Today we finished our first Olympic “venue” by studying of the last of the Olympic traditions–the Olympic torch. After reading about the history of the torch and the relay, we turned to the London 2012 website to learn about this Olympics’ unique torch. We learned about the design of the torch and what it represents. We looked at a map of the relay route, and saw just how many places the torch has been. We also looked at a photo gallery of the relay, and were amazed at all the ways it has traveled, including by boat, train, and even jet pack! We’ll be very excited to see the torch arrive at Buckingham Palace (William and Kate are supposedly going to be welcoming it), and even more excited to see the big cauldron lit at the Opening Ceremonies!

Of course, we had to have a craft to go along with all we learned, so we made our own torches, and had a “relay” of sorts. We were going to do that outside, but due to extreme heat, we decided to go with the much cooler indoor torch relay, instead. It was definitely a short trip, but there’s something to be said for not getting overheated!

We also read a chapter from Great Moments in the Summer Olympics. This is one of our book basket selections, but I’ll be reading three (of my favorite) chapters out loud this week. Today I chose women’s gymnastics, which tied in to an NBC special we watched last night about great Olympic moments. Of course, the Magnificent Seven was showcased in each, and the girls, especially, liked learning about Kerri Strug’s courageous vault during the 1996 Atlanta games, I enjoyed sharing my memories of it with them!

Only two more days until the Olympic torch is brought into the Olympic Stadium!

Today’s Passport Stamps: Olympic Torch and Olympic Venue One–The Olympic History and Traditions