Part of homeschooling is for us to teach or offer opportunities for Physical Education. Did you ever think of getting dual benefits from this? You can exercise right along with your children! That’s a genius idea, don’t you think? lol Your daughter/son can even help you come up with ideas and can lead class if you like. Here are some ideas to help get your moving. These are all indoor activities, but you can easily adapt them for outdoors too.

Obstacle course – Use pillows to walk around, steps to climb, crawling under the kitchen table, jumping across the room, etc.

Stretches, calisthenics (jumping jacks, squats, lunges, moving side to side, jogging in place, push-ups)

Snow shooters- With a bag of mini Marshmallows, some 9″ balloons, and disposable cups, you can create a really fun game that will keep your kiddo(s) and you moving. Cut off the bottom part of the balloon and place the rest of the balloon over the top of a disposable cup. This is your “shooter”. Add some marshmallows into the cup, pull back on the balloon and let go! The marshmallows will come flying out! You can have fun with having an indoor “snowball fight” and racing around to retrieve your ammo.

Balloon Games- How many times can you hit the balloon before it falls to the ground? You can play “volleyball” too! Put down a piece of masking tape for the “net” and try to get your opponent to step on the net or miss hitting the balloon to score a point. Walk with an inflated balloon between your legs from one end of the room to the other end.

Relay Races- Crab walk; hopping (one foot or both feet); crawling; carry a pom pom (or any light object) on a spoon; walk backwards, carry an orange under your chin, etc.

Tag– This is a great way to get the blood circulating and burning up some calories. How about variations of the game such as freeze or tickle tag?

Exercise video- There are a lot of free exercise videos on the internet. I chose one that is 25 minutes, but you can certainly pick something shorter. https://youtu.be/McD6_oOWs-M

Have a great week! ~Lisa~

Being healthy is important in order for us to live life to its fullest. It is also a subject that we are required to teach as Ohio homeschool parents. 🙂 Today I want to focus on how to help our children stay mentally healthy. The news coverage of Covid-19 and now the unrest of the nation affects all of, even our children. So, how do we help them not be fearful when they hear or experience things that are sacry?

Let them know they do not need to be afraid. As a parent, I know you would do anything in your power to keep your son/ daughter safe. Reassure him/her of that and they can come to you whenever they feel scared. I know we tell our children that when situations arise, but let them know this often. I have to admit, I don’t always like being the grown-up and I would rather not be the “strong one”. However, if I can bring peace and stability to my children and now grandchildren, I will gladly be the person who says it’s going to be okay. My hope and peace are in things eternal.

What are ways you can help your child overcome fear?

• Talk about what is scaring them. Sometimes we think we know what it is that is causing our children to be afraid, but it might not be that at all. It will help them to voice their concerns.
• Validate them and their feelings. It doesn’t help to just dismiss what your daughter or son is afraid of, let them know it’s okay to be scared. Fear is a good thing when it is not blown out of proportion. You have taught your son not to play with matches because it is harmful and that is a healthy parameter to have in our lives.
• Reassure them that you are there for them. When I am scared I talk to my husband. He doesn’t always have to offer a solution, but just a listening ear helps me to be able to talk about what is causing me to be afraid.
• Sit close to your child, hug them. Sharing something that is scary makes you feel vulnerable. Just being close will help your child feel that security they need. If you don’t think they would be open to a hug, give them a pat on the hand, a squeeze on their shoulder or a quick side-hug. I can’t help it, I give my family hugs even when they are out of sorts because I want them to know I care and that’s one way I show them.
• Write a note of encouragement. It’s nice to have something for your child to refer back to after you have talked. Maybe your child doesn’t want to talk about what is bothering them. They will know you love them and you are there for them if you write a note. It doesn’t have to be long or mushy. lol  Just an, ” I love you and am here for you” is all that is needed sometimes.
• Check back at a later date. See how your son/ daughter is doing. It is reassuring to  know you haven’t forgotten.  If they are still fearful and it is getting in the way of their everyday activities, you may want to talk with someone like  a doctor or counselor about it.

Have a great week! ~Lisa~

Health and Safety do not need to be taught to your individual children, rather, I believe they are best taught with a group of students if you are able to do so.  Since these subjects are key to preventing accidents and illness you can go through the topics altogether without repeating. This saves you time and frees you up to do other things.

Washing hands,  covering your mouth when sneezing or coughing, and throwing away tissues are topics that can easily be discussed concerning disease prevention. If you want to reinforce the concepts of stopping diseases from spreading, how about swabbing areas where germs grow? You and the children can make a list of best possible places to gather samples such as door handles, the toy box, toys, the kitchen table, the refrigerator handle and anywhere else you think there would be a colony of germs that your children touch. That’s really everything, isn’t it? lol  It is fascinating, memorable, and a bit scary to see what grows in a petri dish.  Amazon has bacteria science kits or you can purchase just the agar if you already have petri dishes. (Click on picture for link.)

Magic School Bus has several episodes on the human body and one in particular called Inside Ralphie that is about what happens to your body when you become ill. Click on the picture to see the 20 minute episode. 

Get out the crayons and markers for your children to create posters on preventing the spread of disease or staying healthy to display in your classroom or house.

Safety is a topic that is something you “teach” on a regular basis. Let me give you some examples:

Kitchen safety– don’t touch a hot stove; turn in the handles of your pots and pans; use oven mitts, clean up water from the floor to avoid falling, etc.

How about Food Safety? This website has lots of activities for different ages. You can talk about food and then put it into practice by making a batch of cookies. Yum!

Bicycle and pedestrian safety– stop at stop signs; look both ways before crossing the street, bikes- go with the flow of traffic, pedestrians- against the flow, wear a helmet when riding your bike, etc. Here are some activity sheets to print out so that you can take them to your assessor for documentation.

Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety– lessons and activities for early elementary students.

Bicycle Safety Kit

Pinterest has a lot of worksheets from which to choose.

Internet Safety– if you have not yet purchased an internet filter and your children are using a computer, please do so. There is a LOT of trash out there and children are accidentally exposed to things just by doing searches. Disney Circle sounds like it not only has filters, but also controls for times to be able to use devices, etc. I would also think about keeping all computers in a central area of your home so that you can keep an eye on what is on the screen. I am not saying to hover over them and that your child is not trustworthy, but you want to protect those gifts as much as possible. 🙂

Have a great day!

~ Lisa ~

I was at the library and thought I would peruse the shelves to see if there were any videos I could find on either health or safety. I was pleasantly surprised to see that there were two videos for each topic. You may not have the same titles at your library as I do, but why not check your system or drop by your library to see what they have? This is an easy way to meet the Ohio requirement for health and fire safety for your homeschool. 🙂

Part of the description for Lots and Lots of Fire says that, ” You’ll see the biggest collection of firefighting and rescue equipment ever recorded on DVD.” I think that is pretty cool! Also included in the DVD are segments about topics such as Stop, Drop and Roll, and creating your fire escape plan. It is a 30-minute video and more information can be obtained by going to www.lotsandlotsoffiretrucks.com

The 12 minute Timon and Pumba Safety Smart Honest and Real video is twofold in nature. Described on the back cover of the DVD case, it not only talks about topics such as travel, internet, and fire safety, but it includes developing character issues such as kindness, honesty, and responsibility.

For grades K-3, Goofy’s Health Hits has two segments concerning health. The first is 13 minutes and is about Goofy going to the dentist and learning about dental health. The second 10-minute section has both animated and live action about the transmission and prevention of cold viruses. It also discusses the importance of nutrition and exercise.

Here are worksheets to accompany the videos. They can also be used alone if you prefer.

The American Dental Association has downloadable coloring pages, word puzzles, How to Brush pages, and certificates to print.

Let’s have Fun with Fire Safety is a free 12-page downloadable informational coloring book that discusses home and kitchen safety and fire escape routes.

Turtle Diary has several  Personal Hygiene worksheets including sequencing of washing your hands, and taking a bath and showering.

Have a great day!

~ Lisa ~

No, I am not talking about the hygiene of your children. Each year, Environmental Working Group that specializes in research in the areas of toxic chemicals and other environmental issues releases a list of fruits and vegetables. These lists inform you as to which have the highest amounts of pesticides and toxins. Did you know on the 2017 list that strawberries are #1 in harmful chemicals?

I know firsthand that buying organic foods can be expensive, but I look at it this way, I would rather pay more to eat healthier than be sick and pay a doctor’s bill. I appreciate that there is a small printout that I keep in my purse and pull out when I am shopping. I can avoid paying extra for food that is fine to eat and buy organic fruit and produce that is otherwise high in pesticides.

May you have a healthy new year!

~ Lisa ~