The Olympians

Ages: 5-11

A short film that sees the Gods of Olympus descend upon central London to battle it out in a trial of athleticism to light the torch.

Watch this video with your children, and then try some of our teaching and activity ideas below.

Teaching Ideas and Resources:

Use a thesaurus to think of different ways of describing the movement shown in the video (e.g. run, chase, sprint).
Pause the video at various points and make a list of words that can be used to describe the action taking place.
Try describing the video to someone who has never seen it before. What words / phrases can you use to convey the tension in the animation?
Pause the video when the camera focuses on the faces of the various characters. What might they be thinking / feeling at these points?
Describe the backstory for the running character (called Olympia). Where does she come from? How did she come to be involved in the events in the animation?
Can you write a new story that involves the Gods of Olympus?

Pause the video at various places and describe the different shapes that you can see.

Could you plan and record your own animation to celebrate the Olympics (or another sporting event).

Look at the concept art on the official site for this video. Can you use these as the inspiration for some of your own drawings of athletes or Olympian gods?
Look at photos of different sporting events and try to convey the action / movement in your own artwork.

Listen to the music and describe how it helps to enhance the atmosphere and excitement in the video. How does it change as the video progresses?

Can you identify the famous London landmarks shown in the video? Can you find them on a map? How long would it take to walk / run between them?

Use reference materials to find out more about the Gods of Olympus. Can you make a poster to teach others about them?

How many sporting activities take place in events like the Olympics? How many have you tried?
Can you organise your own sports event?