With the Winter Olympics just weeks away in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, kindergarteners at Penn Valley kicked off their own pint-sized version of the world’s biggest sporting event! Led by physical education teacher Mr. Corey Luttrell, the Panthers were split into teams of four or five students, each proudly representing a different country.

Teams from the United States, Italy, Japan, Jamaica and Argentina competed in a fun-filled activity inspired by the sport of curling—a game where players slide stones across ice toward a circular target. Instead of stones, students rolled colorful foam balls down an adaptive bowling ramp, cheering each other on as they tried to land their team’s balls closest to the center.

By the end of the competition, based on all the smiles and celebrations, it was clear that everyone walked away a winner—earning “gold medals” in teamwork, sportsmanship and having a whole lot of fun!