Physical Education for Homeschooled Kids: 8 Ways to Implement It4 min read

Are you too concerned about your kid’s physical health? Well, then you are not alone in this! Most of the parents have similar concerns and would like to include physical education for their homeschooled children.

One golden statement to this question is that if your little one is indulged in any physical activity, then s/he is engaged in PE.

This becomes easy for kids who are already a part of any organized sports team.

Now you may say that almost every kid in the U.S. participates in a competitive sport, but that is simply not the case.

For the rest of the kids, a combination of creativity and diligence will ensure that you incorporate physical education into your Homeschool.

8 Ideas for Physical Education for Homeschooled Kids

Playground/backyard games

At first, younger children don’t have any idea how to play kickball. They start by playing some traditional physical education class games such as kickball, badminton, hopscotch, jump rope, Frisbee, even tag. But for knowing the exact set of rules, it is very important to learn the basics of the game first.

Can’t remember the rules? Check out Games Kids Play for a list of hundreds of such games. Some are tricky with just a parent and child, but homeschoolers are all about flexibility, right?

Home Workout

Put together a list of cardio and strength training exercises and go through these 2-3 times/week.

Also, it is very important to do internet research for “home cardio training”. Choose 10 or so exercises and do them three times each. Make it a habit to let your kids exercise for at least 40 minutes on a daily basis.

You don’t have to be a fitness instructor to put together a plan!

Apps to Gamify Exercise

Mobile phone apps are a great way to make an adventure out of exercise. If you stick with the program, you and your kids will up your physical activity without ever getting bored.

Apps like Couch to 5k, Pokemon Go, and Zombies Run are great to help gamify your exercise experience and make it more fun.

Walking

Going outside for a 15-minute walk is probably the easiest form of exercise. Kids must be enrolled in any such activity which involves walking as much as possible.

Walks are a terrific way to clear one’s head in the middle of a tough algebra day, too!

Biking

Send your kids outside for a bike break in the middle of the school day—a 15-minute bike ride is a great way to get some focus.

When you have more time and a way to transport your bikes if necessary, plan an afternoon excursion once a month or so.

Health Club Membership

Obviously the priciest option, but if you can swing this, teens will love it. Look for a family-friendly center.

Another option might be your city’s Parks and Rec program or YMCA, both of which often offer a variety of opportunities.

Individual Sports

It is quite common to note that most societies focus a lot on team sports but not so much on individual sports, like golf, tennis, fencing, swimming, figure skating, skiing, etc.

You could try a semester’s worth of lessons to see if your child enjoys one of these sports or just for the experience of trying something new.

Keep Track of Your Exercise Sessions

Every state has its own requirements for physical education for high school. It is easy to meet the state’s requirements, but our goal is to make physical education a regular part of your lives and not just any random short-term program to meet a requirement.

Keep in Mind…

Make physical education intentional. Plan out a schedule for the week so that you and your kids are doing at least 30 minutes for at least 4 days per week.

Just make sure to include plenty of variety in your physical education program. Remember, if you make it fun and do it along with your kids, chances are you will be instilling a lifelong habit.

In this day age, such habits are more essential than ever when most of our time is spent staring at screens. Physical education is just one way to keep your kids’ minds and bodies healthy.