The CDC recommends children six and older get 60 minutes or more of physical exercise a day to maintain a healthy lifestyle. (1)
Physical Education in the classroom as defined by the CDC:
• A K 12 academic subject that
provides standards-based curricula
and instruction.
• Part of a well-rounded education.
• Designed to develop the knowledge
and behaviors for physical activity,
physical fitness, and motor skills in (2)
The objective of adding a physical education componet into your homeschool is simply this:
Physical education provides life skills
that encourage students to be active
and fit for life. It has a positive impact
on students’ physical, mental, and
emotional health. (3)
For the Physical and the Educational components, I recommend that you have your young children participate in the activities, and older children participate and read about the rules and history of the activities to increase their knowledge and understanding. Most importantly be active, set an example, and have fun!
20 PE Ideas for your homeschool
- Go on a nature walk around your neighborhood or at a local park. Have them make decorative walking sticks.
- Have your children race each other. Watch videos of past Olympic track events. If you have only one child, have them race themselves, by using a stopwatch, and encouraging them to beat their time running either a 60-yard sprint or a quarter-mile run.
- Sign your children up for a weekly physical class. (gymnastics, karate, basketball, yoga, etc… If a class is out of the question because the current pandemic has made meeting in groups impossible, or perhaps there aren’t any organized sports teams nearby, have your child try a virtual class.
- Skip rope.
- Learn to hula hoop.
- Go for a bike ride.
- Make an obstacle course in your backyard. Watch videos of triathlons.
- Take swimming lessons.
- Have older children train for a half marathon.
- Have fun dancing with your children. Have a dance marathon. Watch ballroom, square, stepping, and Irish dance videos.
- Participate in strength exercises, and keep track of your child’s progress.
- Plant a garden and care for it.
- Play frisbee.
- Create a fun relay race.
- Play catch.
- Play hopscotch
- Have a weekly outing at the putting range, batting cage, basketball court, or football field
- Teach your children to rollerskate and ice skate.
- Join your local YMCA or another child-friendly activity center.
- Take long walks and find hiking trails to take with your children.
The above ideas will encourage your children to nurture an active lifestyle and discover healthy hobbies. Do you have any favorite physical activities to add to this list? We would love to hear them. Comment below.
Teach with love! – Ruth
(1) https://health.gov/sites/default/files/2019-09/paguide.pdf
(2(3) https://www.cdc.gov/healthyschools/physicalactivity/pdf/PE_Data_Brief_CDC_Logo_FINAL_191106.pdf