Young Athletes in Libraries

Young children and parents sitting around in a circle playing a game.

Special Olympics offers inclusive programming in libraries through Young Athletes a sports skills and play program for children with and without intellectual disabilities ages 2 – 7.

Father and mother playing together with a young child at a park.

Sports Essentials

Let’s Play Together

Young Athletes welcomes children and their families into the world of Special Olympics by showing how all children can be valued for their talents and abilities. Watch this video to see Young Athletes around the globe.

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Young boy crawling through a fabric collapsible tube.

Special Olympics Young Athletes Creates Environments for Inclusive Play

Libraries across the country have implemented Young Athletes on-site. The programming provided by the Young Athletes lessons and curriculum are adaptable for indoor spaces like a library multipurpose room. Learn more here

A young boy and his father playing on a carpeted floor together.

Young Athletes Engagement at Home

Young Athletes can be conducted in the home by parents and caregivers. Libraries can provide these materials to families in partnership with Special Olympics. To learn more about resources that can be checked out of libraries contact Jennifer Hansen at jhansen@specialolympics.org

Resources

Young Athletes Structure in Library Settings

Special Olympics provides lessons, curricula and resources that can be adapted for indoor spaces, like a library multipurpose room, and used to implement eight weekly one-hour sessions.

Young girl looking at a book while her mother holds her and looks over her shoulder.

Unified Young Reader Club Cards

Young Athletes can be used to help develop a child’s love of story time and reading. The Unified Young Reader Club Cards provide suggested titles and activities to wrap up your weekly Young Athletes session with lessons on empathy and inclusion.