The first Olympics
Know that the Olympic Games began in ancient Greece at a place called Olympia as athletic competitions held in honour of Zeus, and that the modern Olympic Games we watch today were inspired by those ancient games
Lesson
Set out your lesson
“The first Olympics means placing the first Olympics at Olympia in honour of Zeus and linking them to modern games. We will practise once together, then check a fresh example.”
Bring to the table
- Place card: Olympia
- Then/now Olympics cards
- Zeus honour card
Extra for the adult
Worked example. Ancient Olympics began at Olympia for Zeus. Modern Olympics were inspired by those games.
Optional challenge. For The first Olympics, add honour of Zeus and modern inspiration.
What to notice. Keep one parent note: Olympia; Zeus; modern link; support used. This session samples Olympic origins, not mastery of sports history.
Share and support
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Teaching approaches
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2 approaches
The first Olympics means placing the first Olympics at Olympia in honour of Zeus and linking them to modern games. We will practise once together, then check a fresh example.
Materials: Place card: Olympia; Then/now Olympics cards; Zeus honour card. 1. Place the first games at Olympia in ancient Greece. 2. Say they were athletic competitions in honour of Zeus. 3. Link modern Olympics as inspired by those games. 4. Fresh check: child answers one new prompt on the same idea. Record and stop. Done: Ask where the first games were. Proof: parent note of examples tried and support used. Stop: End after the fresh check; keep optional challenge for another day.
Locate the origins of the Olympics in ancient Olympia and connect inspiration without claiming sameness.
Locate the origins of the Olympics in ancient Olympia and connect inspiration without claiming sameness.
Family records and proof options
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Practice this concept
Start practiceThe first Olympics practice
Match Olympia, Zeus, and modern inspiration.
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Learning resources
Extra practice links — they do not replace Gakuva’s teaching approach.
BBC Bitesize · Practice link — not the full lesson
Ancient Greece
Before you open · source notes
BBC Bitesize materials useful for The first Olympics. An adult picks one article or clip; the page is a topic hub, not a single quiz.
Free educational page, no sign-in required for the tested path.
Before you openAsk the learner one fact they learned and one question they still have.
Opening this link does not save learning or assess mastery.
Source, access and review notes
Public BBC Bitesize page. An anonymous GET on 2026-11-12 returned HTTP 200 with no login or payment prompt for this URL. Opening the link does not save practice or assess mastery. An adult should preview and guide the learner.
BBC Bitesize. “Ancient Greece.” External page; Gakuva does not copy, host, embed, or redistribute materials.
Unknown — link only
Check understanding
- Say that the Olympic Games started in ancient Greece at Olympia
- Name at least one sport or event from the ancient Olympics such as running or wrestling
- Explain that today's Olympic Games got the idea from the ancient Greek ones
“When your child watches the Olympics on TV, can they tell you that the Games originally started thousands of years ago in ancient Greece?”
Curriculum record
- Type
- Conceptual
- Subject
- History
- Domain
- Ancient Greece & Rome
- Age range
- Ages 5–7