Questions to ask your kids while watching the Olympics
Will your family be tuning in to the Olympics this year? The Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Games run from Feb. 6-22, 2026, and you can familiarize yourself with all the winter sports here. The Olympics provide a great opportunity to connect with kids on topics like doing something you love, following your passion, rewards versus self-satisfaction, goal planning, and role models.
As you watch the Olympics with your kids this February, here are some potential conversation starters:
- How do you think people find something to be passionate about?
- What do you love to do?
- What’s more important to you, being recognized for doing well or the feeling you get when you do your best?
- What do you wish you could do and how do you think you can make that happen?
- Do you look up to the athletes? Why?
- When you grow up, do you want to be a role model for kids? What does that mean to you?
- Is there a sport or activity that you have discovered during this Olympics that you’d like to try?
The Olympics are worth celebrating—and watching—for the great feats of athleticism, but they’re also important for the magical moments that transcend sports.
Take away the hoopla and the controversies that have become part of the Games over the years, and what’s left is a basic human struggle: people daring to challenge themselves before millions of witnesses. Let that courage serve as inspiration as you watch the Olympics with your kids—and let it provoke discussions with them too.
We’d love you to share your experiences with us. Are your children inspired, impressed, or indifferent? What are their favourite events? Do the Games spur them on to try harder or try something new? Did they have any reactions that surprised you? Please share any thoughts with us in the comments section below.
Editor’s note: This article was first published on Aug. 3, 2016.
