As winter unfolds, children naturally notice what the world is paying attention to. Lately, that has included the Winter Olympics: images of snow and ice, bodies moving in new ways, and stories of trying, practicing, and beginning again.

For young children, the Winter Olympics are not really about medals or podiums. They’re about the quiet bravery of trying something new, the slow and steady work of practice, the joy of moving a body through space, and the comfort of belonging to a group that is learning together.

This weekend, as the 2026 Winter Olympics officially begin in Italy—with skiers racing down mountains, skaters gliding across ice, and athletes from around the world beginning again and again—children are drawn to the human story beneath it all: people practicing what they love, falling and rising, and discovering that effort itself can be something beautiful. As Pierre de Coubertin, the father of the modern Olympic Games, famously said, “The most important thing in the Olympics is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not what we achieve but what we try.”

You may notice this thinking showing up in many forms: children moving their bodies in expressive ways, artwork that captures motion or the feeling of winter, and songs that feel more like gliding than performing.

These experiences are not lessons to be completed or outcomes to be measured. They are invitations to wonder—ways of helping children recognize themselves as learners and feel connected to one another, all while remaining rooted in the safety and rhythm of their practice community.

And yes, all of this is unfolding during a week of considerable national excitement. While much of the country is focused on the Super Bowl, our children are practicing, falling, trying again, helping one another, and discovering that effort—and sometimes even a tumble—is worth celebrating.

Maureen