8 Outdoor PE Games Your Online Student Will Love
by Valerie Kirk
5 min to read
One of the many great benefits of online school is that learning can be done from virtually anywhere. This is especially true for Physical Education (PE) class, which is a subject so many elementary school students look forward to in their school day.
What’s not to love? Whether held in your home, in your backyard, or at a local park, students get to play sports and other fun games in PE class, which is good for their overall health, can improve their mood, and can help them focus when it’s time to go back to their academic lessons.
While physical education requirements for online elementary school students vary by state, the CDC and American Academy of Pediatrics recommend that children and adolescents get at least 60 minutes of physical activity each day.
Whether you need homeschool PE ideas, PE lesson plan ideas, or are enrolled in a virtual school and need to meet PE class requirements, here are eight fun outdoor PE games that can be done in your own backyard that will help get your elementary student moving.
1. Obstacle Courses
Obstacle courses are fun for kids of all ages and can be done with one or multiple students. They can also be completed when the weather turns cooler or if there is snow on the ground! Get creative when building the course with things found inside your home and vary the course activities.
- Lay hula hoops on the ground so students can jump from hoop to hoop.
- Fill a container with water and have students run with the container during part of the course.
- Add 10 jumping jacks or have students run around a tree as part of the course.
Fun obstacle courses should use several different muscle groups and improve coordination, making them wonderful outdoor PE games.
2. Simon Says
Simon Says has been around a long time, but still holds up as a fun outdoor PE activity for kids of all ages. In this game, someone is chosen as “Simon,” and they direct students to complete various physical activities, such as hop on one leg or run around the house. If Simon doesn’t say “Simon Says” before giving instructions, any student that does what they’re told is “out.”
In addition to getting kids active, this game promotes good listening skills!
3. Beanbag Toss
Beanbag toss can be played with a traditional wooden beanbag board or with any open-ended container, such as an old coffee can, small wastebasket, or even a laundry basket. Here are the steps to get started with this PE game:
- Simply have your student stand a short distance from the container and have them gently throw the beanbag into the container.
- If they make it in, have them step back to make it challenging.
- If you have multiple students and want to make it more competitive, set up three different containers at different distances, and award points to the player based on which container they get the bags into on their turn.
- Play until one of the players scores 21 points.
4. Snowball Toss
This fun PE game is a variation of the beanbag toss that can be played when the weather gets cold! Have your students make snowballs, then find containers to throw the snowballs into, just like the beanbag toss. You can also have them aim their snowballs at trees, moving the student farther and farther back to see if they can still hit the tree on their turn.
5. Backyard Volleyball
This can be played with a traditional volleyball or an inflatable beach ball. For younger students, you don’t even have to set up a net. Simply create a line with either chalk or string. Students can volley the ball back and forth across the net or line, and score points up to whatever number you choose!
6. Hopscotch
Hopscotch is another fun outdoor PE game that has stood the test of time. To start the game:
- Simply draw numbered squares from 1–10 on your driveway or sidewalk in a board pattern using chalk.
- Your student tosses a stone or other marker to the first square, then hops on one foot into each empty square.
- At the last square, they turn around and go back, leaning over to pick up the marker.
- On the next turn, the student tosses the marker into the second square, and hops through the course the same way.
This is another fun game that can be played with one or multiple students!
7. Tag
This game works well if you have multiple students or are part of an online school learning pod. One person is chosen as “it,” and they chase the other students around, trying to catch or tag them. Once another person is tagged, they become “it.”
This game has several variations, including freeze tag, where once the person is tagged, they freeze until everyone has been caught, and infection tag, where once the person is tagged, they join the person who is “it” in catching the others. Every time a person is tagged, they move to the “it” side to catch the others.
8. Races
Racing is a fun outdoor game for kids that really gets the heart rate up and is great exercise. Races can be done with any number of students and can also be done when the temperature drops. Just be sure to dress appropriately when holding PE class outside in the winter. Races can happen with students simply running from point A to point B, or you can add variations, such as a sponge race, balloon or snowball relay, or sack race.
More PE Ideas
If it does get too cold to hold PE class outside, there are still ways to stay active! Check out these indoor physical fitness activities for online elementary school students.
Aren’t sure how to schedule PE class into your online student’s school day? Here are some tips for establishing schedules and building a routine in online school.
Ready to Learn More
About Connections Academy?
Explore the benefits of attending Connections Academy, a tuition-free, accredited online public school that’s passionate about helping your child thrive.
Related Posts
-
-
Celebrate Earth Month with Composting Lessons and Compost Activities for Kids
by Valerie Kirk
Did you know that food scraps and yard waste make up more than 30 percent of what we throw away? This waste takes up space in landfills, where it releases methane, a greenhouse gas that is harmful to the environment. All of that material could instead be composted!
Composting is nature’s method of recycling food and other organic waste into material that can be added to soil to help plants grow. In addition to reducing methane emissions in landfills, composting helps protect plants against diseases and reduces the need for chemical fertilizers.
To celebrate Earth Month, get your student involved by doing this Composting 101 lesson that includes composting activities for kids. Not only will your student gain an understanding of what composting is and why it is important, they will get to do a hands-on science activity that will teach them about organic decomposition and how plants grow. The Composting 101 lesson and composting activities for kids are appropriate for elementary school, middle school, and high school students, and can build on the lessons they are learning in science class. The lesson is also sure to spark their curiosity about other ways they can make a difference by helping our planet.
Composting 101
Your student will gain an appreciation for the importance of celebrating Earth Month with this Composting 101 lesson that includes the reasons why we should compost, the three types of compost, and what can and can’t be composted.
Start the lesson by asking your student what compost is. Explain that composting is using leftover food and other organic matter that combine into material that can be added to soil to help plants grow.
Why Compost?
Explain to your student that there are many benefits to composting, including:
- Diverting food and yard waste from landfills.
- Reducing the amount of greenhouse gases released into the air from landfills.
- Making soil healthier for plants and vegetation, and improving moisture retention.
- Saving money on fertilizer or manure.
- Increasing nutrients in the foods you grow, making you healthier.
Types of Composting
There are three different types of composting:
- Backyard composting. This is perfect if you have a yard with lots of trees and/or a large lawn. Fallen leaves, straw, grass clippings, and food scraps are used in your compost bin. Note: this is the type of composting explored in the Soda Bottle composting activity for kids that you can do at the end of the lesson.
- Worm composting. This type of composting is good if you have a small yard or no yard at all. As long as you have food scraps, you can do worm composting!
- Grasscycling. With this composting, simply leave your grass clippings on the lawn after mowing. They will decompose and provide nutrients for the lawn.
What Can Be Composted?
Two types of waste are needed for composting, which you will use in the composting activities for kids: food for the microbes and a bulking agent. Here are some options you can use:
Bulking Agent
- Wood shavings
- Small wood chips
- Newspaper strips
- Pieces of paper egg cartons
- Chopped straw
Food for the Microbes
- Lettuce scraps
- Carrot peelings
- Apple cores
- Bread crusts
- Banana peels
- Weeds
- Grass clippings
What CANNOT Be Composted?
Avoid using any of the materials listed below for a compost, as they may be harmful to people, plants, or the environment in general.
- Black walnut tree leaves or twigs
- Coal or charcoal ash
- Dairy products (eggs, butter, milk, cheese, sour cream, yogurt, etc.)
- Diseased or insect-ridden plants
- Fats, grease, lard, and oil
- Meat or fish bones or scraps
- Pet waste
- Yard trimmings treated with chemical pesticides
How and Where to Use Compost
After the natural process of composting is finished, you can use the compost in a variety of ways. To start, use it to help your plants and vegetables grow by putting it in the soil mixture of potted plants or spreading it around trees and shrubs. You could also use the compost as mulch for your garden or landscaping. Teaching your student about gardening could lead to a lifelong activity that is not only good for the environment, but also has many positive mental and physical health benefits.
No matter what you decide to do with your compost, the important part is spending time with your child celebrating Earth Month and learning about the importance of recycling and composting materials.
Soda Bottle Composting for Kids Science Activity
Composting activities for kids are pretty simple to do and are often done with materials you already have on hand.
The Soda Bottle Composting for Kids science activity is a hands-on STEM activity where your student will learn how to make a compost bin for kids out of a two-liter soda bottle. They can then use the compost to help grow their own plants, watching—and learning—about the plant lifecycle.
Get the Soda Bottle Compost Activity
You can make a bigger compost bin for kids by using a plastic container that is at least 3 feet tall and 3 feet wide. This science activity can be used to teach about composting in school and can extend learning for students in online school or homeschool.
More At-Home Science Projects
If you are looking for more science activities to help you extend your online student’s learning, check out the Connections Academy Resource Hub, which is full of STEM activities, including making your own fossils and how to create crystals in your kitchen.
Did you know that the Soda Bottle Composting for Kids science activity is similar to lessons your student would complete in online school? If you enjoyed spending time with your student learning about composting and supporting their learning in celebration of Earth Month, maybe online school is right for you! Join a Connections Academy information session to learn more about a new school experience.
read more -
Top Reasons Why Online Schools Work for Parents
by Beth Werrell
Imagine yourself in the shoes of a parent with a child who has asthma. Sometimes, asthma attacks keep your child out of school. He misses classes, homework, and tests—which means he has to work extra hard to catch up. This happens multiple times per year, and it's starting to take a toll on your child and your family.
Now think about the flip side of this scenario: with online learning, your child's asthma attacks don't hold him back. Instead, your child gets schoolwork done at home in a time line that works for you and your family. No more missed tests, stockpiles of homework, or anxiety on account of falling behind.
As a parent of a child in virtual school, you have access to greater flexibility and control. You set your child's daily schedule. You decide if your child can go on a family vacation and still get schoolwork done. You decide when the learning day starts and when it stops.
These are just a few of the many benefits parents can experience when their child attends school online. Over the years, many parents have told us that Connections Academy works well for their family when they can:
- Dedicate time to keeping the student motivated throughout the day
- Provide ongoing guidance and encouragement
- Help monitor student comprehension and progress
- Organize and structure the learning day
- Maintain regular contact with their child's teachers
- Encourage their students to interact with others through field trips, clubs, and community activities
Don't Take Our Word for It … Hear It from Real Parents
Learning about what Connections Academy can do for your family is great, but it's not the whole picture. We want you to have all of the facts, both from the source and from those with firsthand experience, so you can make the right decision for your child and your family.
Take a look at some of the reasons why online school works well for parents, as told on the Connections Academy Facebook page:
Parent Involvement
One of the most common reasons parents appreciate online learning is the extra time it unleashes to spend time with family. In particular, parents have communicated to us that it provides them with the opportunity to take an active role in their children's learning. Parents don't just act as the "homework helper"—if they wish, they can take a more proactive approach to what their children learn, like these parents below:
"It gives us as parents the opportunity to see how our kids learn. Usually we rely on the teachers, but [now] I know for myself what works and what doesn't."—Carmisha W.
"It allows us to spend more time together, learning together. It allows my role in their education to be more than a homework nag."—Amanda M.
"My kids can focus on learning rather than the taunts of the many bullies in an overcrowded classroom."—Kimberly B.
Flexible Scheduling
Online education provides a much more flexible environment than a brick-and-mortar education. Even though roles and activities are carefully structured to ensure that students develop a love of learning and gain skills essential to their future success in school, parents can choose the daily routine and learning atmosphere for their children.
"My boys can stand up, walk around, or bounce on a ball while learning. No sitting and listening to lectures. We have active discussions, which provides ample time for questioning and a deeper level of understanding."—–Jennifer C.
"We have been able to really work with the flexible schedule. They have been to Groundhog Day in Pennsylvania, will get to go on an Alaskan cruise before the brick-and-mortars finish for the year, and have been able to travel with me for work and still get the schoolwork accomplished!"—–Darla T.
"We can alter our schedule around trips and still not get behind on work."—–Elizabeth R.
"My child can work when she needs to, she can enjoy her hobby freely, and I get to have her around me during the day."—–Cricket C.
"I appreciate that he can work when he isn't feeling great because of his asthma. Sometimes he feels like he isn't sick enough to need a sick day and still wants to work. In brick-and-mortar [school], he would have been sent home and then be forced to catch up on missed work when he was able to return. Connections Academy allows me to monitor his health and well-being while continuing to let him thrive!"—–Amanda M.
Are you a parent of a child attending Connections Academy? We would love to hear your perspective on why online school works for your family in the comments below.
Or if you are considering enrolling your child in an online education, learn more about Connections Academy today.
read more
