I am beyond excited—it’s finally time to start watching the 2026 Winter Olympics! From the icy rinks to the snowy slopes, this incredible global celebration of sport, culture, and teamwork is the perfect way to spark curiosity and learning for the whole family. Whether you’re cheering for your favorite athletes or marvelling at daring feats on skis and skates, there’s so much to see, explore, and discover along the way with my brand new Family Unit Study: The Winter Olympics!
This isn’t just watching sports—it’s a full-on adventure that connects reading, writing, science, math, history, geography, art, and more. Every lesson links together, helping kids actually remember what they learn while having a blast.
So grab your warmest mittens, a cozy spot on the couch, and get ready to slide, ski, and soar into learning. Let’s take a look at this Family Unit Study together.
What is a Family Unit Study?
This unit study—like all of the resources in our ever-growing library of Family Unit Studies—takes one engaging theme (such as The Winter Olympics) and breaks it into 10 manageable, bite-sized learning topics. Each of the 10 topics can be explored from start to finish in approximately 1–2 hours.
Each topic in the Winter Olympics Family Unit Study includes:
- an interesting fact,
- a discussion question,
- informative information,
- a curated YouTube video,
- a recommended book,
- a math or literacy enrichment question (with three difficulty levels),
- and an ultimate can’t-be-beat hands-on activity!
Plus, all subjects are covered across the 10 topics! Geography, History, Science, Art, Music, Social Studies, Health, Math, and Literacy.
When everything connects across subjects, learning just makes more sense. Kids remember more, understand better, and actually enjoy the process. It’s the kind of learning that really sticks.
All ages. All subjects. One coursebook. 🙌
The Winter Olympics Family Unit Study
Now let’s dive in.. or maybe slide in or ski in to the exciting topics that make up the amazing Winter Olympics Family Unit Study!
Topic #1: History of the Winter Olympics ❄️
Did you know the Winter Olympics kicked off in 1924, 28 years after the Summer Olympics began? Since then, they’ve grown big time, with more athletes, more events, and a whole lot more excitement on the snow and ice! In this topic, you’ll dive into the history of the Olympics and create an Olympic Timeline using the included printable. Along the way, you’ll see how the Olympics have evolved over time—and how they became the incredible global event we know today.
Topic #2: Building The Olympics 🏗️
Did you know the 2026 Winter Olympics are projected to cost $1.6 billion USD? A lot of planning and effort go into building the Olympics! From the Olympic Village to all of the venues and event centers, there is a lot to be constructed or repurposed! In this topic, you will learn all about how they plan to make the venues and infrastructure environmentally sustainable.
Topic #3: Skating Ice Sports ⛸️
Skating is one of the most popular sports at the Winter Olympics! Skating sports include Figure Skating, Short Track Speed Skating, Speed Skating, and Ice Hockey. In this topic, you will explore both the science of figure skaters as well as the science of magnets with an exciting hands-on activity.
Topic #4: Olympians Around the World 🌎
Did you know that around 93 countries are expected to take part in the 2026 Winter Olympics, with over 3,500 athletes competing? That’s a whole lot of people—and a whole lot of places! As you watch the Olympics, grab the included world map printable and color in a country each time you hear an athlete from that country announced. By the end, you’ll have a colorful map showing just how global the Olympics really are!
Topic #5: Alpine and Freestyle Sports 🏂
Sports featured at the Winter Olympics have grown a lot over the years! We now see many extreme sports, such as Alpine Skiing, Freestyle Skiing, Snowboarding, and new for 2026: Ski Mountaineering! In this topic, you will get to learn all about this new event, and then you will have the chance to create your own new Olympic event.
Topic #6: Olympian Training 🏋️♀️
Olympians’ bodies are pretty incredible—and it’s no accident. Years (and years!) of training, smart nutrition, and serious dedication shape their bodies in amazing ways. All that hard work leads to real physiological changes that help them jump higher, move faster, and perform at the highest level. In this topic, you’ll learn how all that training transforms the body and discover what physical fitness really looks like at an elite level.
Topic #7: Nordic Events ⛷️
Nordic sports come straight from the snowy heart of Northern Europe—think Norway, Sweden, and Finland, where winter isn’t just a season, it’s a lifestyle. This family of sports includes Biathlon, Cross-Country Skiing, Nordic Combined, and the crowd-favorite, Ski Jumping. In these events, every second seriously matters. In this topic, learn how skiers are in a constant battle with the snow, working to reduce friction between their skis and the surface below.
Topic #8: Supporting the Olympics 🇨🇦🇺🇸
Did you know the colors of the Olympic rings—blue, yellow, black, green, and red on a white background—were chosen to represent international unity? The cool part: at least one of those colors appears on every national flag in the world. Pretty clever, right? In this activity, you’ll put that idea to the test with a hands-on World Flag matching game.
Topic #9: Sliding Ice Sports 🥌
Ice is for more than just skating on! The Winter Olympics include many sliding ice sports such as Bobsleigh (including women’s monobob), Luge, Skeleton, and Curling. In this topic, you will learn about these events and test your literacy with some curling rock letters.
Topic #10: Winning at the Olympics 🏅
Let’s keep an eye on the action at the 2026 Winter Olympics with the included Medal Tracking Page! You’ll discover which countries are stacking up the most medals. Learn what Olympic medals are actually made of, and then—best part—you’ll create your very own medal in an exciting hands-on activity. Let the games (and crafting) begin!
And there you have the 10 exciting topics that make up The Winter Olympics Family Unit Study!
As the 2026 Winter Olympics unfold, your family has a front-row seat to history, culture, science, and pure fun—all while learning together in a way that sticks. Plus, the beautiful printables will become an epic keepsake for this special event:
🥇 Journal (Daily Highlights, Medal Tracking, Event Pages)
🇨🇦 World Map, World Flags, and Country Cards
🏂 Winter Olympics Watch-Along Bingo (3 Levels)
❄️ Winter Olympics Timeline and Photos
🥌 Vocabulary Cards, Curling Rock Letters, and More!
The Winter Olympics Family Unit Study
Check out a sample and grab your copy today in the How Wee Learn Shop:
Let the games begin!
xo Sarah
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