By Taylor McKnight
While many homeschool parents focus on the specific curriculum that students must master in order to do well in school, many leave out an essential part of the day: physical education. Implementing physical education into your homeschool program benefits your students’ health and can help them build lifelong healthy habits.
Why Physical Education is Important for Homeschoolers
Many know that physical exercise has many physical and mental benefits. Just 60 minutes of daily activity can improve anxiety and depression, lower the risk of heart disease, improve focus, and boost energy.
However, physical education isn’t always given priority in homeschool education programs.
In addition to these benefits, homeschoolers have a unique advantage with at-home PE. Parents who implement physical education can show their children how to incorporate activity and exercise into their daily lives, building life-long, healthy habits!
Ways To Implement Physical Education into a Homeschool Program
The best part of homeschool PE is that it doesn’t have to be traditional! While there are traditional programs you can follow, you can find fun ways to incorporate physical activity around your home and neighborhood that align with your child’s interests:
- Swimming: You can play pool games with younger kids, like ring diving and races. Older children can practice specific swimming techniques or diving.
- Biking: Biking is a great way to get some energy out while taking in the views of a pretty day. For younger children, you can also use this to teach them about traffic safety, showing them how to travel around safely.
- Dancing: Dance breaks are a great way to move around without feeling like it is exercise. Kids and teens will love to pick their favorite songs and move to the beat!
- Hiking: Besides physical exercise, hiking is a great way to explore while learning about nature and science.
To successfully implement a PE program, you must stay consistent and help your student understand the importance of physical activity. Incorporating health and wellness education and structure into your PE program will give them the knowledge and tools they need to build the habit of regular exercise.
Other Ways for Homeschoolers to Be Active
In addition to at-home education, there are other ways that you can promote physical activity:
- Enroll your student in organized sports programs: Whether it is an individual sport such as swimming or a team sport like baseball, giving your child a structured activity with socialization will promote a fun way to exercise with their friends.
- Encourage outdoor hobbies: Encouraging outdoor hobbies such as bird watching, geocaching, running, or photography can help your child be active while working on their passions.
- Buy them active video games: Video games often get a bad reputation for encouraging a sedentary lifestyle. However, several game systems nowadays force you to move around to play the game. These are great indoor activities that allow them to exercise while having fun and can be a great source of family bonding.
Taylor McKnight is an author for Royal Swimming Pools