Educator, Coach, Life Strategist
Products and programs for teaching physical education / fitness at home (inclusion does not imply endorsement):
Ultimate Homeschool Physical Education Game Book
Let’s Move – U.S. government web site
4-H Health, Nutrition and Fitness
Physical Fitness for Homeschool, Classrooms and Recreation Settings
Additional links of interest:
High school athletic associations
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When it comes to finding support and information, today’s homeschoolers have many options. Email lists, statewide membership groups and national information networks are just a few of the ways that modern homeschoolers manage to stay informed.
But there is another way, a sometimes under-appreciated form of homeschool support, available right in our own backyards. It’s called the “Park Day” and it takes place in just about every city and town across the nation.
Homeschooler park days are just about the simplest activity you’ll ever find — someone announces a date/time, and everyone else shows up at the same park or playground. You can’t get any easier than that! The low-key atmosphere and neutral location make an excellent backdrop for children to get exercise, make friends, and play sports or games requiring more kids than are usually available back at home.
Learning happens in the park, too — just watch a group of kids playing chess or hunting for insects! And as a side bonus, park days offer homeschooled kids the chance to see lots of other kids just like them, the feeling of being part of a larger group, and the ability to see themselves as nothing short of absolutely normal (just in case they didn’t).
And if that isn’t enough, park days have added-value, too. Because while children are hanging out and getting fresh air, homeschool moms and dads can get together, too. The exchange of ideas and information that takes place at park days can be invaluable, and the connections formed create a kind of network — sometimes even a life-line – for parents who need it, too. Many a new homeschool parent has learned state laws, where to buy materials, and where all of the best places to visit are located, just by attending a park day. And veteran homeschoolers benefit by having the opportunity to share what they have learned, reconnecting with old friends and making new ones, too.
Few things in life are such a win-win as the homeschooler park day. See if you can find one in your community!
(No park days where you live? Set some up by posting announcements at your local park, library and online community calendar. Spread the word among friends and neighbors, too. It may take a month or two, but it’ll happen!)
Image: Free Digital
Unless state laws have specific requirements (check your laws HERE) physical education for homeschoolers is an area that is completely up to the parent. Although some families may do it differently from others, most seem to agree that physical fitness is essential to healthy child development and should be included in the educational curriculum.
Homeschool families typically handle physical education (P.E.) in 1 of 2 ways. They either:
(1) award credit for physical activities that are already a part of a child’s regular day; or
(2) assign additional physical activities above and beyond the level of normal activity.
Look at each option in more detail:
Awarding credit for physical activities that are already part of the child’s day
This method is based on the philosophy that, as long as children are already relatively active, this constitutes enough physical education for homeschool credit. That is, if children do things like swimming in the family pool, walking the dogs or riding bikes on weekends, no additional P.E. is necessary. For these families, checking off P.E. hours is easy, as long as the physical activities occur on a fairly regular basis and meet whatever general guidelines the parents have set for the children.
Assigning additional physical activities above and beyond a child’s normal level of activity
This system operates on the notion that additional physical fitness activities, requiring more than the usual level of exertion, that improve a child’s level of physical fitness, are required before P.E. credit can be awarded. Families using these guidelines might require children to learn new outdoor games, play team or individual sports, join a homeschool P.E. coop program, use equipment to improve muscle tone, learn a new exercise program, or anything else that enhances physical fitness above the level at which it began. This practice may also yield some kind of measurable results, if families choose to track them as well.
When physical education is defined to also include a health/wellness component, this must be considered, too. Because so many activities contribute to health and wellness, parents will need to judge what is acceptable to them. Examples could include, but are not limited to: healthy cooking at home, organic gardening, learning about homeopathy, studying government nutritional guidelines, practicing yoga or meditation, or anything else parents deem worthy of school credit. For parents requiring an even higher level of fitness and understanding, establishing a total personal and nutritional fitness program can be designed, complete with daily requirements, periodic measurements and assessments at the end. Even a supervised weight loss program, if one has been recommended by a health practitioner, can be used as a P.E. program.
To learn more about P.E. for homeschoolers, start with these links and then find others on your own:
President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition
National Association for Sport and Physical Education
Horizons Physical Education Curriculum
Homeschool Family Fitness Book
The Ultimate Homeschool Physical Education Game Book
Choose My Plate (formerly the government nutrition pyramid)
National Alliance for Youth Sports