P.E. and Gym in Homeschooling

I'm happy to be part of a homeschool panel over at The Homeschool Village. The panel is made up of eleven great homeschool mamas. Each week we give a succinct answer to a common homeschool question. Click on over to see the answers and insights from the rest of the panel. This week's question is:

"P.E. is sometimes mistaken to mean dodge ball - how do youdefine Physical Education"?

I'd like to take this opportunity to expand a bit on my answer. To our family, P.E. means being active and healthy. We concentrate on making activity part of our daily lifestyle rather than a rigorous exercise routine which has be checked off our to do list. Health should not be a chore. We incorporate things like family walks, bike rides, roller skating and the like. P.E. is a lifestyle, not a regiment.

It is a relaxed attitude, but I'm not saying P.E. consists only of throwing the kids in the backyard for an hour (although some days that does happen because Mama needs a break!); it's not all laissez-faire. We-and I say we because my husband helps with this subject-do make an effort to have some structure and instill a love of health and activity. We also are diligent to teach coordination, large and small motor skills, endurance, etc.

Like most things in homeschooling, the goal is to learn in an enjoyable way. There is no right way to achieve that end. Ideas that incorporate the whole family are always good, so are organized sports through community groups, fun outings like rollerskating, homeschool gym days at the local YMCA and friendly neighborhood baseball games.