Homeschool Fitness: Blending Fitness with Academics

This post is sponsored by Fitivities. All thoughts and words are my own. 

One thing I love about homeschooling is the opportunities for creativity. In our homeschool, we aren't limited to learning only way. We can incorporate many techniques and resources. Not only can we incorporate many resources and learning styles, we can also blend materials to create a fun way of learning like blending a variety of our academic studies with physical activities.

I remember one class I took as an Elementary Education undergraduate encouraged us future teachers to get our students moving during the school day. The thought behind it was that movement enhanced the way students learned. The students who were given the opportunity to incorporate brain breaks, recess, etc. had a greater chance of retaining knowledge.  They also experienced less restlessness. I've noticed not only in my daughters, but also in myself that random bouts of movement can give us more energy to make it through the next task.  I'm also finding that regular movement throughout the day isn't just for the little ones, but also for our older children.  You may also enjoy A Few Good Reasons to Be Active in Your Homeschool.

The Fitivities Task cards make this really easy. I don't have to come with exercises off the top of my head. I can simply pull out the deck and scatter them about if that's what I chose to do.  The Instagram post below shows just that.  I placed cards from the Fitivities set on the floor with our SuperSkillsBox Vocabulary cards. My daughters selected a starting word of their choosing and did the exercise that was paired with it. After they did the exercise, they moved on to find the corresponding definition. Once they found and recited the definition, they did the exercise that was paired with the definition.  They continued on until they had matched all of the words to their correct definition. Not only did they practice their vocabulary, but they also were able to get their heart pumping more. 

Doing vocabulary with @fitivities today. I share how in today's instastory. #learningtogether #365homeschool #homeschooling #JoyintheOrdinary #blackhomeschool365

A post shared by Latonya | Joy in the Ordinary (@latonya_mo) on Apr 5, 2017 at 8:24am PDT

More Ways to Blend Physical Activity with Fitness 

The vocabulary lesson is one way we've meshed the worlds of physical activity with academic studies, but there are many other ways to use Fitivities Task Cards in your homeschool. 

1.  Teach young learners how to spell their names with the alphabet cards that come with the task cards. Young learners can do the exercises that are paired with each letter in their names.
2. The Fitivities task cards not only work for vocabulary, but they are also great for practicing spelling words.  Your kiddos can spell the words for some or all of their spelling words by pairing the task cards with the alphabet cards and having your child do the exercise for each letter.  You may also consider always pairing the same letter with the same exercise to help with muscle memory. If your child gets stuck, he might be able recall the next letter by remembering the exercise he was doing.
3. Use the cards for brain breaks. There are some lessons that require us to sit in order to complete the work such as typing a report or reading a history lesson. After completing seat work, you can chose a card or two do in between transitioning to the next lesson or subject. 

Let's get moving! My girls doing the red reps of exercise including cross-lateral exercises. 

How do you incorporate physical activity into your academics? Share your tips in the comments.