Try Winter Olympic Sports at These Seattle-Area Spots (or Even at Home)

I’ve seen my kids’ eyes grow wide and jaws start to drop as they watch Winter Olympic athletes fly down mountains and spin across the ice. With the 2026 Winter Olympics set to start on Feb. 6 in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, I want to harness that excitement and get them up and moving. But diving into an Olympic sport can feel like a lot (think: expensive equipment and time to dedicate). And what if they don’t like it?

Good news! Many Winter Olympic sports are more accessible than they look, and can be tried through one-day programs or beginner lessons, no expensive gear or elite ambitions required. From ice rinks, sledding hills and sports clubs in Greater Seattle to simple games kids can play at home, I’ve rounded up countless ways for kids to explore some of the 2026 Winter Olympic games at their own pace.

Let the games begin!

Ice hockey

Ice hockey draws fans of all ages in with its speed and nonstop intensity, making it one of the most thrilling sports to watch during the Winter Olympics. The lightning-fast skating, passing and constant motion keeps games engaging for kids from start to finish. In the Pacific Northwest, hockey’s popularity has skyrocketed thanks to the rise of the Seattle Kraken and Torrent. And with six of our Seattle players on Olympic teams (four Torrent players are on the U.S. Olympic team and two Kraken players will be playing for Finland) we’ve got plenty of reasons to tune in and cheer.

Where to try it

Sno-King Ice Arenas offer regular Try Hockey Free events at their various locations where kids ages 4–17 can try ice hockey, no previous skating or hockey experience needed. These fun events tend to fill up quickly, so find an upcoming date and register soon. You can also attend a Try Hockey for Free event at Olympic View Arena in Mountlake Terrace, Angel of the Winds Arena in Everett or the Bremerton Ice Center in Bremerton.

If you want to watch a game IRL before hitting the ice yourself, you’ve got several options. Catch a professional Kraken or Torrent game in Seattle, or cheer on the Everett Silvertips (a popular junior ice hockey team competing in the Western Hockey League) at the Angels of the Winds Arena in Everett.

How to play at home

If you’ve got little ones, try this fun idea for lid hockey from Toddler Approved. All you need is a little baking soda, water and some plastic lids and you’re all set for some fast-moving fun.

If our temps ever dip below freezing, this at-home hockey rink would be a fun activity for slightly older kids. You’ll need to freeze water outdoors in a long plastic tub, then let the kids act out their Olympic dreams as they whack small objects into the nets.

If you have wood floors, you can always push the furniture aside, set up some laundry baskets as nets and hit a soft ball back and forth using brooms as you slide around in socks. Be careful on the slippery floor, and no high-sticking!

Figure skating

Figure skating is one of the most popular sports in the Winter Olympics, and the athletes themselves often cross over into pop culture and inspire movies, show up in music videos and even star in cartoon songs. Figure skating’s blend of athleticism, artistry and high-stakes performance make it exciting to watch, and even more fun to try!

Where to try it

We’ve got plenty of ice-skating rinks in the Seattle-area where kids can try gliding around on the ice. Head to your local rink during open skate time to give this fun sport a try. You can rent skates at the rink (usually for an additional price), and consider bundling up and wearing gloves, it gets chilly on the ice! Check the calendar of the ice rink near you, as some have special events or deals — for example, the second Friday of each month is Community Access Skate Night at Angels of the Winds Arena in Everett, where kids age 18 and younger can skate for free.

Try it at home

Can you nail a triple axel? How about a twizzle or death spiral? Brush up on your figure skating vocab, then have your kids work together to create an at-home routine set to their favorite song. They can spin, leap and twirl through the living room (but leave the death spirals to the professionals).

Skiing and snowboarding

Here in the Pacific Northwest we have plenty of places to ski and snowboard right in our own backyard, making these fast and fun winter sports familiar to many, and inspiring families who spend weekends on local slopes to tune in and cheer. Anyone who has ever strapped on skis or a snowboard and hurled themselves down a snow-covered mountain can deeply appreciate the precision and courage these sports demand.

Where to try it

We are lucky to live within an easy drive of lots of great skiing and options, downhill or cross-country. Snoqualmie Pass, Stevens Pass and Crystal Mountain are popular skiing and snowboarding locations that are an easy drive from the Seattle-area and offer lessons for beginners.

It’s no secret that skiing is an expensive pastime. Between all the gear, driving to a mountain and lift tickets, you are looking at one expensive family outing! But, there are ways to make it (more) affordable. If you’ve got the time, consider driving a little farther from the Seattle area. At White Pass kids younger than 17 qualify for a junior lift ticket price, and at Loup Loup Ski Bowl kids 15 and younger ski for free! Echo Valley Ski & Tubing Area located near Lake Chelan is a non-profit ski resort where you can pick up a full-day lift ticket for $40.

If skiing or snowboarding is outside your budget, or a little too scary, give snow tubing a try! You won’t need any special gear (beyond standard snow-play clothing) and you can even rent a tube at most official tubing sights. Kids will have a blast in the snow, and your budget will be happy too.

Try it at home

When the weather cooperates you can always head to a local hill for a little snow-sliding fun on skis, sleds or tubes. But you don’t have to rely on Mother Nature for at-home skiing fun. If you have some cardboard and empty soda bottles in your recycling bin, your kids can craft their own skis to glide around the house. Grab some painters tape and mark off an indoor course and see who can get the fastest time.

If your kids are fascinated by ski jumping, the National Nordic Museum has a great DIY project. With a few basic materials you can make a paper ski jumper that will fly through the air, just like the pros.

Curling

Curling has a way of winning over Olympic viewers of all ages with its mix of strategy, teamwork and surprising suspense. Tune in, and you’ll soon discover that what looks slow-paced is really a gripping mental match on ice. Each carefully planned throw and frantic sweep can shift the outcome, making matches easy to follow and fun to watch, even for first-time fans.

Where to try it

The Granite Curling Club in North Seattle offers Learn to Curl classes for people ages 7 and older, you can sign up online. If your kids get hooked, they can join the Junior League at this inclusive club. And be sure to cheer loudly when you watch the Olympics in February — two GCC alumni (Luc Violette and Ben Richardson) are on Team Casper and will be competing in Milano Cortina!

Try it at home

If you have hardwood floors you can set up a quick curling rink with a little painter’s tape. Simply mark the rings, find some slidable items (poker chips, cups, soft toys, etc.) and you’re in business! If you want to add the fun sweeping element, push your furniture aside, tape out a larger rink and let the kids slide and sweep all afternoon (you might want to brush up on your curling basics first).

Biathlon

Participants in a biathlon cross-country ski in loops while occasionally stopping to shoot at targets with a rifle. It requires incredible athleticism and the ability to access calm focus, since missed shots can result in penalty loops or time additions. The biathlon originated from 18th-century Norwegian military exercises and has been included in the Olympics since 1960 (though women were not allowed to compete in the Olympic biathlon until 1992).

Where to try it

Methow Valley and their Try Biathlon events for skiers ages 9 and older is pretty much the only local option for an official biathlon experience.

Try it at home

You can create your own biathlon event at home in many ways. Set up a course outside where kids can run around the house, crawl through or under obstacles and stop periodically to hit a target with a Nerf gun, water squirter or a ball. Get the whole neighborhood involved and set up a larger, multi-yard course and host your own local Olympics! If the weather won’t cooperate, you can create a smaller course inside your house, with stations set up for kids to test their aim with soft balls, or other projectiles you don’t mind flying across your living room.

Trying a Winter Olympic sport doesn’t require elite training. All kids need is a sense of play, a willingness to try and a family ready to cheer them on.