Physical Activities

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Go to Page Index Homeschooling is not just sitting with your nose in a book! Most of the activities listed can be enjoyed by the whole family. Check out Let's Move!, a government program to raise a healthier generation of kids – useful for adults too. Brain scientists have proven that cross pattern movement, such as crawling, running, swimming, and brachiating (swinging from an overhead ladder), improves not just physical coordination but brain coordination. The more we develop our physical muscles, the better our brain muscles work. Scientists have also proven that play is a necessary survival skill, important at every age. Play, it turns out, is an activity that lights up the brain like nothing else. Employing an individual, playful approach in learning naturally increases the learning. In this instance, schools have their approach backwards. More physical activity rather than less, more creativity rather than less, more playfulness rather than less, would dramatically improve academic skills and test scores. – Laurie Block Spigel, from Education Uncensored Bicycling Boating Camping Cricket Dancing Exercise Golf Hiking Ice Skating Sailing Soccer Skating Swimming Tai Chi Tennis Walking Check out What's Free or Cheap in NYC for Phys. Ed. and Summer Phys. Ed. BeFitNYC – places to go, classes to take, and teams to join within Parks & Recreation. NY State Assembly Bill #A07609 Prohibits school districts from disallowing homeschooled students from participating in district interscholastic sports. Childhood Obesity in New York City Elementary School Students 2010 Shape of the Nation Report. (pdf format) This new report from NASPE and the American Heart Association will help bring attention to the need for quality physical education programs that increase the health, academic performance and well-being of all children and adolescents. Phys. Ed. for Special Ed. The Amateur Athletic Union offers amateur athletes and volunteers opportunities to develop to their highest level through a national and local network of sporting events. The Center for Disease Control's Healthy Youth! offers information on the connection between student health and academic achievement. Madison Square Boys & Girls Club has clubhouses in the Bronx and Brooklyn that offer after school and summer programs that help build happy, healthy and productive lives for thousands of New York City's most vulnerable kids. NYC Dept. of Ed. Office of School Wellness Programs NYC Parks & Recreation is New York City's principal provider of recreational and athletic facilities and programs. They operate more than 800 athletic fields and nearly 1,000 playgrounds, 550 tennis courts, 66 public pools, 48 recreational facilities, 13 golf courses, and 14 miles of beaches.

Bicycling

There are "greenways" and bike paths throughout the five boroughs.

• Safe Bicycling in New York City (pdf format). Contains a summary listing of the rules and regulations governing cycling.
• NY Bicycling Coalition. News, events, clubs, safety, and more.
• Bike New York organizes various bike rides and lists a bunch of resoures.
• Bicycle Information from NYC Dept. of Transportation - includes free biking maps, legal requirements, safety info, and more.
• Education Resources from the League of American bicyclists.
• See also Track Cycling.

Boating

• New York City Sailing Lessons
• Boating in Central Park

Camping

Camping can be a very economical getaway to spend time with family, friends or even by yourself. Whether you plan to unwind or be active, connecting with nature can offer a variety of health benefits both physically and mentally.

• Recreation.gov - a one-stop shop for trip planning, information sharing and reservations by 12 federal participating partners.
• Forestcamping.com - browse a deep-rooted list of campgrounds in all 157 national forests and grasslands
• Reserveamerica.com - search a vast campground directory, plan a trip and much more

Cricket

• Cricket Fields in the NYC parks
• An Explanation of Cricket
• Cricket Rules
• Cricket from Wikipedia

Dancing

• American Tap Dance Foundation
• The Irish Cultural Center holds bi-monthly Irish Dance Lessons at the Alba House 2187 Victory Blvd. $5. Refreshments are provided courtesy of the Center. For additional information, please call (718) 667-8842.

Exercise

• Exercise and Fitness for Kids

Golf

• CityParks Junior Golf Center and CityParks Golf offer free golf instruction to New York City children between the ages of 7-17.
• First Tee is an organization committed to:
  • Teaching juniors the game of golf and all its great values.
  • Offering youngsters through golf instruction a seamless exposure to life skills values.
  • Promoting the game as a family activity.
  • Developing not only new golfers, but better people.

  These programs are open to boys and girls age 7 to 17, and are designed to teach children more than golf. "We want to produce new golfers, but we also want to produce better people," said Barry McLaughlin, executive director of the First Tee program at Mosholu. Through outreach to the South Bronx YMCA, the Madison Square Boys and Girls Club, and the Public School Athletic League, McLaughlin expects to bring golfing opportunities to 4,000 youngsters this summer. Individuals are also welcome to take advantage of the program. Individuals are also welcome to take advantage of the program. Scholarships and opportunities to volunteer at major games available. Locations include Chelsea Piers in Manhattan and Moshulu Park in the Bronx.

• Miniature Golf in NYC.

Hiking

• Read Laurie's article on Family Hiking Trails in NYC
• New York-New Jersey Trail Conference is a federation of 104 hiking clubs and environmental organizations and 10,000 individuals dedicated to building and maintaining marked hiking trails and protecting related open space in the bi-state region. You can volunteer to help maintain these trails.
• Here's a list of NYC area hiking clubs.

Ice Skating

Grab your skates and head to one of the City's six ice skating rinks listed below:

• Abe Stark Rink, Brooklyn. Admission: $8, skate rental: $5.
• Kate Wollman, Brooklyn. Admission for adults: $5, children/seniors: $3, skate rental: $5.50.
• Lasker Rink, Manhattan. Admission for adults: $4.50, children/seniors: $2.25, skate rental: $4.75.
• The Pond at Bryant Park, Manhattan. Admission: FREE, skate rental: $12.
• Wollman Rink, Manhattan. Admission varies, call 311 for information.
• War Memorial Rink, Staten Island. Admission: $8, skate rental: $5.

Fore more information, see NYC Parks & Recreation's Ice Skating Rinks.

Sailing

• Manhattan Sailing Club
• New York City Sailing Lessons
• Sail New York. Affordable, public access sailing in New York Harbor since 1996

Soccer

The word "soccer" comes from England. It is an alteration of "assoc.", which is an abbreviation of "association football" (differentiated from Rugby football).

• Soccer Fields in NYC parks
• Summer of Soccer: boys and girls ages 8-19 participate in a six-on-six drop-in competitive league in locations in each borough. The program takes place in July and August. For more info call (212) 360-3300.
• NY Co-Ed Soccer League
• Super Soccer Stars runs camps and clinics.

Skating

• Skate Parks run by the NYC Dept. of Parks & Recreation, spread throughout the five boroughs, offer an opportunity for individuals to perfect their skills on inline skates, skateboards, and bikes.

Swimming

Swimming is fun and good exercise, but it can also lead to tragedy. Take heed of these Water Safety Tips.

• NYC Swimming Pools

Tai Chi

• Tai Chi for Kids
• Yoga and Tai Chi for Kids

Tennis

• City Parks Tennis provides free instruction to kids in the summer. My kids did this and they loved it. It's offered for ages 5-16 in 36 parks in the five boroughs.
• Here's the list of NYC tennis courts in parks in all five boroughs. Call the individual court to find out if they offer lessons and what they charge. You have to purchase a permit to use them, which is $100/year/adult or $7/ticket/adult (single play), but just $10/year/child (age 17 and under) – which is a great deal for kids.

Walking

As well as being great exercise, you can learn something wherever you walk - from architecture to zoology.

• Walking, from About.com, offers hundreds of links.