The Wombat and Echidna Kindergarteners at Clare Court explored the concepts of sportspersonship, teamwork, and the global significance of the Summer Paris Olympics 2024.
As the Olympics took place the children would excitedly come into the program talking about watching it on television at home. The children were able to identify many different sports including skateboarding, equestrian, shooting, archery, swimming, gymnastics, rowing and running, which they were able to relate back to themselves. “I do swimming and I’m going up in levels,” says Mia V. “I can run fast”, says Louis. “I can ride a skateboard,” said Albert.
The children watched a video on the history of the Olympics, seeing how strong and athletic the participants were, as well as the teamwork and sportspersonship on display. Educational Leader Sarah said the children felt inspired to play in their own Olympic Games, so the Wombat group worked with the Echidna group and came up with four different events – bean bag toss, sack races, tug of war, and an egg and spoon race. Before the games they talked about having a go, teamwork and sportspersonship. “They worked together to design and craft flags representing their teams, which were proudly displayed during the opening ceremony,” says Sarah. Some children made up their own flags while others were inspired by flags of the world. Several children also drew the Aboriginal flag, with Louis saying, “This is where I come from.”
On the big day, children were on teams both with their class peers, and also with children they may not have met before from the other Kinder program. They cheered for their peers, regardless of whether they knew them, or the outcome of each event. They encouraged each other – saying that doing their best was more valuable than the final result. “It was a moment of joy as they welcomed and cheered on the other team arriving, embracing the true spirit of the Olympics,” says Sarah. The children had actively demonstrated values such as care, empathy, respect, teamwork and friendship which they had been discussing in the lead up to their Olympics. “The sense of community and connection that we observed in children throughout this event really worked to support some of our term three classroom goals around how we can care for each other and our environments,” said Sarah.
Our collaborative Wombat Echidna Olympics involved 48 children and eight educators, reflecting the teamwork seen in the actual Olympics. “The culmination of their efforts was a joyful celebration where everyone’s contributions were recognised and appreciated,” said Sarah. “This mirrored the Olympic tradition of celebrating diversity, effort, and unity, highlighting the importance of each individual in achieving a collective goal.” Asked about what they enjoyed about hosting their own Olympics, Flynn and Gussy said they liked the tug-of-war, Hazel and Zoe liked the beanbag toss, Duong and Vinnie liked the egg and spoon race, meanwhile Eva liked everything.
The Olympic motto, “Citius, Altius, Fortius” (Faster, Higher, Stronger), is all about pushing yourself to do your best and keep improving. Through stories like ‘The Way Champs Play’ by Naomi Osaka and “The Big Cheese” by Jory John, the children learned that being an athlete is about more than winning or losing, it’s also about playing fair, respecting others, and the joy of participation.
