OLYMPIC GAMES PARTY

τa  Oλύμπια - ta Olympia
776 is the traditional date for the first historic Olympic games.

OPENING CEREMONY
The Olympic Games are a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Games are currently held every two years, with Summer  and Winter Olympic Games alternating. Originally, the ancient Olympic Games were held in Olympia, Greece, from the 8th century BC to the 5th century AD.

To celebrate the Olympics start off your Olympics theme celebration with an opening ceremony.  Greet guests with Olympic Torch and ask them to carry the torch to the (you choose a location).  Have US and country flags on hand to introduce different countries who participate in the Olympics and and have guest parade with the flags around the room or yard.

Olympic Rings
Torch Decoration

Line the drive or walkway leading to your door with torches and greet your guests at the door with olive branches.

Place American flags and country flags on display to celebrate the Olympic athletes of the games.

American Flag - 12"x18"
American Flag - 4"x 6"
USA Sign
USA Decorating  Kit

Let guests compete in your Olympics. Choose games from different sports or use lawn games such as croquet, golf, horseshoes, bean bag toss, bocce ball, or badminton. Have a ceremony and award Olympic medals for the individual or teams that win the competitions. Set out a kiddie pool and let guests wade in your Olympic size pool!

Olympic Medals -  Gold Medal - Silver Medal  - Bronze Medal

Olympic Diving Fun Facts!

• Platform diving became an Olympic event in 1904. Springboard diving made it in 1908.

• In January 1991, Fu Mingxia from China became the world's youngest platform champion. She was only 12!

• Divers hit the water at speeds of up to 34 miles per hour!

Learn to Dive

It's simple — all you need is a swimsuit and a pool with a diving board. Check out your neighborhood or a community center in your area for a pool you can use.

Here's the deal: Know how to swim well before stepping on the board. Always dive with someone else. And… Protect your noggin! You've gotta know the water depth before you dive, and never ever dive into shallow water. Check around for signs or ask a lifeguard. Diving areas are usually marked. In case you haven't figured this out yet, above-ground pools are not designed for diving. They're way too shallow! (Lots of in-ground pools aren't deep enough either, so check out the water before you dive.)

When you are on the board, enter the water straight on and make sure there's nothing in your way before you leap. If people come into the diving area from other parts of the pool, wait until they're gone, or just ask the lifeguard to clear the area for you. If you jump when there is someone else in the diving area, or even just mess around while diving, you could land on top of someone and get hurt!

Don't run up to a dive. Always stand at the edge of the board or pool and then dive. And dive straight ahead — not off to the side.

It's also important to warm-up and stretch before diving, and then cool down after your plunge session.

Most of all, only try dives that are in your comfort zone. Leave those fancy or stunt leaps to experienced divers. An adult can help you decide which dives are safe to try.

How To Play

Diving is about precision, flexibility, and strength; all in one! Experienced divers leap 5-10 meters (about 16-33 feet) into the air from a springboard or platform, do stunts like somersaults or twists, and then plunge into the water below. Be water wise. Check the depth before you dive.

A certified diving instructor can help you master the diving board, but for now, try this beginners' dive. Point your arms straight over your head, with your shoulders by your ears. Keep your head between your arms and tuck your chin to your chest. Bend at the waist, but don't bend the knees. Keep your legs straight. Fall towards the water, making sure not to lift your head or shoulders. Follow through with your fingers into the water. That's it - you've made the plunge!

How can a diver flip and twist so fast in the air before hitting the water? To find out, try this experiment: Sit in a chair that spins and have a friend turn you. When your friend moves away from the chair, tuck your arms and legs in close to your chest. Notice that you will start to spin much faster. This shows how divers can spin faster when they suddenly draw their arms inward (tuck position). If your arms were stretched out, you wouldn't move as fast because the resistance of the air would slow you down. But if your arms are tucked beside you, there is less resistance and your body spins faster.

Olympic Gymnastics

Gymnastics - The first large-scale gymnastics competition was during the 1896 Olympics in Athens, Greece.

At the 1976 Olympics Nadia Comaneci made history by becoming the first gymnast to ever score a perfect 10. At those games she received seven perfect 10's, three gold medals, one silver, and one bronze.

A standard balance beam is only four inches wide (that's about the width of a loaf of bread), and almost four feet off of the ground.

Gear Up:
Unlike some other sports, gymnastics doesn't require a lot of equipment, but there are certain things you'll need for specific events, and some standard gear that all gymnasts should have.

Female gymnasts usually wear leotards (one or two piece outfits that fit snuggly to the body). Boys can wear running shorts or sweatpants with fitted tops, or with your shirt tucked in. Just make sure you don&'t wear clothing that is too loose&- could get caught on the equipment when you are performing your tricks and cause you serious problems! For those of you with long locks, you'll need to pull it back with a hair band or in a braid - this will prevent it from getting in your face during your routine which could cause you to lose concentration and sight.

Gymnasts also wear hand guards and use chalk to prevent their hands from slipping when working on the floor mats, rings, or bars. The hand guards help prevent blisters and make it easier to swing around on the bars.

Play it Safe:
The most important gymnastics rule to remember is to know what you're doing! Never attempt a trick you are not familiar with. Make sure you always have a trained spotter (someone who stands near you in case you need help while doing your tricks) just in case you lose your balance on the beam, or attempt a wobbly handstand.

Before you attempt any trick or stunt, always make sure the equipment is sturdy and has been set up properly (always ask a coach or another grown-up for help). Floors should be padded with mats that are secured under every piece of equipment. Also, make sure there is enough distance between each piece of equipment before you start swinging! Collisions can cause you, or others around you, to get hurt if you don't watch out. Use your head! Pay attention and be serious about your practice - horseplay and goofing around can get you into trouble! Always know what your teammates are doing and where they are.

And last but not least, never eat or chew gum while doing gymnastics -- the moment you become unaware of what is in your mouth, it can easily become lodged in your throat and you could choke!

Did you know that you could lose weight by doing handstands? You can-but it's only temporary. Many athletes who have to "weigh in" before competitions such as wrestlers, weight lifters, or rowers do handstands for about two minutes against a wall before they step on the scale. While they're upside down, all of the blood rushes to their head. When they step on the scale, the blood is in free fall, causing it to be weightless and the athlete a few pounds lighter!

Gymnastics is known as the sport of all sports. It's a great way to improve strength, flexibility, balance, and coordination for other types of physical activities, and it's a great way to meet new people and have fun!

It doesn't matter if you're a guy or a girl-gymnastics has a few different categories to choose from so you can find your favorite. Artistic gymnasts use lots of skills to perform on many different kinds of apparatuses (pieces of equipment). Boys participate in six events (floor, vault, parallel bars, high bar, still rings, and pommel horse) and girls in four (floor, vault, uneven parallel bars, balance beam). Gymnasts who participate in rhythmic gymnastics jump, tumble, flip, and dance to music while using rope, hoops, bars, or ribbons as part of their routines. In gymnastics, there's something for everyone!

But, before you get started, you need to know (and master) the basics!

The handstand is one of the basic skills of gymnastics. If you're a beginner, it's a good idea to practice your handstands against a wall until you get your balance and build up your strength and confidence. And remember, it is always good to have a spotter-just in case you need some help along the way!

Follow these tips to a perfect handstand:

Face the wall.
Get in a squatted position so that your knees are bent and your body is close to the ground.
Put your hands on the floor with the tips of your fingers facing the wall (your hands should not be any wider than shoulder width apart).
Bend your head down to the floor-keeping it between your arms.
Kick your legs up putting all your weight on your hands-keeping your upper body straight and tight.
Once your feet hit the wall, straighten out your legs.

Now that you've mastered the handstand-wanna' try something trickier?

Practice these steps to conquer the cartwheel:
Stand in a ready position, your "favorite" leg in front, knees bent slightly.
To find out your favorite leg, stand up and take one step. The leg you step forward with first is usually your favorite.
Raise both of your arms.
Reach forward with your right arm, putting your right hand on the floor/ground.
Shift your weight to your right arm and kick your left leg up (If you're a lefty, reverse these directions).
Your left hand should follow very quickly-as it touches the ground, shift your weight to your left arm. Your right leg should be off of the ground.
Bring your left leg down, right hand up, right leg down, left hand up.

Wanna' find out more about the basics of gymnastics? Learn the importance of balance or how to do a forward roll!

Basketball

A Basketball. Basketballs come in different sizes depending on your age and whether you're a girl or boy. There are also different basketballs for inside and outside use. If you're buying a new basketball, make sure you ask the salesperson for help to figure out what size and type ball you need.

A Hoop. Basketball hoops are available in most gyms and in many parks. You can even buy a hoop and attach it to the side of your house or garage, if you have one. To create your own regulation court at your house, make sure you set your foul line 15 feet from the backboard. To see the dimensions of a regulation court, click here.

Basketball can really make you work, so make sure you stretch and warm up before playing. Because of all of the quick moves and jumping, it can put a lot of wear and tear on your ankles, so protect them by wearing the right pair of shoes — medium or high tops do the best job of supporting your ankles. Protect those knees by learning how to cut, stop, and land a jump safely.

Be careful not to misuse basketball equipment. It's great if you've got the skills to put up a mean slam dunk, but hanging on the rim is dangerous and could cause you to get hurt. Also, make sure the court and sidelines are clear of any obstacles such as other basketballs or water bottles. If you're playing outside, make sure the baskets and sidelines are not too close to walls, fences, or bleachers and there are no holes on your court.

If you're a serious player, you may want to invest in a mouth guard to keep your teeth safe from flying elbows; knee and elbow pads so you don't get scraped up (especially if you're playing on an outdoor court); and sports glasses to protect your eyes.

Basketball is fun to play in pick up games in the yard with your pals, or you can join an organized league. Different positions rely on different skills — point guards should focus on their dribbling and passing, while centers and forwards should be powerful rebounders and shooters. Outside guards need to be quick and strong to make those 3-point shots. Want some basics?

How to Dribble. Bounce the ball on the floor with your strongest arm. When it bounces back, use your fingertips to stop the upward motion and push it back to the floor, keeping it about waist high when it bounces. Once you've mastered dribbling in place with one hand, switch to the other and begin to move around as you dribble. Practicing dribbling by moving the ball in a figure eight between your legs is one good way to build your skills.

How to Pass the Ball. Face the person you're passing to, with your head up and knees slightly bent. Spread your fingers wide and hold the ball at chest level, elbows out. Extend your arms, take a step toward the person you're passing to, and snap your wrists forward and up as you release the ball.

How to Shoot a Layup. Start about 10 feet in front of and to the right of the basket. Dribble toward the basket, timing it so that your last step is with your left foot. Holding the ball with both hands (left in front, right in back), jump off your left foot, let go with your left hand, and extend your right arm fully to release the ball at the top of your jump. Keeping your eyes on where you want the ball to go really helps land this shot!

How to Cut, Stop, and Land a Jump. Ease up on your cuts or pivots by making them less sharp to avoid rotating your knees. When stopping, rather than coming to a sudden stop or bringing your weight down on one foot with a single step, use the "stutter step" to slow yourself down by taking two extra steps. When landing your jumps, do it softly by bending your knees over your feet (which should be pointed straight ahead) when you hit the ground. Instead of landing flat-footed, land on either the balls or toes of your feet and rock back toward your heels.

Did you ever wonder how Michael Jordan seems to hang in the air longer than everyone else when he goes up for a slam dunk? Well, actually, he doesn't — it just seems that way because MJ holds on to the ball longer than most players before shooting or dunking. Hang time depends entirely on the force generated by a player's legs when he or she leaves the ground (how hard they push off the ground) and the jump's height (the higher the jump, the longer the hang time). The average NBA player can make a 3-foot high jump when going up for a shot or dunk, with a hang time of less than 1 second (.87 seconds to be exact).

Olympian Greek Theme Party Ideas

Caesar Costume
Julius Caesar Costume
King Robe and Crown

Cleopatra Costume
Κλεοπάτρα Φιλοπάτωρ

Grecian Princess Costume
Grecian Goddess Costume
Greek Goddess Costume

Toga Toga Costumes

Wheaties USA

Referee Costume

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