If you are like most of us, homeschooling parents, you worry whether what you do for your children is sufficient. Are they learning what they need to know? Are they progressing as they should? Am I teaching them well enough? You make your academic curriculum plans and schedules, sit back and wonder: Now, what about PE?
Teaching physical education in homeschool can be both fun and daunting. It depends how one approaches it. The beauty is that it is extremely flexible. So how should you plan your PE classes?
The first important thing to teaching PE in homeschool is to consult your state’s homeschooling laws. Are you required to officially teach PE? If yes, are there any specific guidelines? In most states, physical education can take various facets and vary throughout the years or even during one school year. Let us explore some of these options.
7 Ways to Teach Physical Education in Homeschool
- Play: The main thought behind PE in homeschool is that the children would have the opportunity to move, burn their energy and achieve physical fitness. When they are little, running in the back yard, squatting to pick up flowers and splashing in the pool is very beneficial to their physical development.
- Common family physical activities: There are plenty of activities that many times families do together. For example, riding a bike, swimming, hiking, etc. These not only provide PE activities for your children but also give the entire family and/or friends opportunity to spend time together.
- Back yard ball games: When my son was little, we would often play baseball or soccer in our back yard. Makeshift goals and plates were our friends. If you have more children in your family, you can have them play ballgames while you work on your dinner and still count it as “school class.”
- Structured classes: There are a number of programs on the market (for example, Family Time Fitness) that provide you with a structured PE classes for your homeschool environment. The advantage of these classes is that they incorporate specific exercises that help strengthen and develop the whole body. They teach balance, spatial awareness, etc. and they are fun too.
- Externally organized programs: Many homeschool co-ops as well as other organizations offer PE classes. Co-ops usually organize general PE, while specific organizations provide their own specific classes. For example, we often participated in swimming and soccer lessons and counted them as PE.
- Sports: Some states offer their school sports program to homeschool children while other states prohibit it. However, even if your child is not allowed in the school’s sports, look around in your area to see what is available elsewhere. If there is a swimming pool close by, there will be not only swimming lessons but also competitive swimming opportunities. The same pertains to other sports like baseball, golf, etc.
- Weight lifting: Once your child reaches about 16 years of age, they can start weight lifting in your local gym. Many gym establishments offer personalized programs which help individuals to achieve their muscle/strength goals. These programs should always be combined with cardio exercises.
In Closing on Physical Education in Homeschool
One of our close family friends has just reached his 90th birthday. He is extremely fit (not only for his age) and mentally sharp. Once asked when he started exercising in his life, his answer was, “Well, I never stopped.” What a profound statement!
What should we learn from this amazing ninety year old for our homeschool? Let’s teach our children to incorporate physical exercise in their daily routine. When it becomes a second nature to them, just like brushing their teeth, they will grow up as healthy and strong individuals who will have enough energy to fulfill the calling upon their lives.
