The Bigjigs Toys Olympic Games
Today marks the start of the Tokyo Olympics and here at Bigjigs HQ, we've come up with our own very special Toy Olympics! On your marks, get set, go!
Olympic Ice Cream Torch
We can 't kick off the Toy Olympics without the Olympic Torch, can we? Unlike the real thing, carrying this Ice Cream isn't torcher on our arms with our much lighter and cooler version. The original idea for the Olympic flame comes from ancient Greece, where a sacred fire was kept alight during the ancient Olympics.
Olympic Rings
Ringing it all together, here is the iconic Olympic logo! What are the colours of the Olympic rings, we hear you ask? The five colours of the interlocking rings are blue, yellow, black, green and red, which represent the continents of Europe, Asia, Africa, America and Australia.
Swimming
Make a splash! We think our Activity Buckets are great for practising your swimming skills. Did you know that an Olympic sized swimming pool is 50 metres long and 25 metres wide (around 8 lanes wide) with a depth of 2 metres. It can hold up to around 500,000 gallons of water! We think it's definitely big enough to fit all of our pool toys in!
Sprint Hurdles
Next up we have Otis Doll ready to take on the 100-metre hurdle. In 1896, the 110-metre hurdle became an official Olympic race with the 400-metre hurdle being introduced four years later. Run Otis, run!
Discus Throw
It looks like we've got something to 'discus... throw your flexible frisbee as far as you can! Its lightweight material can endure the bumpiest of crash landings. Did you know that the Olympic record discus throw is 69.89 metres?
Cycling
Cycling first featured at the modern Olympic Games in 1896 and is one of five sports to be featured at every game. To stop little legs from getting 'two tyred, our wooden Balance Bike is a great introduction to cycling with its solid tyres and easy to grip handlebars. Mini riders will be on their way to full two-wheeled mobility in no time at all!
Relay Egg and Spoon Race
Get ready for the 100-metre relay - egg and spoon style! We think we've "cracked" the secret to a successful race our Wooden Eggs will sit comfortably on the spoon whilst on the move and won 't create any mess - eggcellent news. The first Olympic 100 metre relay for men was held in 1912, followed by the women's relay in 1928.
Horse Jumping
Giddy up, horsey! Little riders are here to stirrup some trouble on their Rocking Horse. Did you know that equestrian sport has been in the Olympics for over 100 years? It was introduced at the 1912 Stockholm Olympic Games - 2,592 years after horse sport made its debut at the 680 BC Olympic Games!
Golf
Move over Tiger Woods, there's a new golfer on the block! Our tee-riffic Crazy Golf Set is ideal for fun play sessions and features two wooden clubs, score sheets and exciting obstacles. Golf was first featured in the Olympic games in 1900 and it wasn 't until 2009 that golf was reinstated again.
Rowing
Row, row, row your boat (not so) gently down the stream: Lottie Doll loves nothing more than to have a paddle on her Canoe Adventure. Did you know that rowing is Britain's most successful Olympic sport, with our nation having won a gold medal in every Olympic Games since 1984? Totally oar-some!
Gymnastics
Let's raise the bar! Gymnastics have been a key part of the Olympic games since 1924. The name 'gymnastics is derived from the ancient Greek word for disciplinary exercises - not surprising given physical fitness was a favourable attribute in ancient Greece. Kit out your Lottie Doll or Finn Doll with their very own gymnastics outfit.
Gold Medal FAQs
When Did The Olympics Start?
The Olympic Games originated in Greece around 3,000 years ago. However, it wasn 't until the late 19th century that it began to see a revival and has since become the most popular sports competition on the planet!
Around the 8th Century BC up until the 4th Century AD the Olympic Games were held every four years in Olympia in the small town of Elis, Greece, in honour of the ancient god Zeus.
The first modern Olympics took place in 1896 in Athens and only became a truly international sports event after 1924.
Who Has Won The Most Olympic Medals?
The athlete who has won the most Olympic medals is U.S. swimmer Michael Phelps, who has amassed an impressive 28 medals!
How Many Sports Are In The Olympics?
The 2020 Summer Olympics will award medals to athletes participating in 33 different sports. Five of these are brand new sports that include baseball, surfing, skateboarding, karate and sport climbing.
Olympics 2020 At Home
What Olympic style games have you got planned? Tell us all about it over at @bigjigstoys