The Summer Olympics are almost here, with the Olympic Games Paris 2024 set to kick off on July 26!

The Olympics will feature 32 sports, including everything from archery to wrestling. The organizers are adding one new high-energy competition to the schedule of events this year: breaking, or what’s more commonly known as breakdancing. Other recently added, high energy highlights include surfing, skateboarding and climbing.

There will be more than 10,000 athletes representing more than 200 countries from around the world. The events run through Aug. 11 and take place at venues all around Paris, which will make for some very exciting weeks in France.

The history of the Olympic Games goes back around 3,000 years to Ancient Greece.

While the ancient games eventually ended, the Olympics were revived when the first Games of the modern era were held in Athens in 1896 with 14 countries participating. In the 128 years since then, the Olympics have been held in different cities on five continents! The Olympics were originally meant solely for AMATEUR athletes, but now feature some professional athletes as well.

Notably, 2024 is not the first time Paris has hosted the Olympic Games. The city hosted the 1900 Olympics, which was the first time women participated in the Games. Twenty-two women, as well as 975 men, competed at the Olympics that year. The 1900 Games saw the introduction of several new sports, including croquet. It was also the only year croquet was included as a sport!

While we can’t all compete in the Olympics or even visit France to watch the Games, we can all get in the spirit at home. This summer is the perfect time to check out a sports camp, work on your swimming skills with some lessons, or even try a totally new sport. The Olympics feature some of the best athletes in the world, so hopefully you can draw some inspiration from them and find a fun, healthy activity to keep you busy this summer!