Last week Newt and I met an old friend and her sons for dinner. The boys are twins, just a year and a half older than Newt. When they learned that she is homeschooled, the boys were very interested in what her days look like.

Twin 1: What do you do for PE?
Newt [looking helplessly at me]: Um, I jump on my trampoline. And I walk my dog about two miles every morning.
Twin 2: So you have PE first period?

We’ve been asked about PE before. It doesn’t rank all the way up there with “What about socialization?” but the question does come up fairly frequently. I think being active and getting regular exercise is really important, and just like every other aspect of Newt’s education, we can’t rely on someone else to make sure it happens. Lucky for us, we have been able to find wonderful opportunities for Newt to “have PE”.
Right now, Newt’s sport of choice is horseback riding. She has been taking a one hour lesson every week since August. The last couple of weeks she has been learning to ride bareback, which is great for improving her control and balance.

Sorry for the terrible night shot. I really must find my camera’s manual and give it a read.
Horseback riding is a terrific workout, strengthening your core and legs. And the barn chores are great cardio. From the way she smiles when she talks about her lessons, I can tell that horses are pretty good for her heart too.
Last year, Newt was lucky enough to be invited to learn archery from a couple of retired men, They were so passionate about the sport, they offered free classes to local homeschoolers.

She quickly learned that there was a lot more to archery than just aiming and pulling on a string. She learned the importance of staying in control, focusing and remembering to breathe. That last one was learned the hard way, when she nearly fainted.
Don’t lock your knees, honey. And remember to breathe!
She’s participated in swim team, basketball and the homeschool bowling league.

Lately Newt’s even been talking about training for a 5k. So I’d say that the only thing missing from her PE curriculum is dodge ball. I think she’s doing just fine without it.
And yes, Newt does walk Pepper at least a couple of miles every day. An active puppy is much easier to live with if given an outlet for all that energy.

That’s true of kids too.

If you homeschool, what do you do to help your kids stay active? If your kids go to school, do they have a good PE program? Do you ever feel the need to supplement?