KEY POINTS:
On your marks, get set, go!
Schools across the country are gearing up for the biggest sporting event of the year: The Beijing Olympic Games.
With the Games starting next week, youngsters have begun research projects on the history of the Olympics, learning about the Great Wall of China, creating flags and planning their own Olympics Day at school.
At Kelston Primary School in West Auckland, a portable ice-skating rink, an Olympics parade and possibly a Kung Fu master are among some of the highlights at the school's Olympics Day set for August 22.
Ancient Chinese, Greek and Maori games will be included with traditional sports such as croquet, rugby and basketball. Students will be encouraged to give everything a go, says deputy principal Chris Herlihy.
"With the ancient Chinese games, you pour marbles into a bowl and put them in another bowl using chopsticks. With the Maori game, it involves having a pine cone with string and trying to spin the pine cone," he said. "The main things we're looking at are the Olympic values of sportsmanship, being fair and getting involved."
Each class has been allocated a country to research. They will give a presentation to the rest of the school on their designated country during the Olympics parade. Mr Herlihy said: "There will be dances from each country's culture, with the kids dressing up in costumes or the colour of their country and holding banners."
An Asian food festival is part of Auckland's Kohimarama School's tribute to the Olympics, with students creating Asian foods and selling them at the festival.
Year 6 student Astrid Austin, 11, said she is enjoying learning about the games and is looking forward to the planned festival.
"For the Asian food festival, we're doing it with buddies, with our own stalls. Our stall is called Chinese Kung Food. We're making spring rolls and sushi."
Bailey Road Primary and Intermediate School in Mt Wellington have started studying the Beijing Olympics also, while children at Massey's Royal Road Primary School are working on projects, with each student in the middle and senior school looking at a particular country involved the Olympics.
