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When my son was younger, it was sometimes hard to get him to focus, I learned fairly quickly to have him do something physical if I wanted him to practice most anything. Like the alphabet, or addition/subtraction facts, telling me the names of the Great Lakes and such like. I had this balance circle that he would often stand on. Working to keep his balance seemed to free up his mind to think about concrete facts. Therefore as part of my “want to learn” series, it seemed appropriate to focus on physical education as well.
Crew Recommendations
I asked members of the crew what they did for fitness and Holly pointed me to these cards she uses.
Deann pointed me to a site that I’m not sure about, because quite frankly I’m really leery of mindfulness stuff, as it doesn’t seem to sync well with being a person of faith. BUT I’ll let you take a look at it and see what you think. It’s called Cosmic Kids.
On a regular basis I get emails from Faithful Workouts. Build your faith, work your body, and eat well. I can’t say that I read all of the emails, but I do read enough to feel confident recommending them. Her emails are geared for the adults as opposed to children, so more like something to motivate mom, so then she can motivate her children! Her latest email contained this quote:
Why is it so difficult to remain dedicated and faithful to diet and fitness when our health is at risk? What has to change in order for you to succeed?
I have to believe the answer is found in the commentary of 2 Chronicles in the NLT Study Bible;
“The secret to victory is first to admit the futility of unaided human effort and then to trust God to save. His power works best through those who recognize their limitations. It is those who think they can do it on their own that are in the greatest danger.”
For Students:
Get out and get busy really, that’s often all there is to it. Children from 5-17 need at least one hour of physical activity every single day. Amazing isn’t it? So get out and explore the world! Get up and explore your house. There are so many ways to get busy.
From working with a balance board, to doing tippy-toe races across the dining room floor, to running along a trail as you get in the fresh air.
Perhaps you have a boy who likes karate
Or a girl who loves playing tag
Dance, jump, balance, rock climb, go for a hike, smell the roses, look for birds, and take in a round of golf. The point is to get off your seat and on your feet.
Did you know that in one school district they have a rule. For every 45 minutes of learning, the students get 15 minutes of exercise? By doing so they have cut down on the reported cases of various learning disorders. Amazing isn’t it? The students are more focused, and better able to learn and retain information, making for less homework and more productive in school time. Imagine what that could do for OUR children schooled at home!?!
In what ways do you encourage physical activity in your students? Do you have a favourite go-to activity? In house we like nerf guns, walks around the dam, fishing, biking, shooting slingshots, karate and archery. Mixing it up is a good thing to do eh?
Want to learn series:
Coding.
Math.
Foreign Languages.
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