The President's Physical Fitness Test is a test given in public, private and home schools throughout the country. The test requires the student to compete in five areas of fitness that include curl-ups, v-sit and reach, the shuttle run, pull-ups and the mile run. Depending on their age, students must complete each task in a set time or finish a certain amount of repetitions. Go the the website (listed in the references section) and select the "home school" participation tab to find out how to download materials and have your home school kids participate. Equipment needed for this includes a chin-up bar, a stop watch, two small blocks, a measuring tape, and an area where you can measure out a mile. If the backyard is not set up for such a distance, have the students run the mile part on a local track.
Go to a local playground and allow the home school students to play on the slides, ladders, monkey bars and swings. This experience will mirror the experience that other students have while they are attending school in a public or private setting. Allow the kids free time to play on the playground equipment.
Home school has the benefit of not having to follow a set schedule. When it comes to physical education, you can take a little more license on how it is incorporated. Plan a science project at a local park. Then, instruct the kids to bring their bikes to home school that day. Ride over to the park, learn the lesson and then ride home. The students will get cardiovascular exercise while at the same time learning in nature.
Many people have basketball hoops in their driveway. Basketball is a game that can be played by both boys and girls and is considered a non-contact sport. Split the group of kids into two teams and play a series of short five to 10 minute games. You can include other basketball games such as playing H-O-R-S-E, or seeing who can make the most shots from 15 or 18 feet (the foul line and three point line respectively.) This activity will give the students exercise while at the same time teaching them about sportsmanship.