Party Planning and More…

Opening ceremonies for the 2008 Summer Olympic Games begin tonight and we are excited. You don’t have to be a professional athlete—or even an amateur one—to enjoy the Olympics. An Olympic-themed party is a fun, interactive way to commemorate the celebrated event and create gold-medal memories for your guests. And the best part is, you won’t need four years of planning to pull off a party of Olympic proportions.

A Little Olympian History

The first Olympic Games were held in Olympia, Greece, a sacred site revering the Greek gods. The games began in 776 BC and were celebrated every four years until 393 AD, when Roman emperor Theodosius I, a Christian, terminated the competitions because of their believed pagan influence. This era of the games is referred to as “Ancient Olympic Games.” The first Olympics featured a single competition, the stadion (origin of the word “stadium”), where runners would race across the 190-meter length of the arena. The competitions of the Ancient Olympic Games grew to include the events such as boxing, discus, equestrian events, wrestling, running, jumping, and javelin, many of which are still popular in the modern-day competition.

Following their abolishment in 776 BC, the Olympic Games lay dormant for 1500 years until Frenchman Pierre de Coubertin worked to spark their revival. Coubertin’s efforts in re-establishing the Olympic Games were fruitful, and in 1896 the first Modern Olympic Games were held in Athens, Greece. With the exception of 1916 (World War I), 1940, and 1944 (World War II), the Olympic Games have been held every four years since 1896.

Olympic-worthy Game Ideas

Modern and Ancient Olympic Games can be easily modified for every skill level and incorporated into your Olympic-themed party. Select a few representative countries, and then pick names from a hat to make up each country’s team. Next, let the games begin!

• For relay races, participants can hand off lit flashlights to one another and be timed for speed. For an added challenge, use lit candles rather than flashlights, and have competitors try to cross the finish line with their flames still burning.
• Cycling events can be held by setting up simple obstacle courses, or by having a slow race where whoever crosses the finish line last without letting their feet touch the ground is the winner.
• Field hockey events can be modified with a croquet set, and balls can be kicked around poles or cones for slalom races.
• Wagons make terrific bobsleds, where helmeted children can be pulled through obstacle courses and then hop out for a foot race, followed by a jumping competition for an authentic Olympic triathlon event.
• Frisbees can be used for discus events, where participants toss them through hula-hoops or into baskets.
• Medals made of ribbon and decorated with candy coins can be awarded to the first, second, and third place winners of each event, and small gifts such as flags, sunglasses, or sweatbands featuring various county colors can be given to all participants as party favors. For added fun, have a Polaroid camera handy and take pictures of winners as their ribbons are awarded, then give the photos to guests as keepsakes.

Festive Party Decorations

Red, white, and blue streamers and balloons can be hung as Olympic party decorations. The American flag, the Olympic flag, and flags from your team’s countries can also be displayed.

Hula-hoops painted blue, yellow, black, green, and red can represent the Olympic flag, and can be hung from a porch, fence, or swing set.

A tiki torch can be used to represent the ever-burning Olympic Flame. Traditionally, the Olympic Flame is lit by the sun and is kept alight throughout the Olympic Games. You can light your torch when your guests arrive, and extinguish the flame with the conclusion of the games.

Award-winning Fare

One fun idea is to serve your guests traditional dishes from the hosting country’s cuisine, or offer a combination of party foods from your team’s countries. For example, if your team’s locales are USA, China, Italy, Mexico, and Greece, a sample menu may include hamburgers, egg rolls, pizza, burritos, pita with hummus, and baklava. An Olympics Ring cake is a snap to make, and is sure to serve as a winning dessert for your guests.

Incorporating some of these ideas with your own original inspirations will help ensure your Olympic party will be a hit. After just one, it will likely become a family party or block party tradition. Take turns hosting the event by “passing the torch” to a family member or neighbor. Four years from now, you may win the gold in the wagon slalom; for now, revel in your victory as a gold-medal party planner.