Erica Bennington from the Warsaw Community Public Library shares a story at Warsaw’s Central Park. Photo provided by WCPL staff.

By Amy Mann
Children’s Services

2021 has finally brought us the 2020 Summer Olympics, courtesy of Tokyo, Japan.

The 32nd Olympiad of the modern-day games brings us both individual events and team sports. When the original games began in Greece more than 2,500 years ago, a foot race called the stade was the only event. Later, horse and chariot racing, wrestling and boxing were added to the lineup, all individual sports. After a 2,000 year break, the first modern Olympic Games were held in Athens, Greece, in 1896, with 43 individual events. Four years later when the 1900 Summer Olympics were held in Paris, France, a few team sports were included: soccer, water polo and rugby.

Which Olympic events were you able to view this year? Did you see any you hadn’t seen before? A few new ones were added this year, including karate and skateboarding. Which are your favorites? Stop by the children’s desk and tell us.

Did you learn about different countries this year as you watched the Olympics? Did you support anyone who was from another country? What made you feel connected to them? The library has plenty of books on other nations, as well as biographies of Olympic athletes and juvenile fiction about kids who compete in sports. Let library staff know what they can help you find.

A fun event to stage is a neighborhood Olympics, with events such as foot and bike races, obstacle courses, watermelon seed spitting contests, and games using squirt guns and water balloons. Use your imagination. The spectacle could begin with an Olympic sparkler left over from the Fourth of July. Make up or borrow an anthem. Prepare awards and a medal ceremony. Have snacks and drinks to keep up the participants’ energy levels. Don’t forget the audience, ready to supply cheering and applause. Most importantly, don’t forget to invite your friendly local librarians. You know, purely for research purposes.

Enjoy the rest of your summer. Whether we love it or whether we’re dreading it, we know what comes next. Every season brings good reasons to find yourself lost in a good book.

Visit library staff at the Warsaw Community Public Library or online at warsawlibrary.org. Check the library’s calendar and Facebook page for upcoming activities and events.