Physical Education for Homeschool, Classroom, and Recreation Settings

Remember the days when, with very little equipment and just a few kids, you could have an endless amount of fun playing games?

Those days are back. And Physical Education for Homeschool, Classroom, and Recreation Settings: 102 Games With Variations adds a twist to those fun games: They are educational as well.

The 102 games and 10 dance and gymnastics activities in this book are specifically designed for small-group settings. They’re great for

• parents who homeschool or who simply want to supplement their children’s PE instruction and have fun with their kids;

• physical education teachers in small-school settings or who break their class into smaller groups; and

• leaders of after-school, recreation, intramural, and recess programs.

While the settings may change, the results don’t: Children learn skills and healthy concepts while playing games that keep them coming back for more.

Physical Education for Homeschool, Classroom, and Recreation Settings offers the following:

• Games and activities that are ready-made, easy and fun to play, and grounded in research

• Yearly lesson plans for grades K-5, making it easy for you to teach

• Games that are grounded in American Academy of Pediatrics research on the importance of play, the Canadian Sport for Life model, physical literacy, and the Teaching Games for Understanding (TGfU) approach

The TGfU approach helps children learn interpersonal, social reasoning, and problem-solving skills, which they can apply to multiple situations. And as they take part in the fun physical activities, kids develop fundamental abilities and learn how to develop and maintain a healthy lifestyle through regular physical activity.

The book includes a game finder to help you see what skills and equipment are involved for each game. Photos, illustrations, and easy-to-use components help make the games simple to teach, and you’ll be shown how to modify each game as needed for your children and to ensure the game applies to different sports. Each game ends with questions that lead to understanding the skills and concepts applied during the game.

Physical Education for Homeschool, Classroom, and Recreation Settings includes

• warm-up, cool-down, and fitness games;

• target, territory invasion, and net and wall games;

• dribbling, striking, and fielding games; and

• dance and gymnastics activities.

Whether you are looking for a useful PE book for your homeschooler or looking to supplement your physical education program, recreation program, or after-school or intramural program, this book is a great find. You’ll find it comprehensive, well grounded, and filled with challenging educational games that your kids will love.

John Byl, PhD, is a professor of physical education at Redeemer University College in Ancaster, Ontario, Canada, where he teaches wellness courses. Byl is president of CIRA Ontario, which promotes fun active participation for all through intramurals and recreation programs. Byl is a member of the Christian Society for Kinesiology and Leisure Studies (CSKLS) and is the host of their listserv.

Byl has been a professor since 1986 and has edited, authored, or coauthored over 20 books, including Physical Education, Sports, and Wellness: Looking to God as We Look at Ourselves. He is a recipient of the CSKLS Presidential Award, which recognizes those who have displayed actions compatible with the mission of the CSKLS. In 2013, Byl was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for his significant contribution to making physical activity a priority in his community and in the country.

Bettie VanGils Kloet is certified as a fitness professional and has been working in the fitness industry since 1996. She helps many clients reach their fitness goals through her business Fit4Life With Bettie. Her teaching focuses on fun, form, and fitness goals. She holds a bachelor’s degree in French from University of Windsor-Ontario (UWO) as well as a teaching degree from Redeemer University College. Bettie homeschooled her children for 10 years and now encourages other families as a homeschool conference speaker. She lives in Hamilton with her husband and three children and enjoys reading, cross-country skiing, cycling, canoeing, and spending time with family and friends. She volunteers as a Sunday school teacher and a youth ministry leader in her church, and she is a proud member of the Velodonnas, a women’s recreational cycling group.