Winter Olympics Unschooling Curriculum
The activities we did to learn about the 2026 winter sports
After a Magical Christmas, filled with lots of activities and plans, I felt inspired to keep the magic going right into the winter olympics.
We’ve taken up skiing and snowboarding and so it was the perfect interest-based next topic.
Here’s what we did:
First and foremost, I have a 5 year old and 6.5 year old at the time of the 2026 Olympics so I tailored this list to what they’re working on, interested in and have fun doing.
I did that by:
Telling ChatGPT the kids ages and what they like and then to help me come up with activities, foods and places we could go.
Then I Googled more ideas and scoured Pinterest.
And compiled it all into a GoogleDoc that I could reference each day.
The activities list:
Week 1: What Are the Olympics?
Jan 5–9
Mon 1/5 – Olympics Big Picture
🧠 Create a schema map: “What we already know / wonder”
📺 Watch: Everything to know about the 2026 Winter Olympics + 100 Years of the Olympics
Alpine Skiing
Biathlon
Bobsleigh
Cross-Country Skiing
Curling
Figure Skating
Freestyle Skiing
Ice Hockey
Luge
Nordic Combined
Short Track Speed Skating
Skeleton
Ski Jumping
Ski Mountaineering
Snowboard
Speed Skating
🗣️ Theme: Let’s practice listening
Tues 1/6 – Where Are the Olympics?
🗺️ Map work: Olympic Village Milan + Cortina
📏 Measure distances with tape measurer
🧠 Geography + math
Wed 1/7 – Countries & Flags
🎨 Create flags of countries competing + video about USA Athletes
🗣️ Share which country you’re cheering for
🤝 Theme: Let’s notice teamwork
Thu 1/8 – Mascots + All about the animal
🎭 Read: The Stoat
I made this story with the help of ChatGPT because my kids prefer to read about something they’re interested in.
Fri 1/9 – Why the Rings?
🎨 Paint Olympic Rings
🧠 Learn why there are five & what they represent
🗣️ Theme: Let’s practice listening
Week 2: Snow Sports (Hands-On Focus)
Jan 11–16
Sun 1/11 – Alpine Skiing + Triplets Competing in Alpine Skiing
🎿 Ski or snowboard day
🧠 Watch short alpine skiing clips
Mon 1/12 – Ice Hockey + Sled hockey
🏒 DIY hockey sticks
🤝 Team roles discussion
Tue 1/13 – Biathlon
❄️ Snowball shooting target practice
➕ Count hits / misses (math)
Wed 1/14 – Cross-Country Skiing
🧁 Marshmallow skiers STEM build
🧠 Discuss endurance vs spee
Thu 1/15 – Ski Jumping
🧱 LEGO ski jump ramp build
📐 Experiment with angles + distance
Fri 1/16 – Freestyle Skiing
🎥 Watch freestyle clips
🎨 Draw or storyboard a “routine”
Week 3: Ice Sports + Physics
Jan 19–23
Mon 1/19 – Figure Skating
🧊 Wax paper skating experiment
🎥 Watch skating video
📅 2026 Ohio High School Team Figure Skating Championships | Saturday, January 31, 2026
Tues 1/20 - Skeleton
🎥 Watch short clips
🗣️ Talk about bravery + safety
Wed 1/21 – Curling
🛁 Tub Curling
Thu 1/22 – Speed Skating + Short track- The difference
🧠 Science of speed & friction
🏃 Speed skater’s workout
📅 Homeschool Skate + Soccer at the Pond
Fri 1/23 – Bobsled + Luge
🛷 The art of bobsled- practice like they do
📏 Measure speed & distance on our DIY luge
Week 4: STEM + Sportsmanship
Jan 26–30
Mon 1/26 – Nordic Combined
🧠 Compare two sports in one event
Tue 1/27 – Ski Mountaineering + New Sport
🥾 Weighted backpack hike
📏 Measure time + elevation (simple)
Wed 1/28 – Snowboarding + Science of Snowboarding
🧠 Why edges grip snow
🎿 Apply it while riding
Thu 1/29 – Preparing an Ice Rink
🧊 Learn how rinks are made
🗣️ Multi-step process narration
Fri 1/30 – Sportsmanship Day
🧠 What is good sportsmanship?
🎭 Act out scenarios
Sat 1/31- Solon vs. Aurora Hockey @ Gilmour
Week 5: Reflection + Celebration
Feb 2–6
Mon 2/2 – Create an Olympics Schedule
📅 Choose sports to watch
🧠 Time awareness
Tue 2/3 – LEGO Olympic Village
🧱 Build venues, village, slopes
🤝 Shared design decisions
Wed 2/4 – Favorite Sport Reports
✍️ Dictate or write 3–5 sentences
🎤 Share aloud
Thu 2/5 – Sports STEM | STEM | STEM
Fri 2/6 – Opening Ceremony!
🔥 Create a torch
🥇 Make edible medals
📺 Watch together
Sports Report- Who took what medals in each competition
My Review
The first week we stuck to this schedule and then we seemed to trail off. I took this learning into our next monthly list (Minecraft IRL) noticing that they prefer adventures over a ton of craft activities and also… food activities are always a win!
While we didn’t end up doing all of these things- I did enjoy having the options there.
As an unschooling family it can feel odd sometimes to not have a specific schedule but that’s been the deschooling challenge for me. Because all day long, in all we do, we’re learning- just in a way that interests them.