The Games of the XXIX Olympiad will be held in Beijing, China August 8 to August 24, 2008. According to Wikipedia, 10,500 athletes are expected to compete in 302 events and twenty-eight sports. It will the first Olympics to be broadcast entirely in high definition TV, and four billion viewers are anticipated. Will you be watching?
This special report is a central depository for all Olympic news, features and videos coming out of CNN. Currently the stories are divided into categories such a "Road to Beijing" and "China Hosts the World," but I am sure the structure will change when the games begin. Special video reports (such as Security Worries and Torch Tribute) are featured on the front page. I enjoyed the video tour of the Olympic Media Center, which, in addition to all the work stations, includes a gym and hair salon for the reporters! Reader submitted video has it's own section called Fan Zone.
"Celebrate the world's largest sporting event by creating Olympic-themed kids' crafts and participating in kid-friendly activities and games." These crafts are really cute. I liked the Olympic torch made with orange and yellow tissue paper and the paper mache gold medals. There are also sport coloring pages and an interview with three-time Olympic medal winner (and mom) soccer pioneer Julie Foudy.
Kids News Network Sport is a video news channel (from the Dutch media company Free Voice) with reporting by youth from six countries: Indonesia, Burma, Afghanistan, Zambia, South Africa, Surinam and Peru. During the Olympics, they will broadcast daily updates from Beijing for kids around the world. You can see their intro video by clicking on the purple China button on the interactive map. Alternatively, you can follow them on YouTube.
This is it. The official, real deal website of the Beijing 2008 Olympic games. Click on Fun Page for computer wallpapers and screensavers featuring the five Fuwa mascots that represent the colors of the Olympic ring logo and five Chinese traditions "When you put their names together -- Bei Jing Huan Ying Ni -- they say "Welcome to Beijing," offering a warm invitation that reflects the mission of Fuwa as young ambassadors for the Olympic Games." Other worthwhile clicks include Olympic Education (features about the history and culture of the games) and the photo and video galleries.
Oympic Express is an interactive magazine for kids and teens, published by the International Olympic Committee. The front page features a different sport every Wednesday and Saturday. On my visit I learned that tennis was the only racket sport at the 1896 games, but was not officially included again until the 1988 Seoul Olympics. Archives of past issues are available (look on the left) and can also be accessed via search (look on the right.)
Buy Summer Olympics 2008 Printable for $2.00
or try a FREE trial of the Printables ClubThe following links are either new discoveries or sites that didn't make it into my newspaper column because of space constraints. Enjoy!
ABC Teach: OlympicsActivity Village: Olympics Coloring Pages | America's CheerNBC Olympics |
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