Are your kids meeting their Physical Education requirements? Requirements vary by state so begin by researching what is required for your state. Not sure what to do for P.E.? Here are some starter tips.
*Check with your local YMCA for Homeschool P.E. classes
*Check with your homeschool support group to see if there are vendors, parents or co-ops that offer classes. If not, start one!
*Call your local gyms to see if they would be interested in offering a class.
*Does your kid already take dance, karate or play a sport? Check with your state requirements to see if that would be acceptable as P.E.
*No classes to be found! Exercise together! Take a walk, go jogging, or do an exercise video together.
* If you have a stationary bike, let them do their reading assignment while riding.
*Buy an inexpensive volleyball net and go outside and play as a family.
*Make a co-op out of it and go to a park or a backyard and play games like baseball, whiffle ball, kickball, or dodgeball.
*If it’s raining or snowing outside, see if you can use a church’s multi-purpose room or large classroom for your co-op. Check to see if they have indoor basketball.
*Try doing a different sport every month.
*Got teens? What about weight lifting? With most teens, it’s all about their friends. Invite their friends over and have them do it together.
*Use Dance Dance Revolution or how about Wii games?
*Check with your local middle school or high school and find out if you can use their track that runs around the football field or their tennis courts.
Try anything to get your kids moving and yourself with them. And mix it up so it doesn’t get stale. It doesn’t have to be extremely planned out, and elaborate, just go play. But what if you’re not great at sports or you don’t know how to play? Kids really don’t care about how well you can play, matter of fact, they probably won’t even look at it as P.E., just fun time with mom, dad or their friends. As far as not knowing a sport well enough to teach it, bring in a friend that does, or sign them up at their local rec. dept. for that sport. We have a neat place in our town called Kidsports, they offer homeschool P.E. classes. Each month they take a different sport and break the sport down and teach the kids, then they all play that sport for the month. It’s a really great way to learn. And you don’t have to teach it!
Exercise for children and teens is becoming increasingly more important every year. P.E. may not seem very important, but it is. It helps kids concentrate better, and helps them to burn energy, which helps them to focus. It helps with motor coordination and helps them with their confidence and social skills. And don’t forget about your teens! P.E. is just as important for them as it is younger children. This is building lifelong habits, that will hopefully keep them on the road to fitness all of their life.
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