12 of the Best Olympic and Paralympic Games for Kids

Bring a bit of winter magic into play with a Snowball Target Toss – perfect inspiration from the Winter Olympics vibe in Milano Cortina 2026. Set up soft targets using buckets, hula hoops, or chalk circles on the ground. Kids take turns tossing soft “snowballs” (rolled-up socks work brilliantly indoors) to see who can land closest to the centre. You can keep score, play in teams, or simply challenge everyone to beat their own best throw. It’s easy to adjust the distance and target size, so everyone can join in and feel like a precision champion.

Recreate speed skating at home with an Ice “Skate” Slide Race! On a smooth floor, kids wear thick socks and glide from start to finish. Mark out lanes with tape and let kids travel at whatever pace feels fun, either one at a time or side-by-side. If you want to make it more of a challenge, add a gentle slalom around cones or cushions. This game is great because it’s simple, silly, and easy to adapt depending on your space (and your kids’ confidence levels!).

The biathlon combines skiing and target shooting and you can recreate it at home with a Bean Bag Biathlon. Kids travel from a start line to a “shooting zone” (running, scooting, walking, or however they like), then aim bean bags at a target such as stacked cups or a laundry basket. Each hit earns points, and you can do multiple rounds to build excitement. Adjust the distance, target size, and number of throws so everyone can get involved.

Bring the energy of the opening ceremony to your garden or living room with a Flag Relay Race. Split into teams and give each team a small flag (or let kids make their own first for extra creativity). Players take turns travelling to a turning point and back before passing the flag to the next teammate. You can time it if you want, but it works just as well as a team points game where everyone completes their leg. The best part is that kids can choose their own style, whether that’s sprinting, stepping, scooting, or adding fun moves like a spin at the finish line.

Curling is one of the most iconic Winter Olympic and Paralympic sports and it’s surprisingly easy to recreate at home. For a Curling Kitchen Challenge, set up a target on the floor using masking tape (or a hula hoop) and take turns sliding “stones” towards it. Great options include a soft frisbee, a small cushion, or even a plastic plate on carpet. Award points based on how close each one lands to the centre, and play in rounds so everyone gets plenty of turns. Because you can adjust the distance and equipment, it’s a brilliant game for all ages and it’s more about strategy and control than speed.

Bring a little ski-jump drama to your living room with Ski Jump Paper Planes! Each child makes (or decorates) a paper plane, then launches it from a “jump ramp” made from a book, cushion, or folded cardboard. Measure how far each plane flies, or set up targets to aim for if you want to make it more skill-based. You can run it like a mini tournament with a few rounds, just like the real Winter Olympics and Paralympics. Kids can also experiment with different plane designs to see what helps them fly further.

Get your timer out and lay a track around the garden, then set the kids off through an obstacle course you’ve created. Build bridges, lay out cones and mini hurdles, put a slide in the middle, throw some cushions on the ground and grab some bean bags. You can use stepping stones, rings for a ring toss, or anything that makes the course feel like a proper challenge.

You can still have just as much fun without special equipment — just use items you already have around the house. Maybe the kids have to step between picnic blankets to avoid the lava, weave around chairs, or do a silly “spin three times” checkpoint before heading to the finish line. You can time each go if you want, or turn it into a “complete the course” challenge so everyone can play at their own pace.

The relay is one of the most exciting events in the Olympic and Paralympic Games and it’s just as fun at home. All you need is a baton (a rolled-up sock works too!) and two teams to compete. Each person takes a turn travelling to a turning point and back before passing the baton to the next teammate. You can play for the fastest time, or simply see which team finishes first with the best teamwork and smoothest handovers. If you’re short on space at home, this is a great one for the park where everyone can spread out.

The whole family can test their flexibility (and have a fair few laughs) with a limbo challenge. Get two adults to hold a broom handle or skipping rope and see who can make it under (don’t forget to add bonus points for style). To keep it fun for everyone, you can also play “limbo or go around”, where kids choose whether they want to duck under or take a longer route around the bar. It’s a brilliant Olympic and Paralympic-style game that works indoors or outdoors. Make sure nobody gets too competitive and tries to show off too hard!

No Kids’ Olympic and Paralympic Games would be complete without swimming. Head to your local leisure centre and turn a pool session into your very own Olympic and Paralympic event. You can swim laps and time them if you want, or set different challenges like “one width using your favourite stroke” or “best technique”. Kids can try different styles, go one at a time, or take part in a team event where everyone contributes a lap. The goal is to enjoy the water, have a go, and celebrate every finish, whether it’s fast, steady, or splashy.

Add some style to your Kids’ Olympic and Paralympic Games with a gymnastics-inspired event that’s all about movement and creativity. Put on some music and invite kids to show off their best moves. It could be roly polys, stretches, balances, handstands, cartwheels, or even a pose they’ve invented themselves. If you have a trampoline, let kids try some controlled jumps or shapes in the air, with bonus points for a confident finish. The focus here is on expression and having a go, so every routine deserves a big cheer.

If sports aren’t for your family, why not host a games tournament with a range of board games and online games instead. In the run up to the Olympics and Paralympics, the kids can play Monopoly, chess and even video games to compete for points. You can also search for Olympic and Paralympic games for kids online where you will find a range of sports games that the kids can play together or against each other. If you are looking for other kinds of games, we have written articles on fun money games for kids and fun maths games for kids that the kids can also try. Get a leaderboard going and award points for the winner of each game so you can see who the family champion is.

To celebrate the close of the fun, fake Olympic and Paralympic Games, you can set up your own medals ceremony to crown the winners. Gather the kids in the living room, get some medals or some sweet treats, and allow them to make speeches as you call them up one by one to collect their prize. To mark the end of the first annual Olympics and Paralympics, the family can host a closing ceremony by doing an activity you like to do together, for example karaoke.

Hosting an Olympics and Paralympic Games for kids will surely get the family into the spirit and give the whole family something fun to do over the weekend. Take this time to celebrate each other and have fun competing along the way. We also have an article on how to support your kids in sports and if you want more information on the Olympics and Paralympics check out our Team GB and ParalympicGB Hub.

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