Week 8 — Mini Olympics
A joyful, active week of tiny athletes learning the best magic words of summer — Ready… Set… WAIT for it… GO! — that builds all week toward Friday's in-class Closing Ceremony, where each Little does a favorite event, waits for GO all on their own, and gets a handmade medal while classmates cheer. July 20–24 · a full 5-day week · Littles classroom, ages 2–3.5.
This guide pairs with the General Planning Guide and applies Mini Olympics to the Littles (2–3.5) daily schedule. This is a full 5-day week, and the big moment is Friday's Closing Ceremony — held right in our own room, each Little runs a favorite event, waits for GO, and gets a handmade medal while classmates cheer (no parents, no visiting classes; Brightwheel photos carry it home). The whole week is one happy game of "Ready… Set… WAIT for it… GO!": the held half-second of not-yet before the burst — that little wait is the skill. Waiting for GO instead of jumping the start, and waiting your turn behind the line, is the self-control that runs through every event. Remember the morning order: Outdoor → Circle → handwash → Snack. Start with the prep block below, then run the five days.
Week Snapshot
Before You Run the Week
How this guide works, the skill we're growing, what to prep, and what to have on hand. Read these first; the five days follow.
How to use this guide. Each day below is the full run-sheet — every block of the Littles schedule, in order, so you can print one day and run it from the page. Transition and fixed blocks are kept brief; the active and guided blocks carry the detail.
The 📸 Brightwheel moments are built in. Look for the warm camera callout inside each day — it sits on the block where the photo happens, with the shot to grab and a ready-to-post caption. Little athletes frozen at "WAIT for it," and medals on the podium, are the most shareable photos of the summer.
Morning order. Littles come in from Outdoor Play to Circle Time (8:50–9:00), then handwash (9:00–9:15), then Morning Snack (9:15–9:35). Circle first, snack after. The active events live in the cool morning window.
A full 5-day week. Monday–Friday, no closures. Each day deposits one event and one waiting game, and the freeze/wait gets a little harder each day. Friday's Closing Ceremony is the payoff — every Little picks a favorite event and shows it off. There are five day-plans and five crafts, each engineered so that day adds one more "wait for GO."
The Event Board. One big board lives at circle all week — each day we "unlock" a new event with a picture icon (animal walks, toss, obstacle path, Red Light–Green Light). Seeing the week build makes the stacking visible to the Littles, and it doubles as a Brightwheel post.
The "Teacher Move." Each day has one small coaching note — a green aside — naming the single move that matters most that day. One per day, on purpose; ignore the rest of the polish and nail that one.
Crafts. Five simple, active-themed crafts anchor the Craft / Tables block — a Team-Colors headband & number, a make-your-own Torch, a Ready-Set-GO Roll Painting, a make-your-own Medal, and a My Olympics Book. Each one quietly asks the child to wait, take a turn, or hold until "GO." Keep them loose; finished products don't matter.
Printing. Use your browser's Print — each day breaks cleanly onto its own sheet.
This Week's EF Lens — Inhibitory Control
Ready… Set… WAIT for it… GO!
For a 2- or 3-year-old, "self-control" is just beginning — and at this age it grows best as waiting and taking turns, never a tricky "gotcha." It looks like holding still at the start line until "GO" instead of jumping it, waiting behind the line for your turn to toss, freezing your whole body on the whistle and holding it, and stopping on "Red Light." The athlete's move is small and mighty: that held half-second of not-yet before the burst. Keep the waits short, game-based, and joyful — long stretches of sitting still, and tricky "do-the-opposite" rules, come later.
Your job is to make the waiting a game, then grow it a little each day. Monday they hold a clean start for a beat; by Thursday they hold a "Red Light" across the whole game. Celebrate the wait as warmly as the burst: "You waited for GO all by yourself — what a strong body!" That little pause is what lets a Little stop, look, and choose instead of just grabbing or bolting — the self-control that makes every event work.
EF Research: at this age self-control grows through playful stop/go and freeze games — Red Light–Green Light, freeze dance, wait-your-turn lines — repeated at a just-right, gently rising difficulty. Waiting and turn-taking are the age-right form of self-control for twos and threes; tricky "do-the-opposite" tests come later. Google "freeze games inhibitory control toddlers."
Watch for it when a Little…
- Waits for "GO" instead of jumping the start — even a half-second hold is a real win.
- Holds a freeze or a "statue" until the signal, then bursts.
- Waits behind the line for their turn while a friend goes.
- Stops their whole body on "Red Light" and holds still.
- Catches themselves — "almost went!" — and waits.
- Cheers for a friend while they wait for their own turn.
Before the Week
A little setup over the weekend or Monday morning makes a smooth, joyful 5-day week — the event stations and the medal craft are the pieces to stage ahead, and a couple of items are best ordered early. This is the most active, most heat-sensitive week of summer, so the heat-and-water plan matters as much as the gear.
Supplies — Check & Request
Scan this against what's already in the room. Anything you're short on, send the checked list to Amy early — medal blanks and ribbon especially, since those ship in. Items marked (parent) are family-supplied; on hand means it's already here. This is the gentle Littles version, so everything stays large and choke-safe — no small parts, no small beanbags or balls, no loose beads.
Signature Gear · order early
- Cardstock medal blanks (large circles)1/child
- Ribbon / yarn (adult threads)spool
- Painter's tape (start/finish lines)2 rolls
- Large Event Board + picture icons1
- Team headbands / stickers (optional pop)1/child
Active-Event Gear
- Cones6–8
- Hoops4–6
- Soft tunnel1
- Big beanbags (large, choke-safe)basket
- Large balls (choke-safe)basket
- Bucket / hoop targets2–3
- Soft mat (under jumps)1–2
- Simple podium (sturdy boxes / steps)1
Music & Signals
- Freeze / Red-Light-Green-Light musicready
- Whistle (teacher — the "GO"/"freeze" signal)1
- Shaker / drum1
- Scarves for movement songsclass set
Craft · the week's five
- Team-Colors headbands / numbers (Mon)1/child
- Paper rolls + tissue flames (Tue torch)1/child
- Roll-painting paper + spare balls (Wed)1/child
- Medal blanks + ribbon (Thu)1/child
- My Olympics Book pages (4 sections, Fri)1/child
- Washable dot paint / markers6–8
- Shared star stampers / big sticker sheetsfew
- Glue sticks / wide tape (adult helps)set
- Smocks1/child
Heat, Water & Sun
- Water bottles (hard-scheduled breaks)1/child
- Sunscreen (check stock)2–3
- Sun hats (parent / spares)spares
- Shade canopy / shade plan1
Cleanup & First Aid
- Hand soap + paper towelsstocked
- Dry wipeslots
- First-aid kit (check & stock)1
Five Days That Build Toward the Closing Ceremony
A warm, escalating arc — hold a clean start, wait your turn, freeze at the cone, hold a "Red Light," then show off a favorite. Each day deposits one event and one waiting game, and the freeze gets a little longer each day, so by Friday every Little has an event they can run and a wait they own.
The Daily Rhythm
Every day runs the identical clock, carried in full in each day plan below. Four blocks are fixed — snack, lunch, nap, afternoon snack. Everything else is flex.
Five Days, Fully Planned
Each day is the full run-sheet — every block of the Littles schedule, in order. The 📸 Brightwheel moment is tucked into the block where it happens, and the day's one Teacher Move sits with the block it matters most for.
Combined arrival care. All classrooms together — soft play and books until the Littles room opens. Stay present: circulate, narrate, and play alongside.
Outdoor Play · Stop/Go Animal Walks (anchor)
Sunscreen and hats at the door, then a big, happy welcome to the Mini Olympics. In the shade, line up behind the tape start line and teach the magic words for the whole week: "Ready… Set… WAIT for it… GO!" On GO — and only on GO — waddle like a duck, stomp like a bear, or hop like a bunny to the cone and back. The whole skill today is that held half-second before GO: don't jump the start. The magic is the coiled little body holding still, then bursting.
Run it as I do → we do → you do: first you show a clean start (hold still on "WAIT for it," then go), then start together, then let a Little be the one who calls "Ready… Set… GO!"
Materials — painter's-tape start line, cones, open shady space, water bottles.
Show it, then hand it over. Don't just start the race for them — first you hold a clean start so they see a body freeze on "WAIT for it," then start with them, then step back and let a Little call "Ready… Set… GO!" That "I do → we do → you do" hand-off is what turns copying you into a wait they own.
This is the most active week of summer — beat the heat. Run every running event in the cool morning or shade, offer a water break every ~15 minutes (a bottle per child), and keep soft, clear footing under fast feet — no obstacles in the run path. If it's already hot, move stop/go inside: freeze dance works anywhere.
Circle Time (10 min)
A tight, cheerful circle. Hello song, a peek at the picture schedule, and meet the Event Board: unlock today's event — Animal Walks — with a picture icon. Practice the magic words together, then a stop-and-go song: dance, and freeze on the whistle — a first happy practice of waiting for the signal.
Handwash / bathroom. Wash up for snack.
Fixed
Morning Snack
A calm, cozy snack — and a good water top-up after our first events.
Craft / Tables · My Team Colors (headband & number)
Each Little decorates their own athlete headband and number — theirs all week and for Friday's podium photo. Here's the gentle rule that makes it a waiting game: the star stampers and sticker sheets are shared in the middle — "wait for your turn, then it's yours." One athlete uses the star stamp while the others wait, then it passes. Loose and joyful; the finished look doesn't matter.
Materials — paper/felt headbands, paper numbers, washable markers, a few shared star stampers/sticker sheets, smocks.
Handwash / bathroom. Quick wash and reset.
Music & Movement · Freeze Dance
Dance with scarves, then freeze when the whistle stops the music — "hold still, athletes!" Waiting for the signal and holding the freeze is the self-control that makes every event safe. Then GO again. Keep the freezes short and giggly today — it's the gateway skill for the whole week.
Guided Centers · The Start Line
Set out a few event stations — a tape start line for ready-set-go dashes, a beanbag drop bucket, cones to weave — plus a quieter table option. Move among the children with one little game at each: "Ready… Set… WAIT for it… GO!" One athlete goes while the others cheer and wait their turn. Keep the waits short and the starts clean.
There's also lighter, child-led movement here — stay in it: circulate, narrate, and play alongside. The ready-set-go games are the part you lead.
Handwash / bathroom. Wash up for lunch.
Fixed
Lunch
A calm, social meal.
Handwash / bathroom. Wind-down begins.
Closing Circle
Quiet play settling into a soft closing song — a calm wind-down to ready bodies for nap. A gentle "what event did we play today?" before the song.
Fixed
Nap / Quiet Time
A full 2.5-hour nap. Soothe and settle.
Wake-up · handwash / bathroom. Slow, gentle waking.
Fixed
Afternoon Snack
Refuel and rehydrate after nap.
Outdoor Activity / Play (hot window)
Peak heat — keep it light and shaded. Gentle shade play; one easy round of freeze dance or "Ready… Set… GO!" if they're up for it. Short is fine, indoors on a hot day. Offer water.
Handwash / bathroom. Tidy hands and faces.
Cleanup & room reset. Everyone helps with the cleanup song; tuck the cones and beanbags into the "gym."
Closing Circle
A short goodbye song and a wave. "We were athletes today — we waited for GO!" Send them off happy.
Combined Active Engagement — Departure. Classrooms combine; soft play and warm handoffs. Teachers stay present and narrate.
Combined arrival care. Soft welcome until the Littles room opens. Teachers circulate and play alongside.
Outdoor Play · Beanbag Target Toss (anchor · wait your turn)
The waiting grows a little today. Warm up by recalling Monday ("what were our magic words?"), then line up behind the tape line — one athlete at a time. The new rule: "Wait behind the line until it's your turn — then Ready… Set… GO, toss!" Big beanbags sail into a hoop or bucket. Today's skill is holding your own body still while a friend goes — the line gives the wait a place to live. Cheer the waiting as loudly as the toss.
Run it as I do → we do → you do: you take a turn and name your own wait out loud, then a pair goes with you, then each Little waits, steps up on "GO," and tosses.
Materials — big choke-safe beanbags, hoop/bucket target, tape line, water bottles, shade.
A short wait is the most within-reach self-control there is. For a two- or three-year-old, holding behind the line while a friend takes a turn — then going on "GO" — is inhibitory control in its most age-right form, far more doable than any tricky "do-the-opposite" game. Keep each turn short so the wait is winnable, and celebrate the waiting itself, not just the toss.
EF Research: for twos and threes, waiting and turn-taking is the earliest, most dependable kind of self-control — grown through short, game-based waits like a toss line, not long stretches of sitting still. Google "waiting turn-taking self-control toddler."
Circle Time (10 min)
Hello song, picture schedule, and unlock today's Event Board icon — the Beanbag Toss. Pass one beanbag around the circle: hold it, wait, and pass it on "GO" — a cozy seated turn-taking rep. Then a freeze song: dance, then hold the freeze a beat longer than yesterday before "GO."
Handwash / bathroom. Wash up for snack.
Fixed
Morning Snack
Cozy snack and a water top-up after our tossing.
Craft / Tables · Make-Your-Own Torch
A paper-towel roll plus red, orange, and yellow tissue "flames" tucked in the top — the iconic Olympic torch. The gentle rule that makes it a waiting game: the tissue and glue sit shared in the middle — "wait your turn to reach in, then take one piece." When the torches are done, a gentle finish: hold your torch, wait, and pass it to the next athlete on "GO" — a little relay. Turn-taking twice over. Loose and joyful.
Materials — paper rolls, red/orange/yellow tissue, glue sticks (adult helps), smocks.
Handwash / bathroom. Quick wash and reset.
Music & Movement · Torch Freeze Dance
Dance holding a torch, then freeze — "torch up high, hold still!" — and hold a beat longer than yesterday before "GO." A longer freeze is a stronger wait. Repeat as long as they're laughing.
Guided Centers · The Toss Zone
Two or three little stations — the beanbag toss line, a ball-roll target, and a quiet table option. Move among the children: at each event, "wait your turn… Ready… Set… GO!" One athlete goes, the others cheer and hold behind the line. Keep turns short so every Little gets a win.
Give the wait words they can say. Teach a tiny bit of self-talk at the line — "I wait… I wait… GO!" — and whisper it right along with them. When a Little can say their own little wait out loud, the words start to do the holding, and they need you less. Naming the wait — the same words, every turn — is how a predictable routine becomes a child's own self-control.
Handwash / bathroom. Wash up for lunch.
Fixed
Lunch
Calm, social meal.
Handwash / bathroom. Wind-down begins.
Closing Circle
Quiet play softening into a calm closing song before nap. A soft "who did we wait for today? what was your best toss?" to wind down.
Fixed
Nap / Quiet Time
Full nap. Soothe and settle.
Wake-up · handwash / bathroom. Gentle waking.
Fixed
Afternoon Snack
Refuel and rehydrate.
Outdoor Activity / Play (hot window)
Peak heat — light and shaded. Quiet shade play; a gentle round of "pass the beanbag on GO" if they're up for it. Short on a hot day, indoors if needed. Offer water.
Handwash / bathroom. Tidy hands and faces.
Cleanup & room reset. Cleanup song; everyone helps stow the beanbags and torches.
Closing Circle
Goodbye song and a "we waited for our turn and tossed today!" wave. Off they go.
Combined Active Engagement — Departure. Soft combined play and warm handoffs. Teachers stay present.
Combined arrival care. Soft welcome until the Littles room opens. Teachers circulate and play alongside.
Outdoor Play · The Obstacle Path (anchor · freeze at the cone)
Today the wait gets a home — a cone to freeze at. Set a gentle path in the shade: crawl through the tunnel, step through two hoops, then FREEZE at the cone and HOLD until "GO," then dash to the finish. Walk the order together first ("tunnel, hoops, freeze!"). The freeze at the cone is the new, slightly harder wait — hold your whole body still on the cone until the signal. One athlete on the path at a time; the rest cheer. Remembering the path order rides along as a nice bonus for their memory.
Materials — soft tunnel, 2 hoops, a "freeze" cone, tape finish line, soft footing, water bottles, shade.
A stop in the middle of a fun dash is the wait made a little harder. Adding a spot to freeze and hold, right in the excitement of the path, stretches the same held-pause muscle we've grown all week — just a hair more than yesterday's. That's exactly how self-control grows: a challenge pitched just above where they are, then a warm celebration of the hold.
EF Research: freeze-and-hold games — stop on a signal and hold still — build inhibitory control through repeated practice at gently rising difficulty; the trick is to make each wait a little longer or a little harder than the last. Google "stop go freeze games executive function young children."
Clear the route, soft surface, one at a time. Walk the path first and clear every trip hazard; keep the tunnel and mats on soft footing; and run one athlete at a time so there are no pile-ups behind the cone. Early-morning shade, hats, and water breaks. If it's hot, run a shorter indoor version.
Make the wait a hair longer than yesterday. Monday's freeze was a half-second; today hold the cone a beat longer, and tomorrow longer still. Pitch each wait just above what a Little managed last time — long enough to be a real stretch, short enough to win. Stretching the wait a little at a time, then cheering the win, is how their self-control actually grows.
Circle Time (10 min)
Hello song, picture schedule, and unlock the Obstacle Path on the Event Board. Walk through the path order with pictures — tunnel → hoops → freeze at the cone → GO — so everyone holds the plan. Freeze song with a longer hold.
Handwash / bathroom. Wash up for snack.
Fixed
Morning Snack
Cozy snack and water after the path.
Craft / Tables · Ready-Set-GO Roll Painting
Dip a big ball in washable paint and set it at the top of a little ramp or tray over a sheet of paper. The gentle rule that makes it a waiting game: you may only let go on "GO." Hold the ball back — "hold it… wait for it… GO!" — then release and let it roll a bright track across the paper. Holding the ball until the signal is the held pause, right there in their hands. Change the color, wait, and roll again. Loose and sensory.
Materials — big balls, washable dot paint, little ramp/tray, paper, smocks.
Handwash / bathroom. Quick wash and reset.
Music & Movement · Fast, Slow, Freeze
Move fast, then slow, then freeze on the whistle and hold the longest freeze yet — "statue!" Then GO. Repeat as long as they're laughing. Each freeze a beat longer than the last.
Guided Centers · The Obstacle Lab
Two or three little stations — a mini obstacle path, a "freeze cone" spot, and a quiet table option. Move among the children with the game: "freeze… hold… GO!" One athlete on the path at a time, others cheer and wait. Keep it joyful and the holds winnable.
Lighter, child-led movement here too — stay in it: circulate, narrate, and play alongside. The freeze-and-go games are the part you lead.
Handwash / bathroom. Wash up for lunch.
Fixed
Lunch
Calm, social meal.
Handwash / bathroom. Wind-down begins.
Closing Circle
Soft play into a calm closing song before nap. A gentle "where did we freeze today?" to wind down.
Fixed
Nap / Quiet Time
Full nap.
Wake-up · handwash / bathroom. Gentle waking.
Fixed
Afternoon Snack
Refuel and rehydrate.
Outdoor Activity / Play (hot window)
Peak heat — light and shaded; one easy freeze game in the shade, short on a hot day, indoors if needed. Offer water.
Handwash / bathroom. Tidy hands and faces.
Cleanup & room reset. Cleanup song; everyone helps stow the tunnel, hoops, and cones.
Closing Circle
Goodbye song — "we froze at the cone and held still today!" — and a wave. Off they go.
Combined Active Engagement — Departure. Soft combined play and warm handoffs. Teachers stay present.
Combined arrival care. Soft welcome until the Littles room opens. Teachers circulate and play alongside.
Outdoor Play · Red Light, Green Light (anchor · the marquee wait)
The big self-control game, run as a real, giggly game. Everyone at the start line: "Green Light!" — walk or run toward the teacher; "Red Light!" — FREEZE your whole body and hold. Over and over. This is the strongest wait of the week — stopping a moving body on a signal — and it's a stop/go game, never a tricky "do-the-opposite." Keep it short and silly. Then one at a time at the soft-mat jump: "wait behind the line… Ready… Set… GO — JUMP!" Finish with a quick mini-meet: string two favorite events together as a rehearsal, and share the big news — "Tomorrow is our Closing Ceremony: you'll each do a favorite event and get a medal!"
Materials — open shady space, soft mat, tape lines, whistle, water bottles.
Red Light–Green Light is the classic self-control game for a reason. "Green" lets the body go; "Red" asks it to stop and hold — over and over, at a difficulty you can tune child by child. It's a stop/go game, not a tricky "do-the-opposite" puzzle, which makes it just right for twos and threes. Run it as a real, joyful game — the repeated "go, then stop and hold" is the whole mechanism.
EF Research: Red Light–Green Light and other stop-on-a-signal games are among the best-supported, most joyful ways to build inhibitory control in early childhood — the repeated "go, then stop and hold" is the rep that grows self-control. Google "red light green light self-regulation preschool."
Soft mat under every jump; one at a time; beat the heat. Keep a soft mat under the standing jump, and only one athlete jumps at a time while the others wait behind the line. Run Red Light–Green Light and the jumps in the cool morning or shade with water breaks — and move it all inside if it's hot (Red Light–Green Light works great indoors).
You're the traffic light — tune the wait to each body. As you call the game, watch each athlete and dial the wait to their edge: a quicker "Red Light" for the Little who's about to burst, a longer one for the child who's got it. Meeting each body just at its stretch — a little challenge, a sure win — is what turns a fun game into real self-control practice.
Circle Time (10 min)
Hello song, picture schedule, and unlock Red Light–Green Light on the Event Board. Play a few seated "Red Lights" — freeze your hands on the signal. Then the big news: "Tomorrow is our Closing Ceremony — you'll each do your favorite event and get a medal you made!" Freeze song with the longest hold yet.
Handwash / bathroom. Wash up for snack.
Fixed
Morning Snack
Cozy snack and water after the big game.
Craft / Tables · Make Your Own Medal (the signature keepsake)
Each Little decorates the cardstock medal they'll wear at tomorrow's ceremony — color it, add stars, and an adult threads the ribbon or yarn. The gentle rule that makes it a waiting game: the star stickers and stampers are shared — "wait your turn, then dab on GO." Write their name on the back. A proud keepsake, ready for tomorrow's podium. Large, choke-safe pieces only; the adult threads the ribbon.
Materials — cardstock medal blanks, ribbon/yarn (adult threads), washable markers, shared star stickers, smocks.
Handwash / bathroom. Quick wash and reset.
Music & Movement · Medal-Pose Freeze
Dance, then freeze in a proud "medal pose" — arms up like a champion — and hold the longest freeze of the week before "GO." A joyful, wiggly warm-up for tomorrow. Repeat as long as they're laughing.
Guided Centers · Mini-Meet Warm-Up
Quietly bring back the favorite stations — animal walks, beanbag toss, obstacle path — so each Little can revisit and pick the one they'll show tomorrow. Move among them: "which one do you love? Tomorrow you'll show your friends — remember, wait for GO!" Rehearse a clean start at each. Keep waits short and the choosing joyful.
Handwash / bathroom. Wash up for lunch.
Fixed
Lunch
A happy, social meal — lots of "I want to do the jump tomorrow!" chatter.
Handwash / bathroom. Wind-down begins.
Closing Circle
Soft play into a calm closing song before nap. A gentle nudge toward tomorrow: "think about which event you'll show your friends — and remember to wait for GO."
Fixed
Nap / Quiet Time
Full nap.
Wake-up · handwash / bathroom. Gentle waking.
Fixed
Afternoon Snack
Refuel and rehydrate.
Outdoor Activity / Play (hot window)
Peak heat — light and shaded; one quiet round of indoor Red Light–Green Light or gentle play. Short on a hot day, indoors if needed. Offer water.
Handwash / bathroom. Tidy hands and faces.
Cleanup & room reset. Cleanup song; set out tomorrow's ceremony stations and the podium near the door so they're ready. Tuck the medals somewhere safe.
Closing Circle
Goodbye song — "tomorrow is our Closing Ceremony, and you'll be the champion!" — and a wave.
Combined Active Engagement — Departure. Soft combined play and warm handoffs. Teachers stay present.
Combined arrival care. Soft welcome until the Littles room opens — happy ceremony-day energy building. Teachers circulate and play alongside.
Outdoor Play · Warm-Up & Get Ready (before the ceremony)
A gentle outdoor warm-up in the cool morning. Sunscreen, hats, water, headbands on. One last happy round at a favorite event in the shade, and one more practice of the magic words: "Ready… Set… WAIT for it… GO!" Let a few Littles show a clean start — you model it first. Remind them: at the ceremony, wait for GO at your event, then everyone cheers. Keep bodies calm, proud, and ready.
Materials — headbands, one or two favorite event stations, shade, water bottles.
Circle Time (10 min)
A short, warm circle to set up the ceremony. Look back at the whole Event Board — all the events we unlocked this week. Practice the magic words together one more time. Remind them: wait for GO, then classmates cheer, then a medal and a podium photo. Calm, happy, proud.
Handwash / bathroom. Wash up for snack.
Fixed
Morning Snack
A cozy snack and water to fuel up before the ceremony.
🏅 The Closing Ceremony · Your Favorite Event (anchor · the payoff)
The big moment, in the cool morning, right in our own room. Set up two or three favorite events from the week — most likely animal walks, beanbag toss, and Red Light–Green Light. One at a time, each Little (with their teacher alongside) goes to the event they love, does a clean waited start — "Ready… Set… WAIT for it… GO!" — while their classmates cheer. Then a handmade medal around the neck and a proud podium photo.
The audience is their own classmates and teachers — the ceremony stays right in the room; no outside visitors, no other classes. Now they use everything from the week: they wait for GO, take their turn, and hold their body until the signal. No child has to perform — a wave from a lap counts, and "GO!" is enough. Celebrate every athlete warmly. Water nearby; soft surface under any jump; Brightwheel photos carry it home.
Materials — the favorite event stations, handmade medals, simple podium (sturdy boxes), Event Board, whistle, water.
The behavior to celebrate: a Little who lines up, holds still on "WAIT for it," and bursts only on "GO" — waiting for the signal instead of jumping the start. That held pause is early inhibitory control you can point to — far better proof than any score. Share it warmly at pickup: "She waited for GO all on her own today."
EF Research: a young child who can hold still and wait for a signal — instead of grabbing or bolting — is building the self-control that predicts smoother days in a classroom later, grown through playful stop/go practice like this week, not born. Google "inhibitory control school readiness preschool."
Fade your help — let them start themselves. All week you've called "Ready… Set… GO." At the ceremony, pull back: give the "Ready… Set…," then pause and let the Little find their own "GO." The ceremony is the "you do" — the proof they own the wait. Step in only where a child still needs the cue, and keep every event safe and calm.
Handwash / bathroom. Wash up after the ceremony — soap, water, towels — and a big drink of water.
Craft / Tables · My Olympics Book
A little 4-section book to fill in right after the ceremony, while it's fresh. The gentle rule that makes it a thinking game: fill each page with an event we did — "which event was it? did you wait for GO?" — sticker or draw one event per page (animal walk, toss, obstacle, Red Light), plus a spot for the podium photo. One last happy "wait for GO" rep on paper. A proud keepsake to take home. Loose and sensory; table toys alongside.
Materials — My Olympics Book pages (4 sections), washable markers / dot paint, large stickers (close supervision), smocks.
Handwash / bathroom. Wash up for lunch.
Fixed
Lunch
A happy, social meal — lots of "I got a medal!" chatter.
Handwash / bathroom. Wind-down begins.
Closing Circle
A glowy circle after the ceremony — "what was your favorite event? Who waited for GO all by themselves this week?" Let them tell one last story. Soft play into a calm closing song before a well-earned nap.
Fixed
Nap / Quiet Time
A deep nap after a big week.
Wake-up · handwash / bathroom. Gentle waking.
Fixed
Afternoon Snack
Refuel and rehydrate.
Outdoor Activity / Play (hot window)
Peak heat — light and shaded; gentle, quiet play to close the week. One easy freeze game in the shade if they're up for it. Offer water.
Handwash / bathroom. Tidy hands and faces.
Cleanup & room reset. Cleanup song; gather the cones, beanbags, and mats into the "gym." Send My Olympics Books and medals home.
Closing Circle
A proud goodbye: "What a week of games — you were all champions who waited for GO!" Send them off happy with their medals and books, and remind families about next week's adventure.
Combined Active Engagement — Departure. Soft combined play; share ceremony photos at warm handoffs. Teachers stay present.