How to Teach P.E. in Your Homeschool
The requirements – (Good news! There aren’t any!)
With all the other curriculum and requirements for your homeschool to get in subjects and just trying to do the day to day, it’s hard to consider or even think about getting in exercise or P.E. in. For some families it may come easier than others. It depends on your location too. If you live in the country, this “P.E.” requirement may not even cross your mind because everyone is up milking the cows and hauling hay at 5am anyway.
But for some families, living in a suburb or city may influence your decisions or limit what you can do. The good news is that there are no official formal state requirements for P.E. but there are recommendations based on schools so if you are unsure, you can reference the website for guidance.
Just being active in the everyday counts.
Most public schools get maybe 30-45 minutes a day or less of PE so don’t worry if you aren’t able to get in a formal routine or there’s a rainy day. Physical education and overall activity comes in many different forms and can be as informal or formal as you want.
State P.E. Requirements
What does Physical Education really mean?
- Elementary: Play
- Middle School: Health and sports/more organized activities
- Highschool: Health/Fitness and sports/activities
Formal: Extracurriculars/Sports
- A local community team (baseball, soccer, volleyball etc.)
- Taekwondo/Karate/Jiu Jitsu
- Your local homeschool group has teams (a homeschool group to get a team together)
- Boy Scouts/Girl Scouts/4-H Group
- A planned vacation or trip
Informal: The Everyday
- Your backyard
- Learning to ride a bike
- Skateboarding
- Playing catch
- Frisbee
- Soccer net and ball
- Water toys/sprinkler
- Trampoline
- Walking the dog
- Working on the farm (or helping with a neighbor’s farm)
- Swimming at a local pool or YMCA etc.
- Yoga & Stretching
- Create a relay race or obstacle course
Homeschool P.E.: Teach physical wellness through fun activity
For our family, we do a lot of informal activity. We have the kids help us weed the garden, play outside and help mow, go for a walk downtown, play with the neighbors. All of these encourage physical activity without being forced or organized. It can also help with focus for kids and provide a much needed break.
The everyday activity can be easygoing and fun –
Our boys also have class two times a week for taekwondo which they enjoy and they can practice for even 15 minutes a day outside of class to stay active. Stretching or yoga, going to the pool at the local center also provides activity. Financial issues or not, physical activity can be easily accomplished.
When it comes to homeschool physical education, the choice is yours. Like everything else in homeschool, it can be as formal or informal as you want. The flexibility is what makes it so much more rewarding because you can adapt your homeschool expectations and internal goals within your own parameters and schedule.
We have some friends who homeschool and they are at practices or games a lot, which keeps them active. We know others that meet at the park once a week for their children to explore and play with other homeschool friends. The options are endless. The overall goal is to teach your child or children that movement, activity and physical wellness will keep them healthy and happy throughout their growth. That is the most valuable “lesson” and skill you can teach your child – to be healthy and happy.