SPORTY tots celebrated Team GB's success in Rio by taking part in a mini Olympics event in a Barrow nursery playground.

Children from the Old Vicarage Nursery in Hartington Street, took part in a range of sporting events including gymnastics, tennis and even a classic egg and spoon race to celebrate the Rio Olympics which came to an end yesterday.

Ulverston hockey player Rachel Smith, who has been a teacher at the nursery for 12 years, came up with the idea after it became a hot topic of conversation among the children at the nursery.

She said: "Quite a few of the kids came in to nursery having seen the Olympics on the TV so we thought that we would put something together for them.

"It was great to see them all take part and it was especially nice to see some of the shyer children get involved too.

"It can be quite hard for those who find it difficult to make friends to get to grips with teamwork but I have seen some of the kids really come out of their shells today and it was lovely to see the children cheer for all of their classmates in every sport we did."

In the build-up to the sports day, children also explored the colourful culture of the South American country by tasting exotic tropical fruit and drink as well as Brazilian noodles.

They also made their own Olympic-style headbands and mascots as well as replica gold medals which were all presented to the children on the podium after each event.

Miss Smith added: "Everyone today was a winner and they all got a gold medal for their efforts. It's vital to make the children aware of the importance of having healthy lifestyles as well as getting involved and being part of a team."

All of the children were put through their paces on the day as their sporting prowess was put to the test in a number of different events.

Thanks to equipment lent from Ulverston Hockey Club, the three to four-year-olds completed dribbling and passing exercises as well as an all-or-nothing penalty shootout which saw many fire past a helpless Miss Smith in goal.

They also challenged their strength with a weightlifting competition and tested out their stamina and endurance with a series of running races.

Gayle Cooke, who is the manager of the nursery, welcomed the decision to do an Olympics event and get the children in the Rio spirit.

She said: "It's great for children to learn about different heritages and cultures and to have a go at sports that they might not usually get the chance to get involved with.

"We always try and get them out of the classroom as much as we can because there is so much that they can learn from being outdoors.

"We've got a great bunch of kids here and this group will unfortunately be leaving us in September so this will hopefully create some lovely memories for them."

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