Best Homeschool P.E. Tips to Instill A Lifelong Love of Fitness
Just so you know, this post contains affiliate links. That means if you use them to make a purchase, I may earn a commission. You can read my full affiliate disclosure HERE.
Something I have never heard another homeschool mom say: “I am so excited about our Homeschool P.E. curriculum this year!”
Homeschool P.E.? It’s not something that seems to come up much, because we don’t often plan for it. We can just…wing it, right?
Kids riding bikes with friends…it’s P.E.! Swimming at the pool…there’s our P.E. time. Playing at the playground…P.E., check!
We homeschool in Missouri, and I have to log instructional hours for our homeschool records. For P.E., this means I can’t just record any time my kids happen to be running around outside; it needs to be an activity in which they are being taught or trained. When I look at those hours compared to any other subject in our homeschool, you can definitely tell we are lacking.
Which is kind of crazy to me. You see, I’ve been a group fitness instructor for almost 20 years. I love teaching others how and why to enjoy the benefits of a healthy lifestyle.
But I haven’t been intentional about teaching that to my kids, amidst all of the reading, writing, and math. And as much as I want them to grow up loving to exercise and take care of their health, that won’t just “happen” if I don’t give them the tools, resources, and opportunities to understand the importance of fitness and begin creating good habits.
That’s where I think creating a good plan for homeschool P.E. comes in. And I want to share with you just a couple of easy, actionable things you can do to make this a fun part of your homeschool this year.
Why Should I Teach Homeschool P.E.?
For starters, your state may require you to teach it, especially as your kids get older. But even if “Homeschool P.E.” is not on the list of mandated subjects, that doesn’t mean it should be off the table.
It may not always be regarded as important as math, reading, and writing, but the benefits of physical activity can not be ignored. Not only does exercise release endorphins and help our kids just feel good, there are many other skills our kids pick up through regular exercise that improve brain development and consequently, can improve academic achievement.
In actively making P.E. a part of your homeschool curriculum, you can teach your kids how and why to be active, and help give them a love of fitness!
…RELATED POST…
6 Ways to Help Your Kids Create Good Habits
In so much of what we do as homeschool moms, we want our kids to truly develop a love of and joy for learning. When it comes to their health and fitness, why should it be any different?
Get Your Kids Excited About Homeschool P.E.
Fortunately, there are many ways you can encourage your kids to be active, and make it fun along the way.
Here are my best tips for how you can use “homeschool P.E.” to help your kids develop a lifetime love of health and fitness.
1. Explain Your “Why”
No matter what curriculum you decide to use, or what you choose to do for P.E., it’s important to help your kids understand they “why” behind what you are teaching them.
This might look different for each family. Maybe you have a family history of heart disease and you want to teach your kids how to live a healthy lifestyle to counteract that. Maybe you are huge fans of a certain sport, and want to learn more about it together.
For our family, everything else we teach comes from and supports our biblical worldview – and P.E. should be no different! Why do we learn how to exercise, eat healthy, and take care of our bodies? Because they are temples of the Holy Spirit. God has blessed us with these bodies to take care of, and we honor Him when we do so.
When we are healthy and strong, we can better serve and care for others, and be the hands and feet of Jesus.
Whatever your personal reason for incorporating anything into your homeschool may be – know what it is, and explain it to your kids. Having a reason and purpose behind what they are learning can be a great motivator they will carry throughout their lives!
2. Exercise With Your Kids
Especially if they don’t like to exercise, finding something you can do and enjoy together might help give them that extra “push”.
Plus, it sets a good example. What your kids see you doing will shape their own actions and behaviors. So if you are telling them exercising each day is important – you should be willing to put your money where your mouth is!
If you have a specific exercise routine you follow, let your kids join in when possible. My girls love to join me on short runs around the block, and those are great teachable moments.
If your kids are old enough, bring them to the gym with you and let them learn from a trainer or group exercise instructor (taking classes with my mom when I was in high school sparked that love for me!).
Learn about proper cycling techniques and muscle activation and go for a bike ride together. Learn about the sport of speed walking, then go try it out one evening.
Get moving together, use those teachable moments when you can to get the most out of it, and make it fun!
3. Use an Online P.E. Curriculum
A video curriculum for P.E.? Has the thought ever crossed your mind?
I use an on-demand fitness program regularly, but honestly never considered using an online P.E. curriculum in our homeschool.
But there are many knowledgeable, motivating instructors and programs available that can engage your kids and help instill that love of fitness. Especially if you aren’t as confident in teaching P.E., finding a good online curriculum can take the pressure off.
One program we have really enjoyed trying out is Mr. D Math Training Like An Olympic Runner.
When I first learned about this course, I was really curious to see how running would be “taught” online. As a long-time runner myself, I was excited to see what a great option this is for homeschoolers to learn the discipline and techniques involved in running.
This online, self-paced course includes 32 weeks of material (one lesson per week), and is perfect for kids in grades 6-12. That being said, you could totally get the entire family involved in this course and include younger students as well.
Training Like An Olympic Runner has a great balance of instruction and practical application. Led by international sprint coach Jason Bean and other world class coaches, your kids will be excited to learn new training techniques and drills each week, and put them into practice.
Even if your kids don’t want to be a “runner”, I would still recommend this course. Believe it or not, there is so much more to being a good runner besides just running. Your kids will not only earn their homeschool P.E. credit and improve their physical fitness, but the information they’ll learn about training and body systems will help them in other sports or fun fitness endeavors.
Running is something almost everyone can do ! Unlike many other team sports, running is a discipline many adults do to maintain their health & wellbeing. Your kids will use what they learn from this course to create a good foundation for a lifetime of fitness.
4. Use Tech Gadgets to Motivate
In addition to an online curriculum, there are other fun ways you can include technology to make homeschool P.E. more engaging and interesting for your kids.
Techie Homeschool Mom shares some thoughts on how to use game consoles like the Nintendo Wii in your homeschool P.E. curriculum.
You can pick up a decent priced, kid-friendly heart rate monitor to encourage your kids to stay active. Many monitors nowadays will even track sleep, number of steps, calories burned, distance traveled, and give reminders to move and drink water. Lots of good learning opportunities there!
amzn_assoc_placement = “adunit0”; amzn_assoc_search_bar = “true”; amzn_assoc_tracking_id = “homeschoolsty-20”; amzn_assoc_ad_mode = “manual”; amzn_assoc_ad_type = “smart”; amzn_assoc_marketplace = “amazon”; amzn_assoc_region = “US”; amzn_assoc_title = “Favorite Fitness Watches for Kids”; amzn_assoc_linkid = “5611f2c36c3a5b70caabcb49647ba4b1”; amzn_assoc_asins = “B07YBGB6BR,B07PDBH8GZ,B08JX26GF7,B097MHY9WV”;You can even download apps to help you encourage the entire family to move. Here’s a list of some of the best apps to keep kids active.
5. Local co-op classes
Do you belong to a homeschool co-op? Many of them will offer a P.E.-type class, but if yours doesn’t…start one!
The other year I taught a Track & Field class at our co-op and we had so much fun. We learned about one different track & field event each week, and also trained for a local 5k together. Not only did the kids learn about track & field, but they learned teamwork, perseverance, and comradery.
You don’t have to be an expert in the events to teach a class like this. There are so many resources and lesson plans online to use, for almost any class you want to teach.
For example, if your co-op has a SchoolhouseTeachers.com co-op membership, you’ll find a wide variety of ready-made homeschool health and fitness curriculum available that you can use with your group.
6. Organized sports
If your kids are passionate about any particular sport, don’t forget that this can count for homeschool P.E. credit as well.
Whether it’s soccer, gymnastics, dance, or basketball, playing on a team can be a very rewarding experience. You’ll most likely find a local community program for almost any sport, or check into your closest YMCA.
To help encourage your kids even further, take the sports they love and plan other ways to incorporate that interest into your homeschooling. You can learn about the history of the sport, different drills and techniques, proper nutrition, or research biographies of famous players.
amzn_assoc_placement = “adunit0”; amzn_assoc_search_bar = “true”; amzn_assoc_tracking_id = “homeschoolsty-20”; amzn_assoc_ad_mode = “manual”; amzn_assoc_ad_type = “smart”; amzn_assoc_marketplace = “amazon”; amzn_assoc_region = “US”; amzn_assoc_title = “Homeschool P.E. Helps”; amzn_assoc_linkid = “5fb017a8b40736c44a4d3427dfef6336”; amzn_assoc_asins = “0966972740,1578262747,0897936191,1622230094”;These are just a few ways you can be intentional about finding ways to not only make homeschool P.E. fun, but using it as a launch pad for a lifetime of good health and fitness choices.
Do you intentionally plan for Homeschool P.E.? What are some of your best tips or resources? Share in the comments below!
Related Posts
- 6 Ways to Help Your Kids Create Good Habits
- 10 Reasons Homeschooling is Better with SchoolhouseTeachers.com
- Homeschool Planners That Will Help Keep You Organized
Blessed Homeschool is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. You can read my full affiliate disclosure HERE.
