Health and Physical Education are two important topics to cover in your homeschool because kids need to know how their body works and how to take care of it. Establishing healthy habits now will help them make healthy choices later in life.  Also, regular exercise will help your kids burn off extra energy, making it easier for them to focus on their other school subjects.

Health and PE can both be taught rather informally, especially in the early years. For example, you can talk about healthy food choices as you cook together or grocery shop. For PE, your child could go on hikes, ride their bike, play basketball in the driveway, or even do workout videos. The possibilities are endless.

Eventually, though, the time may come that you want to add a more formal curriculum for these subjects. When that happens, there are numerous options to choose from. If your budget is limited, you may want to start with one of the free resources listed on this page. On the other hand, if you prefer to purchase curriculum for health and PE, one of the options below may be a good fit.

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Home School Family Fitness

Home School Family Fitness was written by Dr. Bruce Whitney, father and home educator. The book provides 40 weeks of lesson plans and labs covering everything from basic games to organized sports. There are also easy-to-use fitness tests and sections on strength, endurance, flexibility, and aerobic fitness. In addition, the book includes information about how to modify rules to make the activities suitable for all ages. The entire family can use the book together.

The Ultimate Homeschool Physical Education Game Book

The Ultimate Homeschool Physical Education Game Book was written by Guy Bailey, an experienced physical educator. The book provides a collection of partner and small group games perfect for teaching physical education in a home setting. The activities don’t require a gym or expensive equipment. Games covered in this book include basketball, football, soccer, softball, net sports, playground games, fitness-building games, and much more. Each game includes a suggested age range, detailed instructions, illustrations, learning objectives, and safety guidelines.

7 Sisters Homeschool: Foundations of Physical Fitness

Foundations of Physical Fitness is a high school course that covers different types of fitness, compound exercises vs. isolation exercises, correct form, cardiovascular exercise, stretching & mobility, real fitness vs. fake fitness, and more. The course includes a PDF text, tests, how-to videos, progress charts, and a suggested syllabus. The videos demonstrate proper form as they lead the student through increasingly more strenuous workouts. Joel Hayes wrote the text, and the accompanying videos were created by his brother Luke Hayes. Both brothers are certified fitness instructors with degrees in related fields. The course text will take one semester to complete and is worth half a credit. If your student requires a full credit for physical education, they may log additional exercise hours to complete the credit.

7 Sisters Homeschool: High School Health for the Whole Person

High School Health for the Whole Person is a comprehensive health curriculum that includes a PDF textbook and tests. The first part of the course covers physical health. This section includes body systems, disorders of the body systems, nutrition, benefits of exercise, and much more. The second part covers mental, emotional, and spiritual health. Some topics in this section are emotional wellness, mental health, relationships, and substance abuse. The three authors of this course are all experts in their fields. Marilyn Groop has a Bachelor of Science in Physical Therapy and is a licensed physical therapist. Vicki Tillman holds a Master of Arts in Counseling. Joel Hayes holds a B.S. in Sports Administration and is a NASM Certified Personal Trainer. The course takes 30 to 32 weeks to complete and is worth one high school credit.

7Sisters Homeschool offers Freedom Homeschooling readers 50% off their entire curriculum selection, including their Cinema Studies! Use coupon code 7SistersCousinSarahMay at checkout to get the discount. The coupon code has no expiration date, but customers may only use it once. Also, the coupon code can only be used on carts with a total of $75 or less (before the discount).

Nutrition Science

Nutrition Science is a high school course comprised of six booklets covering different aspects of nutrition. Each booklet offers unit projects, recipes, textual information with questions, quizzes, and a unit test. The booklets also include optional scripture memorization. The course covers balanced diet, water, fat, fiber, grains, starch, sweets, protein, vitamins, minerals, vegetables, fruits, and weight control. At about 18 weeks in length, the course can be used for a half credit in health, science, or home economics.

Nutrition 101: Choose Life!

Nutrition 101: Choose Life! is a family nutrition and health program for all ages. It presents the major body systems, how they function, their common health issues, the benefits of good food, and the consequences of poor food choices. The Biblically-based text is full of hands-on activities, science and art projects, and family-friendly recipes.  The four authors are Debra Raybern, Sera Johnson,  Laura Hopkins, and Karen Hopkins. They possess a wide range of education, certifications, and experience.

I hope your family enjoys learning more about health and physical education with these resources.

Note: This post was originally published on June 25, 2021, and has been updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.