GOING FOR THE GOLD!

Family fun with the Summer Olympics

Oooh la la! While most of us won’t make it to Paris for the 2024 Summer Olympic Games, that doesn’t mean we can’t celebrate the festivities at home. For two memorable weeks—beginning with the televised opening ceremony on July 26, through closing events on August 11—your family can cheer on Team USA and the world’s top athletes while embracing the magical spirit of the Olympics.

We’re sharing fun facts about the upcoming games, along with familyfriendly ideas to make the most of them. It’s a perfect time to explore international cultures, don your red-white-andblue, learn about French cuisine and traditions, try out new sports, and even discuss the impressive dedication and perseverance of Olympic athletes. Here are ways to go for gold this summer. Fun Facts

• Mark your calendars: The opening ceremony on July 26 promises to be spectacular! It will be the first in Olympic history to occur outside of a stadium—taking place on the Seine River in the heart of Paris.

• An estimated 10,500 athletes are expected to compete in this summer’s games.

• The official mascots are anthropomorphized objects known as the Olympic Phryge and Paralympic Phryge. A phryge is a soft red cap, historically worn as a symbol of freedom in the French Republic.

• All Olympic and Paralympic medals will contain iron from the original Eiffel Tower.

Explore Summer Olympic Sports

With 32 sports on the roster, there should be plenty of action. Traditional summer sports include track and field, aquatics, gymnastics, basketball, cycling, tennis and volleyball. Plus, four new (and new-ish) sports:

• Breaking (aka breakdancing): A blend of urban street dance and improvisational athleticism. B-boys and b-girls will face off while incorporating “top rock” (moves while standing up), “down rock” (moves on the ground) and “freeze”

(poses held in unusual positions). Athletes are scored on originality, vocabulary (selection of moves), technique, execution and musicality.

• Sport climbing: First seen in the 2020 Toyko Games, sport climbing features bouldering (climbing 4.5-meter walls without ropes in a limited time period), speed (racing up 15-meter walls in 6–7 seconds) and lead (in six minutes, climbing as high as possible up a previously unseen 15-meter wall).

• Skateboarding: As demonstrated in Tokyo 2020, the Paris 2024 skateboarding competitions will include park events (bowl and big air moves) and street events (featuring obstacles like rails, stairs and slopes).

• Surfing: San Diegans may be especially excited for the return of Olympic surfing, introduced in the 2020 Games. Since there’s no surf in Paris, surfers compete at Teahupo’o in Tahiti (part of French Polynesia) while being judged for degree of difficulty, speed, power and flow.

Summer Sports Camps

Many local summer camps provide opportunities for kids to experience Olympic sports first-hand. Kids can channel their inner Hawkeye at Archery House summer camp, learn to play table tennis during After School Learning Tree’s summer programs, and sail the ocean blue at the San Diego Yacht Club. Find other options in our Summer Camps & Programs Guide at www.sandiegofamily.com/resources/ summer-camps-and-programs.

How to Embrace French Culture in San Diego

From sweet croissants and steaming crepes to seafood bouillabaisse and beef bourguignon, French culture is often defined by its world-class cuisine. To explore the tastes of France in San Diego, visit a local French restaurant or bakery (we recommend The French Gourmet in Pacific Beach and The French Oven in Scripps Ranch), try your hand at preparing a French dish (quiche lorraine, perhaps?) or simply serve a baguette and brie for a Frenchthemed picnic. Bon appetit!

The House of France in Balboa Park hosts public events throughout the year, including a Bastille Day Lawn Program with music and dance on Sunday, July 14. For more information, visit www.houseoffrance.org.

More Olympic-Sized Family Fun

• Plan prime-time viewing parties with friends to share your most anticipated events.

• Tour the Chula Vista Elite Athlete Training Center to get an inside look at where Olympic athletes train and dine.

• Host a backyard Olympics competition with your favorite outdoor games. Don’t forget to award medals!

• Study flags of the world through drawing and coloring activities.

• Download a language app like Duolingo to learn words and phrases from a country of interest.

Regardless of how your family experiences the Summer Olympics, be sure to point out that hard work can lead to success not only in sports, but also in school, career, interpersonal relationships and other aspects of life. v

Lisa Pawlak is an award-winning contributing writer who lives in Encinitas with her family.

Images credit: https://olympics.com/en/ paris-2024