5 Tips from a Dad: Create an At-Home P.E. Class
It is easy to think that since we are homebound with our family we’re giving our children the time and attention they need, but that may not always be the case. Despite being at home with your children during this stay-at-home quarantine, they still desire “quality time” over “quantity time.”
One way you can carve out special time and create unique memories during our COVID-19 home quarantine is by designating 30 minutes to an hour during the day for structured physical education (“P.E.”). Just like what they have in school, you can do at home! To make this time memorable, it requires parents to do just a little planning, be creative, and stay engaged.
1. Be Creative. Instead of just going outside to play basketball, ride bikes, or take a walk, try to incorporate obstacle courses into your P.E. time. For this you can use anything you can find in your garage, around the house or in the yard. You don’t need special equipment to have good P.E. time – just a fun attitude! In fact, I notice that when we use empty boxes, wooden poles, or buckets to make hurdles or something to crawl under the kids embrace the activity even more. And remember that these activities are intended to be fun – they’re not training for the Olympics!
2. Keep it Interesting. Our P.E. time almost always begins with a lap or two around the yard, jumping jacks and broad jumps to get the blood flowing. This is typically followed by an obstacle course consisting of not more than three or four obstacles, and then we finish with some free time. The key is to add variety to your P.E. time so that your kids remain interested and moving—but if they are having fun with a particular activity feel free to stick with it.
3. Be “Flexible.” The weather won’t always be on your side, so when it rains or it’s too chilly be flexible enough to move into the garage or completely indoors. This could be a great opportunity to stretch those sore muscles, play some safe balancing games, or learn to hula-hoop. Don’t let the weather keep you from your memory-making P.E. time!
4. Build Family Unity. Although these activities are ideally suited for younger children, this time is really intended for the entire family. Remember parents, to make memories for your children, you also have to be willing to participate! If you have older children, they can play an important role in helping encourage and lead the younger children through the games. And if you can turn these obstacle courses into relay races, it’s a great way to teach your kids the value of teamwork.
5. Use Your Smartphone Apps. Many of us (me included!) who are dependent on our smartphones for just about everything will be delighted to know that there are plenty of apps to help with your P.E. time. For example, HomeCourt is a great way to practice shooting basketball and learning about percentages or ratios at the same time. Just be careful not to let your reliance on the smartphone supplement your quality time with your children!
Last week one of my daughters asked me to sign her band sheet that records how much time she spent practicing her flute, and like any good dad I asked her: Did you actually practice your flute for this amount of time? My daughter is a talented flutist and I knew she was being honest, but what I should’ve asked was whether she had a productive or meaningful practice time.
Similarly, it’s important that when we spend time with our children we aren’t just trying to complete a timesheet, but are instead seeking to create long-lasting memories.
I hope you find these suggestions helpful as you create things to do outside to keep your kids active and entertained. More importantly, I hope you’re able to use these unusual circumstances to spend quality time with your family and make some fun memories with your kids!
