5 Reasons to Watch the 2024 Summer Olympics with Your Kids

Here at Pedalheads, summer camps aren’t the only thing heating up. The 2024 Paris Summer Games are underway in magnificent fashion and we're buzzing with Olympic fever. With iconic moments from the Tokyo 2020 Games still burned in our memories (like Canadian swimmer Maggie Mac Neil’s relatable reaction to winning gold), we’re nearly as excited for the 2024 Games as we are for the first day of camp.

With the six-to-nine-hour time difference of Paris to North America, it can be difficult to make time to watch the Games with your family among other summer activities competing for kids’ attention. However, the Olympics offer a rare and exciting opportunity to introduce kids to new sports, inspiring stories and thought-provoking conversations that only come around every four years.

Here are 5 reasons why you should watch the 2024 Paris Olympics with your kids.

1. Witness a historic win for gender equality

This year’s Games are especially historic as inclusion and gender equality (values that are near and dear to us!) are at the forefront: the Paris Olympics is the first completely gender equal Summer Games with a 50/50 gender split of all participating athletes. This is a key step in combating the gender ‘dream deficit’, which states that, due to lack of representation and perceived opportunities for success, “less than a third of girls can dream of reaching the top [of their sport] compared to more than half of boys”. This concept extends to other minority groups, too. Notably, renowned gymnast, Simone Biles, attributes her Olympic aspirations to seeing fellow African American, Gabby Douglas, win the 2012 Olympics in gymnastics.  

“Growing up, I didn’t see very many Black gymnasts… So whenever I did, I felt really inspired to go out there and want to be as good as them. I remember watching Gabby Douglas win the 2012 Olympics, and I was like, If she can do it, I can do it.”

- Simone Biles, 4-time Olympic Champion

2. Increased representation offers more diverse role models, dreams and goals

We’ve all heard that representation is important. For kids, who, on average spend two hours a day consuming digital media, being exposed to positive role models who look like them is key to building a strong sense of confidence and combatting internalized negative stereotypes. 

The Summer Olympics has 206 competing nations and is one of the most diverse sporting events in the world, allowing young audiences to see themselves and people from various backgrounds reflected on screen. The Paralympic Games are also a huge avenue for representation, highlighting the successes of athletes with impairments, platforming adapted sports that kids might not otherwise see and “breaking down social barriers of discrimination”. Watching athletes from all walks of life achieve their dreams through hard work and perseverance can inspire kids to set and pursue their own goals, in sports, school and beyond. 

3. Develop a love for sport and active living

Many kids participate in sports that aren’t reflected in professional leagues on mainstream TV broadcasts. With the Summer Olympics featuring a total of 33 sports and over 300 events, watching the Games is an opportunity to get your kid excited to learn about (and maybe even try) a new activity. Especially for kids who don’t gravitate towards traditional team sports, watching more individualized or artistic sports that don’t get as much airtime, such as rhythmic gymnastics, skateboarding, sport climbing or even breaking, can inspire them to engage in physical activities that spark a love for active living. 

4. Embody the Olympic Spirit through demonstrations of sportsmanship

Sportsmanship is the cornerstone of fair play. Kids are often negotiating winning and losing in their own lives and it can set a powerful example to witness how Olympic athletes compete with integrity and respect for their opponents, regardless of the outcome. Watching athletes handle both victory and defeat gracefully can teach kids important lessons about resilience and humility. Furthermore, kids may relate more strongly to failure, as they likely have experienced struggles while learning new sports and activities. It’s an invaluable reminder that everyone, from the highest-level athletes to the youngest kids biking for the first time, occasionally misses the mark. The biggest win is picking yourself back up and trying again.

5. Quality family time through discussion and celebration

Watching the incredible showmanship and competition of the Olympics with your family can evoke many questions and conversations. The Games come with a vast history (dating back to Ancient Greece) that many kids might be learning about for the first time and can act as a springboard for kids’ exposure to world geography and global issues, such as sustainability. For example, did you know that the Paris Olympics are set to be the most eco-friendly Games in history? Learning about the environmental impact of hosting the Olympics can spark interest and care about environmentalism and sustainability, as well as thoughtful family conversations about innovative methods for reducing your carbon footprint. 

Beyond that, watching the Olympic Games with your family is simply fun. The Games are a spectacle of wonder that rivals Disneyland with all of the thrill and excitement of the Superbowl or World Cup. You can even take it a step further by choosing favourite athletes or teams to root for, allowing for friendly competition within a family and adding excitement to the viewing experience.

How to watch the 2024 Summer Olympics

We are so excited to cheer on Team Canada and Team USA in all of the events showcasing the highest levels of biking, swimming and beyond. Canada is set to make headlines with one of the “greatest swim teams” in the nation’s history, while the USA offers a stacked roster of repeat Olympic medalists across multiple disciplines, with the likes of Katie Ledecky (swimming), Noah Lyles (track and field) and LeBron James (basketball) looking to add to their success. While the Olympic Games continue in Paris, we’ll be here at camp, cheering on both Olympians and campers as they each reach new heights.  

Who knows, maybe the next great Olympic Champion is taking their training wheels off as we speak. Only time (and a lot of "I did it!" moments) will tell.