Hi Reader,

The 2026 Winter Olympics begin today, and if you’ve been around here for a while, you know our family loves the Olympic Games.

A few years ago, we traveled to Lake Placid, NY — home of the 1932 and 1980 Winter Olympics — and explored the training grounds where athletes once stood on the world stage. Walking through those venues, imagining the determination and discipline it took to compete there, made the Olympics feel very real to our kids. Since then, we’ve made a tradition of following the Games together — learning about the athletes, the host country, and (of course) finding ways to turn it all into hands-on learning.

If you’re looking to do the same, I have a few resources for you.

🥇 Olympic Medals STEM Workbook

Over on my sister site, Raising Global Kidizens, I shared an Olympic-themed STEM activity workbook originally created for the Tokyo 2020 Summer Games — but the activities are just as relevant for the Winter Olympics.

The workbook invites students to:

• Explore the science and symbolism of Olympic medals

• Investigate materials, design, and engineering

• Engage in hands-on challenges inspired by global competition

It’s designed for teachers and parents who want to channel Olympic excitement into meaningful STEM learning. Whether your students are watching figure skating or snowboarding, this workbook helps them think critically about the “why” and “how” behind the Games.

You can explore the Olympic Medals STEM Workbook here:

♿ Paralympics & Designing for Inclusion

One of my favorite conversations to have during Olympic season centers on inclusion.

The Paralympics Workbook (50 printable pages!) is aligned with United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #10: Reduced Inequalities. It guides students through thoughtful discussions and activities about how adaptive equipment, environmental design, and innovation make sports more inclusive for athletes around the world.

This resource helps kids see that inclusion isn’t an afterthought — it’s intentional design.

If you want to spark meaningful dialogue about accessibility, innovation, and global citizenship, you can find that workbook here:

🇺🇸 Olympic Swag — 3D Printed, Of Course

And because you know I can’t let a global event go by without firing up our Toybox…

My daughter and I will be wearing 3D-printed Olympic event-themed earrings to cheer on Team U.S.A. this week.

Designing and printing our own Olympic-themed accessories is such a fun way to blend creativity, design thinking, and celebration. If you have a Toybox printer at home — or have been considering one — this is the kind of project that makes it shine.

You can check out the Toybox 3D printer here (and thank you, as always, for supporting Thoughtfully Sustainable if you choose to use it! It also gives you an extra 10% off):

However you’re watching — whether it’s cozy evenings on the couch or quick highlight clips between activities — I hope you take a moment to lean into the global nature of the Games.

Different languages. Different cultures. Different abilities. One shared stage.

That’s something worth celebrating — and learning from.

Let the Games begin ❄️

— Jessica

Founder of Thoughtfully Sustainable​
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