7 Cross-curricular activities to celebrate Olympic Day at school

Why Olympic Day matters in the classroom

Celebrated every year on 23 June, Olympic Day is about far more than sport. It’s a global celebration built on three pillars: move, learn, and discover. For teachers, those pillars line up perfectly with what you’re already doing in the classroom every day.

Olympic Day honours the values at the heart of the Olympic movement: excellence, friendship and respect. Whether your pupils are graphing race times in maths, researching ancient Greece in Humanities, or learning about teamwork during PE, the Olympics offer a rich, ready-made context for meaningful learning across the curriculum.

The best part is you don’t need to overhaul your existing lesson plans. The activities below are designed to slide into the subjects you’re already teaching, giving pupils a fresh angle on familiar skills. So how do you turn Olympic Day into a full day (or week) of cross-curricular learning? Let’s get into it.

7 cross-curricular activities to celebrate Olympic Day

1) Explore the history and origins of the Olympic Games

The Olympics have a story that stretches back thousands of years, and it’s one your pupils will find genuinely fascinating. Starting with the ancient games is a great way to connect Olympic Day to your Humanities curriculum.

The video The Ancient Origins of the Olympics explains how a small religious festival in rural Greece became the greatest sporting event on earth. Pair it with What Are the Olympic Games?, a five-minute introduction for Upper KS2 that covers how the Games have grown and changed over time.

To bring history to life, try having your pupils create an Olympic timeline. Give them the task of researching key moments from the ancient games through to the modern era. Don’t forget the quirky details that hook pupils in, like the original Greek “uniforms” (or lack of them) and the origins of the Olympic rings.

You’ll also want to spotlight significant Olympic figures. Jesse Owens tells the story of the star athlete who overcame discrimination to win gold at the 1936 Olympics. Beryl Burton introduces pupils to one of Britain’s greatest cyclists and a trailblazer for women in sport. For older pupils, Mo Farah from the Our Black History Heroes series adds a layer of personal storytelling and a brilliant discussion starter about identity, belonging, and what it takes to reach the top.

Try this in your classroom:

• Watch one of the history videos above, then ask pupils to compare the ancient games to the modern Olympics using a Venn diagram, a timeline or even a picture book they write themselves.
• Have pupils research a country that participates in the Olympics and create a flag, a short presentation or an online pinboard about that nation’s Olympic history.
• Organise a flag parade where younger pupils design, colour and carry flags of different Olympic nations around the school. As a precursor to the activity, play some “spot the difference” games with the interactive Spot the Different Flag: Visual Attention series.

2) Host a classroom mini Olympics

What better way to celebrate Olympic Day than getting your pupils moving? Hosting a mini Olympics is one of the most popular Olympic Day activities, and for good reason. It gets pupils active, encourages teamwork, and brings the competitive spirit of the games right into your school.

Start by watching Physically Active You to talk about why physical activity matters. For younger pupils, Learn about Playing Together with Ant Active sets the tone for what it means to play together and stay healthy, while Exercise from the Lifebabble series is a short, accessible introduction for Reception and KS1.

Need inspiration for activities? The BBC Bitesize: Let’s Do This! series is packed with games that require little space or equipment. For upper KS2, use the Essential Skills for Sports: Basketball, Essential Skills for Sports: Tennis, or Essential Skills for Sports: Football series to teach proper technique before your games begin.

Try this in your classroom:

• Divide pupils into teams and let them create team names, flags and simple “uniforms” (coloured armbands or headbands work well).
• Set up a rotation of activities: relay races, timed jumping jacks, obstacle courses and skill-based challenges like juggling or football.
• Award points or medals for each event. You could also include non-sport challenges — like a maths fact relay or a healthy food trivia round — to keep the competition cross-curricular.
• Finish with an “opening ceremony” style debrief where each team shares what they learned about teamwork.

3) Tackle maths with Olympic statistics and data

The Olympics are a goldmine for connecting maths to events in the real world. Race times, medal counts, scoring systems, and world records give pupils real-world data to work with, and the context makes even tricky concepts more engaging.

For primary pupils learning about time, Calculating Time Duration and Calculating the Finishing Time connect directly to how race results are measured and recorded. Older primary pupils can explore Graphing Distance and Time: A Runner’s Story to see how distance-time graphs work in a sporting context.

Data handling is another natural fit. Use ClickView’s Miniclips: Handling Data series to walk pupils through the full process of gathering and displaying information.

Try this in your classroom:

• Have pupils research Olympic medal counts by country and create bar graphs, pie charts or tally charts to present their findings.
• Time pupils doing simple activities (running a short distance, completing a puzzle) and ask them to calculate averages, compare results and present data using the method they think works best.
• Challenge older pupils to analyse trends across multiple Olympic Games: which countries have improved the most? Which sports have the closest finishing times? Let pupils choose how to display their analysis — whether that’s a graph, an infographic or a data wall.

4) Build literacy skills with Olympic-themed writing

Olympic Day gives you a perfect hook for reading, writing and speaking activities. The stories, debates and vocabulary that surround the Olympics make literacy lessons feel relevant and exciting, and pupils often produce their best writing when they care about the topic.

For a persuasive writing activity, show younger pupils Sports Day and ask them whether Spot’s alternative approach to racing is fairer. This short, lighthearted clip sparks genuine debate and gives pupils a clear position to argue for or against.

For Upper KS2 and secondary pupils, connect to Debating and Public Speaking resources to build formal argument skills around Olympic and sports-themed topics.

Introduce pupils to inspiring Olympic athletes through Rebecca Adlington: Swimmer — an interview-style profile of the British Olympic gold medallist that works brilliantly as a starting point for personal narrative writing, asking pupils to reflect on their own goals and what it takes to achieve them. For something a little different, the film Cool Runnings — the heart-warming true story of Jamaica’s first bobsleigh team makes a fantastic whole-class literacy text for LKS2 and above, ideal for discussion, character analysis, and persuasive writing.

Try this in your classroom:

• After reading or watching an athlete’s story, have pupils write a letter to their favourite Olympian. They can ask questions about the athlete’s training, biggest challenges and what the Olympic experience was like.
• Assign a persuasive writing task: “Should [sport] be added to the next Olympic Games?” Pupils research, draft and present their argument to the class.
• Have pupils research the Olympic pillars (move, learn, discover) and write an informative speech about sportsmanship in the Olympic Games. Record the speeches and watch them back as a class.
• Create a class word wall with Olympic vocabulary: “perseverance,” “sportsmanship,” “ceremony,” “anthem,” and so on.

5) Design an Olympic mascot, medal, or uniform

Art and design activities let pupils flex their creative muscles while connecting to the cultural side of the Olympics. Every Olympic Games features its own mascot, logo, medals and uniforms, and designing these items involves real-world skills in visual communication, problem-solving, and teamwork.

For inspiration, watch Golden Gadirova: Gold Medal for Team GB Gymnast from Newsround to get pupils thinking about what it means to represent Great Britain on the world stage. Then use Design and Technology: Designing a Logo from BBC Bitesize to build foundational design and technology skills before pupils begin creating.

Try this in your classroom:

• Challenge pupils to design a mascot for the LA 2028 Olympic Games. What animal, character or symbol could represent the spirit of the Games, and why?
• Have pupils study the Olympic symbol and determine the meaning of the five rings. Then ask them to design their own version that represents their school or community.
• Ask pupils to design a Team UK Olympic uniform, complete with a logo, and consider the most appropriate materials to use. For older pupils, extend this into a STEAM project: design a range of merchandise and put together a pitch to present to the “Olympic committee” (their classmates).
• Combine art and research by asking pupils to look at past uniforms from a chosen country, then design a new uniform that’s both functional and flattering. What materials and colours would they choose, and why?

6) Investigate the science behind Olympic sports

How do forces affect a swimmer’s speed? Why do cyclists wear tight clothing? What role does wind resistance play in a sprint? The Olympics are full of real-world science questions that connect neatly to your curriculum.

Start with Materials Matter from the Experimentary series to explore how different materials behave under different conditions. Then challenge pupils to apply what they’ve learned to an Olympic context. For a physics angle, Skate Like a Scientist from Science for Kids: Physical World uses ice-skating to demonstrate forces, friction and momentum — perfect for KS1 and Lower KS2. For Upper KS2, The Circulatory System and Breathing and Respiration connect sport and exercise to body science beautifully.

You can also connect to geography by exploring the Olympic torch relay. Use mapping skills to teach pupils how to read maps, then have them plan a route for the Olympic flame through their own community.

Try this in your classroom:

• Ask pupils to take on the role of a sports scientist. Their task: write a short report on how wind resistance affects athletes in swimming, running or cycling, and recommend ways to improve performance.
• Design an Olympic uniform using recycled materials. Pupils investigate which materials are waterproof, lightweight, flexible or durable, then justify their choices based on the sport their uniform is designed for.
• Map the Olympic torch relay route through your local area. Pupils use map skills (scale, compass, legend) to plan the route and explain their choices.

7) Champion the Olympic values of respect, friendship, and resilience

The Olympic ideals of excellence, respect and friendship offer some of the richest discussion material Olympic Day has to offer. These values connect directly to PSHE and character education, making them relevant in every classroom.

For younger pupils, Resilience from the Lifebabble series introduces core values in an engaging, age-appropriate way, while Respect My Beliefs from the Finding My Magic series helps pupils understand the importance of respecting others. Extend the conversation with Standing Up: What is calling in versus calling out? and Racism from the Miniclips: Let’s Talk About series, which help pupils understand that the Olympics bring together people from every background and belief system.

Resilience is another essential Olympic trait. Use Ronnie and His Grit for younger pupils. Older pupils respond well to Developing Grit from the What You Need to Succeed series. You can also explore Wellbeing: Keep Active from BBC Bitesize with upper KS2 pupils to connect physical activity to mental wellbeing — a powerful angle on what it really means to look after yourself like an Olympian.

For a mindfulness connection, try The Frog Olympics by Brian Moses as a playful entry point for younger pupils, then build into a discussion about focus, perseverance, and giving things a go.

Try this in your classroom:

• Discuss the Olympic Truce — the ancient tradition where countries at war paused all conflict to allow safe travel for athletes, coaches and fans. Ask pupils: how could we bring that same spirit of peace into our own school community?
• Have pupils work in pairs to write and deliver a speech as if they were introducing the Olympic Truce for the first time. What positives and negatives would they include in their argument?
• Create a class list of ways pupils can promote fairness, equality and inclusivity at school, inspired by the Olympic ideals.
• Explore stories of athletes who overcame adversity. After watching the Jesse Owens, Mo Farah, or Beryl Burton videos, ask: what qualities helped these athletes succeed, and how can we develop those same qualities in our own lives?
• Use Wellbeing: Keep Active to start a class discussion about how regular physical activity supports focus, resilience and performance, the same foundations that Olympians build their careers on.

Tips for keeping the Olympic spirit going all year

Olympic Day is a wonderful springboard, but the themes it introduces don’t have to end on 23 June. Here are a few ways to keep the momentum going:

Revisit the values of respect, friendship and excellence when classroom conflicts arise or when you’re celebrating pupil achievements. The language of the Olympics gives pupils a shared framework for talking about these ideals.

Use major sporting events throughout the year as touchpoints. The Winter Olympics, the Paralympics and even local school sports days all offer opportunities to circle back to the activities and discussions you started on Olympic Day.

Build a classroom culture of resilience by returning to the grit and growth mindset videos when pupils face setbacks. Reminding them that even Olympians fail, and that bouncing back is what matters, is a message worth repeating.

Finally, keep the cross-curricular connections alive. Olympic statistics update every two years, geography shifts with each host city, and new athletes and stories emerge with every Games. With the LA 2028 Olympic Games on the horizon, there’s never been a better time to get pupils excited about the Olympic movement, and there’s always something fresh to bring into the classroom.

Sources

1. International Olympic Committee (2025) ‘Olympic Day’, Olympics.com. Available at: https://olympics.com/ioc/olympic-day (Accessed: 30 April 2026).
2. International Olympic Committee (2025) ‘The Olympic Values’, Olympics.com. Available at: https://olympics.com/ioc/olympic-values (Accessed: 30 April 2026).