Ancient Sports

Learn about eight of the world's oldest sports, like running, archery, and wrestling.

Learn about the history of the Olympic Games, their importance, and the Olympic symbols in this video.

The earliest Olympic games were tough—and sometimes deadly. In an intense fighting sport called pankration, for example, there were no weight classes, no time limits, and just two rules: no biting and no eye gouging. Whoa. Find out more about it and other games from the first Olympics from National Geographic Kids.

Long before sports like soccer, the ancient Mayans were using their hips to play Mesoamerican ballgame. Watch this video from Great Big Story to learn more about it from a group of Mexican athletes who are bringing the sport back to life.

At the Olympics, people from all continents come together and compete against one another in sports. The Olympic symbol is the Olympic rings, which represent the union of the five continents of the world. Click the button to learn more about the rings and how they have evolved over time.

Try creating a symbol like the Olympic rings to represent your own family. What shape and color will represent each person? (Pro tip: if you are using circles as your symbol, trace a cup for each ring.) After you've done a few sketches, draw your final version on a clean piece of paper and color in your shapes or symbols. Try to include each person's name, too!

The first and only Olympic event was the one-stade run (a run across a stadium). Over time, more sports were added, like the hoplitodrome, a race in which the athletes wore full armor. Or the pentathlon, which featured five events like jumping, sprinting, and throwing objects for distance.

What if you had to host your own Olympics? Create a list of Olympic events you could host in your house, a park, or backyard. Then gather some family and have a competition, or try to time yourself and see if you can beat your fastest time! If you are competing against several people, be sure to award gold, silver, and bronze to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place!

It's always a good idea to warm up before playing sports—especially intense ones like you might play at the Olympics. Warming up prepares your body for exercise. Here's a great warm-up exercise you can try at home.

Just like warming up beforehand, always spend a few minutes cooling down after a workout. A cool-down brings your heart rate down and keeps your body from being sore the next day. Give this one a try.