Flags of the World Banner

What You Need:

• World map
• Internet
• 8½" x 11" sheets of white paper
• Crayons or markers
• Ruler
• Yarn or string
• Small binder clips

What You Do:

1. Look at a world map with your child, and invite her to pick at one country from at least five different continents. Ideally, your banner will have 5–7 flags from around the world.
2. Using the Internet, make sure that each country that she has chosen is participating in the international sporting event this year. If any of her chosen countries are not participating, ask her to pick replacements.
3. With your child, use an atlas or the Internet to find pictures of each country's flag. Ask her to draw each flag on a separate piece of paper.
4. Use the binder clips to attach the flags to the yarn, creating a flag banner. Hang the banner on a wall near where your child will be watching the competition on television.
5. Use your flag banner to make watching the competition an interactive experience. How do the different countries define themselves? What symbols and colors are represented in their uniforms?
6. As you watch the event together, look for athletes from the various countries on your flag banner. Check the medal counts for those countries to see which one has won the most medals.