Celebrating the Winter Olympics 2014

January 28, 2014 2:09 p.m.

It is an Olympic year! Celebrate the Sochi Olympics with authentic Russian experiences, athletic adventures and a true taste of Sochi.

O – Observe the Opening Ceremony with an Olympic Party.

Watch the opening ceremony on Feb. 7 with a simple home celebration. Decorate simply with the colors of the Olympic rings, making a classic paper chain with the colors of the rings and hanging brightly colored streamers and balloons. Purchase flags from around the world and Olympic decorations at U.S. Toy. Top off the festivities with themed snacks:

Olympic torches: Fill ice cream cones with popcorn.
Olympic rings: Pipe circles of frosting onto Oreos in the colors of the rings. The five colors of the Olympic rings and the white background have at least one color of every nation’s flag in them.
Parade of nations: Purchase toothpick flags from around the world at U.S. Toy and use them to decorate finger foods: cubed cheese, pigs in a blanket, fruits and veggies and cupcakes.

L – Learn to Ski

When the Olympic Games inspire the inner athlete in you, head to Snow Creek Ski Resort (816.640.2200) in Weston, MO, just 45 minutes from Kansas City. Whether you are a beginner or advanced skier, you’ll enjoy a day at Snow Creek, where they offer skiing, snowboarding and lessons for beginners.

Y – Yell for the Mavericks

Yelling for the U.S. ice hockey team during the Olympics may bring out a renewed interest in the sport. You can cheer at live games for the Missouri Mavericks (19100 E. Valley View Pkwy., Independence, MO, 816.252.7825), our local minor league professional hockey team. The Mavericks are the only team in the CHL to win a playoff series in each of the team’s first four seasons, including trips to the league semi-final series in each of the last two seasons.

M – Make a Meal from Sochi

Kansas City markets sell Russian delicacies you can serve for a delicious Sochi-inspired meal at home. The Better Cheddar (locations at the Country Club Plaza and Prairie Village Shops) sells cheese from around the world and Russian tea. European Delights (8841 W. 95th St., Overland Park, KS,, 913.385.3876), located in historic downtown Overland Park, is a Russian culinary store and gift shop where you can purchase Russian nesting dolls (Matryoshka dolls), meats, cheeses, caviar, smoked fish, sausages and chocolates. If you are not sure what to purchase, you may ask the staff for recommendations and try samples of some products. Taste of Europe (13378 Metcalf Ave., Overland Park, KS, 913.402.8500) is a European delicatessen selling deli meat, cheeses, pastries and chocolates.

P – Play Russian Games

Experience a bit of Russian fun by introducing your children to these authentic Russian games enjoyed by children in Sochi.

Cossacks and Robbers: Form two equal groups, one representing the Cossacks, the other as robbers. The robbers run and hide while the Cossacks stay behind to guard an area that serves as their camp. Once hidden, all of the Cossacks except one hunt for the robbers. The remaining Cossack guards the camp. When robbers are captured, Cossacks take them to jail at the camp. The game continues until all robbers are captured, with the final robber winning the game.
Wizards: This game is similar to American freeze tag. One child is the wizard, chasing all the others and freezing them when they are touched or tagged. Once frozen, a child may yell for the other children to touch and unfreeze him so he may run again. When the wizard freezes everyone, he wins the game.
P'yanitsa: Similar to the American card game of war. Deal an entire deck of cards evenly to two players, face down. To play, players turn over their top cards, with the highest ranking card collecting both cards into its pile. If players reveal equal cards, those cards remain as each player flips the next card to determine who wins the prize (the highest card collects all four cards, the tie from the previous turn and the new cards, as well). The first player to run out of cards loses the game.

I – Ice Skate

Indoor and outdoor rinks abound in KC! Take a spin on the ice at one of these rinks.Indoor

Ice Sports Arena, 19900 Johnson Dr., Shawnee, KS, 913.441.3033
HCA Midwest Community Ice, 19100 E. Valley View Pkwy., Independence, MO, 816.795.7577
Line Creek Community Center Ice Rink, 5940 NW Waukomis Dr., Kansas City, MO, 816.513.0760

Outdoor

The Ice at Park Place, 11565 Ash St., Leawood, KS
Crown Center Ice Terrace, Crown Center, 2500 Grand Blvd., Kansas City, MO
Linden Square, NE 70th & N. Cherry, Gladstone, MO
The Rink at Burlington Square, 6109 NW 63rd Ter., Kansas City, MO, 816.249.2600

C – Cheer for Local American Olympians

The 2014 Winter Olympics inspires patriotism in all of us. And with athletes from across the nation, we have a great opportunity to root for athletes from our own hometown. Local Olympian Pete Yemm is a bobsledder from Overland Park, KS. He is a champion bobsledder, having won 2012-2013 North American Cup as brakeman for Colin Coughlin in two-man bobsled, and 2012-2013 North American Cup as push athlete for Codie Bascue and Colin Coughlin in four-man bobsled. Other nearby athletes include ice hockey team member Steve Cash, alpine skier Ian Jansing, speed skater Matt Plummer and figure skater Brandon Mroz, all from the St. Louis area.

S – Savor the flavors of Russia

One of the most exquisite historic sites in the area, the 1880 Asbury House, has been transformed into a fine dining restaurant and tea room warranting the nearly hour-long drive from Kansas City. The Belarussian Baker (2010 Shelby, Higginsville, MO, 660.584.5995, open Tue.-Sat., 10:00-8:00), specializes in savory and authentic Russian dishes. Diners enjoy dishes including shashlik (skewered meat), plov (Russian rice pilaf), and pickle soup, schnitzel and Russian honey cake in a relaxed and beautiful Victorian setting with hospitable service.

In researching this article, Kristina Light learned that Bono (KC Parent editor Margaret’s favorite performer) is perhaps the most famous person to have traveled to Sochi prior to this year’s Olympics. To her dismay, Sinatra did not make the list.