For many parents, homeschol gym begins and ends with having their kids ride their bike a couple of times a week. If you’re like a lot of other parents with a ton of other things on your homeschool to-do list, homeschool gym probably ranks pretty low for you. Given that most youth sports leagues have games on Saturdays and Sundays, you may just not be interested in giving up more days to your kids’ scheduling needs.

Physical education, however, is about more than having kids play on a soccer team. Yes, the primary goal of homeschool gym is about exposing children to a variety of physical activities. A lot of science backs up the claim that a healthy body = a health mind. Getting your body moving releases natural endorphins, those happy hormones that help stave off stress and anxiety. The more opportunities your kids have to explore different types of physical activities, the more likely they’ll discover something that they genuinely enjoy doing. The more active they become, the more they’ll discover that on days when they’re feeling down or discouraged, engaging in a familiar sports activity can help lift them out of a slump.

Just as importantly, homeschool gym also helps kids learn the basic rules to commonly played sports. This can be useful knowledge to have later on in life during water cooler chit chat time. Developing good sportsmanship is another benefit of homeschool gym. Even if the competition is just within themselves and trying to accomplish a personal best, learning to be kind and respectful in the face of defeat is an essential life skill. 

As you select a variety of sports to explore throughout the years, remember to balance out different types of activities so your kids have the chance to experience how they can develop:

(1) Cardiovascular

(2) Muscle strength & endurance and

(3) Flexibility

Not sure your child is made out for team sports? No worries, you’ll find 105+ different homeschool gym options to fit any child’s personality and preferences. One year you may decide to pick a sports activity focusing on developing a particular coordination skill. Other years you may choose sports for purely enjoyment and social reasons.  Still not sure what homeschool gym class you should pick for your child? Check out our sister site for ideas on how to match a sport to your child’s quirky style.

TEAM BALL SPORTS

  • Basketball
  • Baseball
  • Softball
  • Cricket
  • T-ball / Whiffleball
  • Dodgeball
  • Football (American)
  • Soccer
  • Rugby
  • Lacrosse
  • Field hockey
  • Quidditch (yes, this is a real sport)
  • Volleyball

GYMNASTICS & MOVEMENT

  • Artistic Gymnastics (balance beam, uneven bars, etc)
  • Rhythmic gymnastics (hoop, ribbon, etc)
  • Trampoline
  • Juggling
  • Majorette
  • Baton twirling
  • Trapeze
  • Cheerleading
  • Dance (Ballet, Tap, Hip Hop, Swing, etc)
  • Aerobics
  • Zumba
  • Jogging
  • Marathons
  • Track & field
  • Yoga
  • Tai Chi

BICYCLING & BOARDING

  • Freestyle BMX
  • Mountain biking
  • Dirt jumping
  • Unicycling
  • Peloton
  • Roller skating
  • Rollerblading
  • Skateboarding
  • Long boarding
  • Scootering

CLIMBING

  • Rock climbing
  • Hiking
  • Rappelling
  • Parkour

LAWN SPORTS

  • Frisbee
  • Golf
  • Miniature golf
  • Driving range
  • Croquet
  • Horseshoes
  • Disc golf

STRENGTH SPORTS

  • Weightlifting
  • Power lifting
  • Cross fit
  • Arm wrestling
  • Strength training

RACQUET SPORTS

  • Tetherball
  • Ping pong
  • Badminton
  • Pickleball
  • Tennis
  • Racquetball
  • Squash

CUE & TARGET SPORTS

  • Billiards
  • Darts
  • Bumper pool
  • Bowling
  • Bocce
  • Shuffleboard
  • Archery
  • Axe throwing
  • Fencing
  • Paintball
  • Laser tag
  • Target shooting
  • Skeet/Trap shooting

WATER SPORTS

  • Swimming
  • Diving
  • Water polo
  • Snorkeling
  • Scuba diving
  • Boogie boarding
  • Surf boarding
  • Kayaking
  • Canoeing
  • Sail boating
  • Fishing

SNOW & ICE

  • Alpine skiing
  • Cross country skiing
  • Snowboarding
  • Snow shoeing
  • Figure skating
  • Speed skating
  • Ice hockey
  • Curling

COMBAT

  • Wrestling
  • Judo
  • Aikido
  • Jujitsu
  • Karate
  • Tae Kwon Do
  • Kickboxing
  • Kenpo
  • Boxing
  • Mixed martial arts, such as Krav Maga

ORIENTEERING

  • Letterboxing
  • Orienteering
  • Geocaching
  • Pokemon Go

EQUINE SPORTS

  • Horseback riding
  • Polo
  • Dressage
  • Show jumping

GAMING

  • Wii sports
  • Ring Fit
  • Just Dance video games
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