I think the answer to that question would probably depend on the family. I’m sure that larger families are better able to play the games that I remember from public school gym class, like kickball, softball and volleyball. Most physical games require at least two players, usually more. I would imagine that families whose parents are athletic are also better equipped for physical education.
Our family struggles with this. My son isn’t interested in sports and neither am I. My husband works sixty or more hours a week so it isn’t easy to plan on him being able to play. When it warms up a bit we’ll hopefully be able to take walks and play at the park more, but we didn’t take very many walks last fall, so that is something that I will have to make a priority. As Cindy-Lu gets a little older it will be easier. We could, for example, have races between them or let them play tag.
This is still a big problem in the winter though. Sure, I can tell ‘em to drop and give me twenty, but what kid likes hearing that? I suppose we COULD go out and play in the snow a little more, but have I mentioned that I dislike cold weather? And that snow happens to be cold? And also wet? We used to attend a weekly open gym, but lately haven’t been able to make it. I have three other activities scheduled each week, sometimes four, and making it to that optional open gym just doesn’t seem to happen. I need to make it a priority, though, as I’m sure the kids would benefit from a little running and climbing. I could also take them to the germ-infested McDonald’s play place, but then is it really a benefit to have them climb through the tunnels if they are eating all that grease and being infected with the plague?
One thing that I have just discovered, but not yet tried, is the Kids section on our OnDemand cable service. If you have OnDemand then you may have found this already, but if not, just check under the Free Spot (or whatever your free section is called), look for the exercise or fitness section and then for the kids section. There are quite a few free kids fitness programs in there. I’m hoping to do one today.
Another thing that I’ve found, and am absolutely in love with, is a game called Wild Planet Hyper Dash
What suggestions do you have for making physical education work at home? How do you keep your little couch potatoes active?
[tags]kids, children, parents, parenting, home, sports, physical education, athletics, ideas, questions, comments, advice[/tags]
Photo graciously provided by ansik, through a Creative Commons license, some rights reserved
6 responses so far ↓
Cecily T // Feb 29, 2008 at 12:24 pm
My little one ( 8 months) isn’t ready for phys ed per se, but I feel like I can talk to this b/c I did my masters in ed on attitudes about phys ed.
Lots (and lots and lots) of kids don’t actually like the structured sports in phys ed, especially when they are run in an extra-competitive style. Also, team sports in school don’t actually result in very much ‘health gain’ (muscle tone, cardio, etc) b/c there’s a lot of standing around. E.g., softball, basketball drills, sitting and taking a test on the rules of volleyball.
If your kids are into sports, sign them up for the local teams, but for daily physical fitness, find some thing(s) that they like to do. Are they old enough to engage in some kid yoga, dancing around ( a la ‘Micky Mousercize from back in the day…I’m sure there’s a modern equivalent), or DDR?
I’m not sure what age your little ones are. How about some somersaults or cartwheels across the floor?
And, don’t discount the ‘drop and give me 20′ idea…lots of kids get stoked from seeing how they can improve if they practice a little something everyday (toe-touching, jumping jacks, a jump-rope routine if you have a free space in the basement or garage, lifting books or gallon-water jugs filled to a certain point).
I’m a fitness nut myself, so I’m hoping that when my V is old enough, she’ll have seen me working out enough that she’ll just want to do it too!
Good luck with this.
Cecily T // Feb 29, 2008 at 12:25 pm
Oh, and wanted to add: that HyperDash game looks awesome. I want one!
Carol // Feb 29, 2008 at 5:29 pm
A few things we’ve enjoyed….
renting videos from the library - try something different like yoga or tai chi or hula dancing
physical ed classes offered by a local college (the college students get teaching practice, homeschoolers get physical education! win-win)
jumping rope indoors (you can even practice your math facts while doing this for double duty)
lessons on heath or learning about the rules of various sports - part of physical education should be an intellectual exploration
and finally, just give yourself a break! Sure, activity slows down in the winter but I’m sure things will pick up with the warmer weather. The beauty of homeschooling is that we can get in our phys ed time in the warm weather and be less concerned during the winter’s slow period.
Chris // Mar 1, 2008 at 10:44 am
I *try* to have a daily circle time with my kids (2 yo and almost 5) and during that time I do yoga. They sort of join me, but I mostly do the yoga for myself and to model for them a good daily habit. I’ve also just started to incorporate calisthenics into my routine–throwing in some sit ups and my extremely pathetic version of a push up (gotta start somewhere). I am not athletic at all. The truth is, I need exercise far more than they do. This is probably true for most parents! Perhaps instead of insisting they “drop and give you 20,” try to drop and do 20 yourself and see what happens.
We also get out and walk as often as I can stand it. One thing I realized this winter is I need to invest in some better outdoor gear for myself. The kids have their boots, long underwear, water-resistant pants, etc., but I don’t have any such stuff. As the Norwegians like to say, “There’s no bad weather, only bad clothes.” So, before next winter comes, I am getting myself some good outdoor clothes.
Leslie // Mar 2, 2008 at 10:44 am
Okay, as I was reading this post, I was all set to tell you about Hyper Dash (I bought it for two of my newphews for Christmas), but you already have it! That was my ace in the hole. Dang it.
Debbie // Mar 2, 2008 at 2:54 pm
I am amazed by the differences among children! My kids, age 4 and 5, would rather run, dance, and swim than sit. Instead of couch potatoes, I guess they are couch popcorn.
To help them use their energy safely, we:
-involve them in physical chores like snow shoveling, laundry carrying, sweeping, and wiping things (I give ‘em spray bottles & sponges, then don’t watch!)
-set up rocking toys near the TV, so they rock while watching instead of jumping on the couch
-let them put on any music CD they like and let them dance in costumes
-use roughhousing as a reward for getting tasks done (e.g. “If you get dressed before the timer dings, we’ll have time for tickling”)
We probably use a million more techniques like these every day that we hope will keep our kids happy to be active yet reasonably regulated. FWIW, we also have them enrolled in gymnastics classes, to increase their awareness of their bodies in space and how to fall safely.
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