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The world’s biggest sporting event

Celebrate the Tokyo Games with 25 fun activities to help kids learn all about Olympic history, traditions, sports and athletes

Olympics

TOPSHOT - Actress Katerina Lechou performing as the high priestess lights the Olympic flame at the Temple of Hera on April 21, 2016 during the lighting ceremony of the Olympic flame in ancient Olympia, the sanctuary where the Olympic Games were born in 776 BC. The Olympic flame was lit today and solemnly sent off carrying international hopes that Brazil's political paralysis will not taint the Rio Games that start in barely 100 days. / AFP PHOTO / ARIS MESSINIS

Ancient Games sparked the Olympic tradition

PART 1: The modern Olympic Games have been around for 125 years, but you have to look back much further than that to understand how the Olympic tradition began

Olympics

How modern Games became biggest show on earth

PART 2: What started as one man’s idea to encourage world peace is now the biggest sports event on the planet. Let’s take a look at the history of the modern Olympic Games as we gear up for Tokyo

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RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - AUGUST 21: Athletes walk during the "Heroes of the Games" segment during the Closing Ceremony on Day 16 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at Maracana Stadium on August 21, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

Friendship, respect and excellence drive the Games

PART 3: The founder of the modern Olympic Games, Pierre de Coubertin, believed sport could bring people together and help them excel. These values are still at the core of the Games today

Olympics

(FILES) In this file photo taken on March 25, 2021, Japanese torchbearer Azusa Iwashimizu (L), a member of Japan women's national football team, lights the Olympic torch on day one of the torch relay in Naraha, Fukushima Prefecture. - From a historic virus postponement and summer heat fears to unprecedented restrictions on fans, the path to staging the Tokyo Olympics, which begin in nearly one month on July 23, 2021, has been far from smooth. (Photo by KIM KYUNG-HOON / POOL / AFP)

Follow the fascinating trail of the Olympic torch through time

PART 4: The Olympic flame continues its journey as one of humanity’s most uniting and symbolic sparks in the modern era

Olympics

TOKYO, JAPAN - JUNE 03: A medal tray that will be used during the victory ceremonies at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games is displayed during an unveiling event for the victory ceremonies' items including podium, music, costume and the medal tray for the Olympic and Paralympic games at the Ariake Arena on the day marking the 50 days to go to the Tokyo Olympic Games opening ceremony on June 3, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Issei Kato - Pool/Getty Images)

Olympic medals go green in Tokyo

PART 5: The Tokyo Games are the first where the gold, silver and bronze medals are also green, having been made entirely from recycled metals

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Meet mascots Miraitowa and Someity

PART 6: Two stars of the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics won’t be going for gold but they do have superpowers! We look at Olympic mascots and emblems

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ESCAPE: TOKYO COVER OPTION .. Akihabara, Tokyo, Japan. Picture: iStock

Olympics host nation in profile – hello, Japan!

PART 7: One of the most exciting parts of any Olympics is discovering more about the host city and wider country – welcome to Tokyo, Japan!

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Australia’s Olympic Games leave their mark

PART 8: We’ve been lucky enough to host two Olympic Games, with the 1956 Melbourne Games and the 2000 Sydney Games both playing an important role in Olympic history

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16 September 2000. Australian swimming champion Ian Thorpe celebrates winning gold in the 400m freestyle on the first day of competition at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. (AAP Photos/Julian Smith)

Celebrating Australia’s Olympic heroes

PART 9: Australia has produced many Olympic heroes, from our first Olympian Edwin Flack to five times gold medallist Ian Thorpe

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The sports set to light up Tokyo

PART 10: The Tokyo Games will feature 339 events across 33 sports – and a pictogram to go with each one

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DO NOT ARCHIVE... 29/08/2012 WIRE: LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 29: Fireworks light up the stadium as a large scale reproduction of Marc Quinns celebrated sculpture Alison Lapper Pregnant emerges during the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Paralympics at the Olympic Stadium on August 29, 2012 in London, England. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images) Pic. Images Getty

How the Paralympics became a world sporting spectacular

PART 11: What started as a way for injured World War II veterans to rehabilitate has grown into one of the world’s biggest sporting events. Learn more about the Paralympics

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SOCHI, RUSSIA - FEBRUARY 04: Torah Bright of Australia trains during Snowboard Slopestyle practice at the Extreme Park at Rosa Khutor Mountain ahead of the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics on February 4, 2014 in Sochi, Russia (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

Cool facts about the Winter Olympics

PART 12: Australia’s Winter Olympics history might not have the same golden glow as our Summer Games’ record, but it has still provided some really cool highs