Introduce the basic history behind the Olympic Games to preschoolers and reinforce oral language skills. Create flash cards of Olympic athletic events such as swimming or ice skating, using photographs of athletes from all countries. Mount the photographs on poster board and laminate to make them more durable for your students. Show the children the photographs and ask them to name the sport represented in the picture.
Select an age-appropriate children's book focused on a team sport such as "Teamwork" by Ann Morris and read it to your preschoolers. Discuss the sport represented in your chosen book and how each individual contributes to the success of the entire team. Ask the preschoolers to brainstorm ways they can use teamwork to succeed in your classroom, in games, at home, etc. Write these ideas on a poster and display it in the classroom.
Gather a variety of sporting equipment such as basketballs, soccer balls or tennis racquets. Ask students to bring their favorite equipment from home or ask your school's physical education teacher to borrow items. Bring students together in a large group and place the various sporting equipment on the floor of your classroom. Ask children to count the number of each item out loud as a group. For more advanced preschoolers, complete simple addition by adding the number of soccer balls to the number of basketballs.
Create a vocabulary lesson using various sporting words. Ask students to bring a photograph of their favorite sporting event or piece of equipment to class. Encourage children to choose one where they are the participant in the photograph, but also allow them to use a photograph from a magazine if they prefer. Ask children to identify the word their picture represents, such as "basketball" or "swimming," and write it on a sentence strip. Create a game for the reading center using these items and ask students to place the word underneath the corresponding sports photograph. This lesson reinforces both reading and vocabulary skills for preschoolers.