MSU Extension Child & Family Development

The 2026 Winter Olympic Games offer families a fun and meaningful way to explore winter sports, geography, culture and history together. Held once every four years, the Winter Olympics bring athletes from around the world together to compete on snow and ice, while also highlighting perseverance, teamwork and global citizenship. Watching the Games with children can spark curiosity and lead to conversations about goal setting, physical activity and learning about other countries.

What to know about the 2026 Olympics

The 2026 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XXV Olympic Winter Games, will be co‑hosted by Milan (Milano) and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy.

Milan is Italy’s second‑largest city and a global center for fashion, design and finance. Many indoor ice sports, such as figure skating, speed skating and ice hockey, will take place here.

Cortina d’Ampezzo is a historic Alpine town in the Dolomite Mountains. The Winter Olympics were previously hosted here in 1956 and the city will again welcome athletes this year for alpine skiing, curling and sliding sports like bobsled, luge and skeleton.

Additional competitions will be held across northern Italy’s mountain regions, making use of existing venues and emphasizing sustainability.

The 2026 Winter Olympics will run from February 6–22, 2026, with some preliminary competitions beginning on February 4. The Opening Ceremony will take place in Milan, and the Closing Ceremony will be held in Verona.

A brief history of the Olympic Games

The ancient Olympic Games began in 776 B.C. in Greece and were held every four years in the same place in honor of the Greek god Zeus. This four-year period became known as an “Olympiad.” The first games included only men and the sporting events were running, wrestling, boxing, pankration (a primitive martial art), equestrian events and the pentathlon (running, long jump, discus, javelin and wrestling).

The first modern Olympic Games took place in 1896 in Athens, Greece. The first year, women were not allowed to compete, but four years later, women officially joined the competition. The first Winter Olympics were held in 1924 in Chamonix, France, and featured sports played on snow and ice.

Unlike the original Olympic Games, the modern games move from city to city. While the Olympic Games still take place every four years, in 1994 the decision was made to hold the Summer and Winter Olympics separately. The two Games have alternated every two years since.

To expand children’s knowledge about the history of the Olympics, Michigan State University Extension encourages you to consider one of the following activities:

• Visit the official Olympic website to learn more about the ancient games, the mythology surrounding the games, and the original sporting events.
• Read books about the Olympics. Suggestions for children in first through fourth grades include “G is for Gold Medal: An Olympic Alphabet” by Brad Herzog, “Magic Tree House #16: Hour of the Olympics” and the coordinating non-fiction, “Magic Tree House Fact Tracker #10: Ancient Greece and the Olympics,” both by Mary Pope Osborne and Natalie Pope Bryce.
• Download the official Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics app for the latest information on the games.

The 2026 Games

This year, the XXV Olympic Winter Games will feature more than 2,900 athletes from 93 nations. There will be 116 Olympic medal events  across 16 disciplines. The Games will have the highest percentage of women's participation in Winter Olympic history at 47%. Sports include alpine skiing, snowboarding, freestyle skiing, figure skating, ice hockey, curling, biathlon, cross‑country skiing, speed skating and more.

Several events are new or expanded for the 2026 Winter Olympics, helping increase excitement and gender balance: ski mountaineering (making its Olympic debut), dual moguls in freestyle skiing, women’s doubles luge, mixed‑team skeleton and women’s large hill ski jumping.

To help children learn more about the Winter Olympics and the host country, consider the following activities:

• Explore Italy on a map, globe or online, focusing on mountains and climate.
• Watch short videos explaining different Winter Olympic sports.
• Discuss how athletes train and why practice and persistence matter.
• Try a winter activity as a family, such as ice skating, sledding or snowshoeing.
• Visit the official Olympic website to learn about Olympic symbols, traditions and history.

The Winter Olympics showcase more than athletic competition. They highlight resilience, dedication and international cooperation. Sharing these stories with children helps build character, encourages physical activity and fosters curiosity about the world.

The 2026 Winter Olympics provide a valuable opportunity for families to learn, connect and be inspired—both on and off the ice.