Host Your Own 2016 Olympic Games for Kids

Organising your own Olympic Games is a great family activity. It can run for as many days as you like throughout the summer holidays and everyone can get involved, so invite the kids, their friends and any willing aunts, uncles, grans, grandads and neighbours to take part.

There’s no limit to how many people can get involved, simply put everyone into groups of 2-3, assign them a country and a flag, make some winners medals and let the games commence!

Here are just 7 of the events in this year’s Rio Olympics that can be easily organised in your own garden or the local park:

Badminton

This game for two or four players is always fun but you can make it even better with a good set of jumbo racquets and shuttlecocks.

Adapt the rules to suit the age-groups playing. Little ones can try to hit the shuttlecock over a line marked on the lawn while everyone else can play over a net made from a washing line. If you want to play properly, you can get the official rules online from the Badminton Bible.

Shotput

Actual shotputs are pretty cumbersome and can make a real mess of your lawn so play it safe by using water balloons instead!

Gymnastics

This freestyle event lets everyone get creative with their choice of interpretive dance or more adventurous roly-poly and cartwheel displays.

Select some music and give everyone 1 minute to perform their gymnastic renditions before scoring them on their enthusiasm, skill and entertainment factor.

Golf

This is the first year that golf will be played at the Olympics and we’ve got all the mini clubs, caddies and crazy golf sets you could possibly need to host an event in your own backyard without putting any of your neighbour’s windows at risk!

Archery

Got any budding Robin Hoods in the family? Then let them try their hand at archery with our giant, child-friendly archery and darts set. Note: Green tights are optional.

Jumping

There are three different Olympic jumping games you can play in your own back yard: high jump, long jump and the triple ‘hop, skip and jump.’

The only equipment you’ll need is a tape measure and some garden canes for marking out distances or the heights your competitors need to jump over.

Running

There are also several Olympic running events including marathons, speed walking, relay races and hurdles.

Your garden canes can be used with things like plastic plant pots or garden chairs to create hurdles, while relay races can be made more fun with water balloons for batons.

When you’ve completed all your Olympic events, a garden BBQ or picnic makes for a great closing ceremony. Simply pop along to your local branch of B&M and pick up all the equipment, accessories and craft supplies you need for a memorable, Olympic summer.

Got any other ideas for Olympic games for kids (including grown-up ones!) that could easily be held at home? Then feel free to share your tips or any pictures of your events with us on our Twitter, Instagram and Facebook pages.