If you have been reading my series on homeschool P.E., you have checked your states requirements to see if P.E. is required in your homeschooling program. You also have ideas on how to provide and prove P.E in your child’s homeschooling program. If you still feel uncomfortable creating a physical education program for your children, here are some resources that you can use.
The President’s Challenge: As a Homeschooler you are eligible to participate in the President’s Challenge is a program for encouraging students to make staying active part of their everyday lives. You can access this program online, and you need not be a qualified instructor in order to guide and award your child through this program. “The President’s Challenge includes the Active Lifestyle program, the Presidential Champions program, the Physical Fitness Test, and the Health Fitness Test.”
Youth Programs like YMCA, Boys Club, or Local Parks and Recreation: In many cities, the YMCA has physical education programs in the daytime, specifically for homeschoolers. This is where my children have taken swimming lessons for the last several years, and received progress reports. Other youth programs will also have structured activities for sports and fitness to fulfill P.E.
Buy a physical fitness guidebook: Just as there are hundreds of homeschool curriculums you can use to homeschool your child, there are also numerous homeschool Physical Education curriculum books you can use. Some titles include The Busy Body Book; a Kid’s Guide to Fitness, by Lizzy Rockwell, and Fit kids! The Complete Shape-Up Program from Birth through High School, by Kenneth Cooper and William Proctor. You can also find the Ultimate Homeschool Physical Education Game Book, by Guy Bailey and Physical Education for Homeshcool Co-Ops and Private Schools by Bruce Whitney.
Homeschool Co-ops: Homeschool cooperative groups often have classes in Physical Education and well as sports instruction like Fencing, Basketball, Track instruction, and more. My children and I use a local homeschool Co-op for Fencing Instruction, and have also taken Track instruction in the past.
Sports Leagues: Joining a team, whether it for basketball, football, softball, or soccer. Participating in one or two group sports per year is usually plenty of physical education for a child. While sports leagues are neighborhood or school related, you will also find that Homeschool sports leagues are becoming more and more popular.
After school programs: It is important to enroll younger children in a variety of after school programs for the purpose of exposure, additional fitness, and to discover what they are good at. For homeschoolers, this can easily count as P.E. You should be able to find local classes for dance, gymnastics, martial arts, skating, and more.
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* Have you seen the homeschooling curriculum glossary?