The International Children's Games (ICG) is an International Olympic Committee-sanctioned event held every year where children from cities around the world and between the ages of 12 and 15 participate in a variety of sports and cultural activities.
History
The Slovenian sports instructor Metod Klemenc founded the International Children's Games in 1968 with the aim of promoting peace and friendship through sports to the world's youth. He organised the first International Children's Games and Cultural Festival in 1968 in Yugoslavia with the participation of teams from nine European cities.
Since that time, 37,000 children aged 12 to 15 have been in competition at 47 Summer Games and 6 Winter Games. 411 different cities, 86 countries and all 5 continents have participated. The International Children's Games and Cultural Festival has become the world's largest international multi-sport youth games, and is a recognised member of the International Olympic Committee since 1990.
1,600 boys and girls between the ages of 12 and 15 from 70 cities in 37 countries participate in this competition every year.
The most recent edition of the International Children's Games was held in León, Mexico from July 15–20, 2024.
Editions Source: Summer Games Games Year Host city Host nation Nations Sports Ref1 1968 Celje 7 1 2 1970 Udine 5 2 3 1972 Graz 4 1974 Murska Sobota 5 1974 Darmstadt 6 1976 Murska Sobota 7 1976 Geneva 8 1978 Ravne na Koroškem 9 1980 Lausanne 10 1982 Darmstadt 10 311 1983 Troyes 6 412 1983 Murska Sobota 4 313 1984 Geneva 11 414 1985 Granollers 7 415 1986 Lausanne 6 416 1987 Graz 16 417 1988 Szombathely 13 418 1989 Andorra 12 419 1990 Uzhhorod 17 420 1991 Bratislava 9 321 1992 Geneva 13 322 1993 Darmstadt 17 323 1994 Hamilton, Ontario 22 324 1994 Slovenj Gradec 5 325 1995 Celje 5 326 1996 Sopron 12 327 1997 Sparta 20 328 1998 Logroño 23 329 1999 Mediaș 13 330 1999 Velenje 5 331 1999 Český Krumlov 32 2000 Hamilton 26 933 2001 Szombathely 25 534 2002 Płock 27 335 2002 Taipei 36 2003 Graz 29 737 2003 Patras 19 638 2004 Cleveland 53 1039 2005 Coventry 33 540 2006 Bangkok 38 1041 2007 Reykjavík 36 742 2008 San Francisco 45 843 2009 Athens 37 744 2010 Manama 33 845 2011 Lanarkshire 34 946 2012 Daegu 35 747 2013 Windsor, Ontario 34 848 2014 Lake Macquarie 32 849 2015 Alkmaar 36 950 2016 New Taipei 51 2017 Kaunas 36 852 2018 Jerusalem 29 853 2019 Ufa 29 954 2022 Coventry 755 2023 Daegu 856 2024 León 757 2025 Tallinn 29 7 https://icg.tallinn.ee/en58 2026 Hualien 592027Olympia and Elis602028Hamilton
Winter Games Games Year Host city Host nation Nations Sports Ref1 1994 Ravne na Koroškem 2 1995 Prakovce and Helcmanovce 3 1999 Maribor 4 2009 Montreux and Vevey 5 2011 Kelowna 6 2013 Ufa 7 2016 Innsbruck 8 2019 Lake Placid 9 2023 (cancelled) Pyeongchang 102029 Srinagar and Gulmarg
Regional Games Pan-American Children's Games Games Year Host city Host nation Nations Sports Ref1 2027 Miami Asia-Pacific Children's Games Games Year Host city Host nation Nations Sports Ref1 2027 Kaohsiung
See also Youth Olympic Games (ages 15–18)
References
External links Official International Children's Games website New Taipeh International Children's Games 2016 Inssbruch International Children's Winter Games 2016 Alkmaar International Children's Games 2015 Lake Macquarie International Children's Games 2014 Ufa International Children's Winter Games 2013 Windsor-Essex International Children's Games 2013 Lanarkshire International Children's Games 2011 (archived) Kelowna International Children's Winter Games 2011 Athens International Children's Games 2009