis, weightlifting, and wrestling.
49. Archery was included in the Olympics in 1900, then removed, and reintroduced in 1972.
50. The 1960 Rome Olympics were the first to be broadcast live on television, significantly expanding the global audience for the games.

Download the Olympics Facts for Kids Printable PDF

Ready to explore these topics with your kids? Download our printable Olympic facts sheet here. It’s designed to be printed on a white background to save on ink and is perfect for posting on bulletin boards or as a handout for interactive learning.

Download the olympic fact sheet worksheets PDF

Download the full list of olympic facts PDF

The Olympic Games are more than just a global sporting event; they are a celebration of our shared humanity and the endless possibilities within us all.

By using our printable Olympic facts, parents and teachers can help inspire the next generation with stories of dedication, diversity, and determination.

So, let’s use this upcoming Paris 2024 Summer Olympics as a springboard for learning, inspiration, and fun!

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If you enjoyed these Olympics facts for kids, don’t forget to share these awesome activities on Pinterest!