Physical education is an integral part of a child's school experience. Since childhood obesity is exacerbated by a lack of physical activity, it is important to get kids out from behind their desks and have them move around on a regular basis. To keep kids motivated, introduce fun and interesting activities and put all safety rules into action.
Safety First
When teaching physical education, your first priority must be keeping all of the kids from getting hurt or overexerting themselves. Proper classroom management and holding your students' attention is as important in gym class as it is in any other class. Teach the kids to watch and listen to you for instructions and emphasize that roughhousing is strictly prohibited. Show them the correct way to use all gym equipment and insist that they wear proper gym clothes and shoes.
Sports
Teaching kids team sports helps them learn to work together and count on one another. Learning the rules of team sports stretches kids' minds as well as their bodies. Older elementary middle school students can learn all of the basic rules of basketball, volleyball or soccer. Even younger children can learn skills such as dribbling a basketball or shooting a soccer ball. Individual sports, such as swimming and tennis, give kids a skill to enjoy into adulthood.
Social Games
Elementary school students often enjoy games with few rules that allow them to run around and burn off energy. Old favorites include "Mother, May I?" and "Simon Says," especially when you allow kids to take turns being Mother or Simon. Have a dance-off, encouraging the kids to dance to different types of music. Teach the kids various types of tag, such as freeze tag and television tag. Play a rousing game of follow-the-leader, musical chairs or dodge ball with the kids.
Fitness Challenges
Encourage children to meet or exceed their own personal best score in any type of fitness endeavor. Challenge them to run a ¼ mile in slightly less time than they did the last time or do just one more push up than they did previously. The President's Physical Fitness Test asks kids to complete five tasks as well as they can. These include curl-ups, shuttle run, endurance run, pull-ups and V-sit. Fitness challenges help kids to want to do their best and are especially effective for kids who don't excel in team or individual sports.
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