Theme Days: Sports Day
Grab your favorite sports team cap and temporary tattoos! It’s time to “Play Ball!”
My first-born almost ten-year-old son has never missed an opening day of Major League Baseball EVER! Ten years ago, when he was 11 months old, he rode with his dad on the St. Louis MetroLink to Cardinals Stadium for their first game as father and son. That’s when the Spouse decided this would be an annual tradition - wherever we lived. For the next eight years every Opening Day has been pretzels, peanuts, hot dogs, and ice cream at the Angels Big A (since we are now in SoCal). For nine seasons Opening Day symbolized a season of bonding for the three biggest Angels fans; three generations - my son, my spouse, and my dad. That is…until this year. This year, we are crestfallen. We have no “Opening Day.”
Cheer up! Yes we do! We can have our own “Opening Day” Sports Day instead! Grab your favorite sports paraphernalia, put on your jersey, get out those baseball paper plates you never use, decorate your table with sports gear, download and print out this fun and idea-awesome activity book, and have your Opening Day!
You mean, learn American history and sing the Star-Bangled Banner with your hat and hand over your heart? Check! Play catch and “HORSE” as a family? Check! Learn about the Olympics, watch some Olympic highlights, make your own Olympic medals, and run an obstacle course? Check! Eat ballpark food, sing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame,” and watch an actual vintage sporting event (on YouTube)? Check! Write encouraging words to each family member, share them at the medal ceremony, and be awarded with your own medal? Check!
A themed Sports Day just needs these four elements:
Sports decorations and paraphernalia your kids love
Whether it’s your team colors, table decorations, temporary tattoos, ballpark food, and sports equipment - anything you can do to bring sports to your meals and work space will make your home feel like an extra special place for Sports Day. Take a break from your daily outfit or, let’s be honest, your pajamas and workout clothes…and wear your favorite team attire and encourage your children to do the same!
Activities that celebrate their favorite sports
The Spouse and my son love baseball, so I set the day up as innings, and we sang “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.” Recently, my kids started playing “PIG” with our basketball hoop with their dad and love it. So, that kicked off our day in the First Inning. My kids are little gymnasts and played soccer last season, so we had a balance beam and soccer components in the obstacle course during the fifth inning. They recorded their six races and made a chart of their learning curve (or time improvements) in the activity book. See the activity book for how I ran our special Sports Day. The schedule is the first page.
An educational component that gives them a greater appreciation for their favorite sports
I taught the history of the songs we sing at the MLB games - also in the activity book. Since The Spouse studied American History for six years full-time to earn his Ph.D., he led the discussion about the activity book content about the Star-Spangled Banner. We launched into a discussion about the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812…for about twenty minutes. It’s amazing what kids will pay attention to when it relates to something they already know and love. I introduced the Olympics in a major way with spotlighting a few historical moments in Olympic history. I wanted to give them the opportunity to connect with one of the biggest world stages where many of the most heart-warming touching stories of human triumph are displayed for all to experience.
Lessons and practice in teamwork, encouraging others, and maintaining a positive attitude
Sports Day is a great opportunity to gain a glimpse into your child's preferences for how he/she wants to work with others - more than just sports. It's a gateway for discussing working with others and how to be a community (team) member in their home, in their neighborhood, and in their larger communities. Our Teamwork page in the activity book helps engage your children in this discussion. Sometimes it's embarrassing or difficult to say good things about someone else...especially good things about someone you were competing with that same day. The medal ceremony page from our activity book serves as very good practice for your children since it asks them to thoughtfully write down good things about their teammates. Being able to encourage someone else, to find the good about someone, and to express it to them in person is a skill that even many adults do not possess. It's a skill that needs practice even during childhood so that by the time they are adults, they can be a positive force in people's lives, naturally. So utilize this time to help your child write thoughtful encouragements to each person in your family. Use it to stretch them to think beyond, "you are fun" or "you play with me." as the compliment. Make sure there are no backhanded compliments or negativity. Stretch them to consider the skills, talents, and activities that their audience possess. Discuss how it makes someone feel to hear in person what someone else appreciates about them.
“I want you to homeschool my kids!” you say? Well, here you go! You can do it yourself and it’s all ready for you with this activity book. The book has the activities, the content, and even a few teacher’s pages for ideas for discussion and growth. You can customize it to work for your children for whatever activities interest them and your entire family.
Most importantly, have fun! This is your family’s break from the normal day. It’s an adventure at your home.
Go Team!