Best Health & PE Curricula for Middle Schoolers (Grades 6-8)

Most of us didn’t have a great experience in middle school PE. It often felt uncomfortable to run, sweat, and then return to class, an experience that, thankfully, our homeschoolers get to skip! Traditional PE often consisted of generic games or fitness challenges, like timed mile runs, that didn’t take into account everyone’s athletic preferences or abilities.

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Fortunately, this subject area has come a long way and, especially for homeschoolers, has become more personalized, inclusive, and is able to showcase the fun of movement!. Middle-school health and PE instruction thrives in the homeschool setting, and we’ll explain more below. 

What Is a Middle School Health and Physical Education (PE) Curriculum for Homeschoolers?

This is a flexible plan designed to support kids in grades 6–8 as they develop healthy lifestyle habits and better understand their bodies as they change. For some families, it may include textbook or online instruction for health topics paired with documented physical activity. For others, it may look more experiential, movement-based, or integrated into daily life.

How learning health and PE changes from elementary to middle school

Just as kids’ bodies change dramatically from elementary to middle school, so do the subjects designed to help them learn about it all. There can be several big shifts in focus once a child gets to 6th grade.

Physical education
In elementary school, PE is primarily about motor skills: skipping, balancing on one leg, or throwing a ball. But in middle school, a whole new world of physical literacy opens up. Instead of just playing basketball, kids now learn drills to improve their dribbling and free-throw shooting. At this age, they learn the science behind exercise, including the FITT Principle (frequency, intensity, time, and type) and how to monitor heart rate. They move from general physical activity to individualized fitness tracking, and as homeschoolers, this can also include the option for team sports with a homeschool group or individual lessons in a sport, like tennis. Homeschool PE programs can be built around each particular child and their unique likes and dislikes.

Health
The focus moves from the dos and don’ts of good hygiene and healthy behaviors to studying the complexity of the human body. Kids learn how the various systems work together, and are impacted by exercise, and they begin to understand nutrition science. Naturally, middle school is the time when puberty begins, so health instruction emphasizes understanding these biological changes.

Social and mental health
Young kids learn how to identify and share their emotions, but once in middle school, kids start to develop more advanced social skills and boundaries. They learn how to manage peer influence, stress, body image, and social media. They move to learning more mature conflict resolution strategies as they get older as well.

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Autonomy
There’s a huge shift in a child’s responsibilities when moving from elementary to middle school. Early on, parents usually organize the physical activities or take their kids to the park. But in middle school, kids are expected to take more ownership. They may choose a sport to play, schedule their workouts during and around other schoolwork, and research health-related topics. 

Topics Typically Taught in Middle School Homeschool Health and PE Curricula

Don’t worry, you won’t need to bark into a bullhorn or continually blow a shrill whistle to get your child’s attention. Today’s middle school health and PE curriculum is grounded in science and directly applies to your child’s lived experiences.  

In 6th-grade

Health and PE in the 6th-grade typically focuses on anatomical systems, changes in the body, and personal health goals. These are some of the most common topics covered:

• Health systems: Kids learn about physiology, especially the urinary, respiratory, and circulatory systems. They learn about the changes their bodies undergo during puberty and how macronutrients support health. They learn about substance abuse prevention and how chemicals affect the adolescent brain. First aid and basic safety are also covered.
• Social and mental health: At this age, kids are navigating new social dynamics, so health instruction includes information on social media and digital citizenship. Stress management, peer relationships, and conflict management are key topics.
• PE: Instead of just playing a game, kids at this age learn to understand a sport. Kids apply the FITT principle to their own exercise routines, refine their skills, and track their progress.
• Common projects: Kids are sometimes asked to help with cooking for family dinners, to help them understand how to meet specific nutritional needs and what constitutes a balanced meal. Kids may also design a home obstacle course, and create a stress management plan to help them tackle healthy conflict resolution with peers. 

In 7th-grade

Seventh grade is often considered the strategy year in health and PE. The previous year focused on body systems, but now the emphasis shifts to how your child’s biology, choices, and environment interact. There are four core areas of emphasis that are often covered:

• Health systems and risks: Instead of just identifying systems, kids learn how they work together. They cover communicable and non-communicable diseases, substance abuse, sexuality, and reproductive health.
• Social and mental health: The focus now moves to decision-making skills and resilience. Many curriculum materials include the HELP formula: Is it healthful, ethical, legal, and parent-approved? Kids often create their own mental health toolkit to help them deal with their fight-or-flight response when activated. They also learn about what makes a healthy relationship and the long-term effects of media consumption.
• PE: Kids might be asked to set SMART goals (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound) for nutrition and exercise, explore fitness technology, learn about sports etiquette, and engage in activities to promote lifelong movement.
• Common projects: Kids usually refine a personalized fitness plan, research various substances and the effects of their abuse, and study non-communicable diseases like Type 2 diabetes.  Kids may work on longer-term projects that encourage reflection and real-world application, such as tracking personal movement goals, exploring how lifestyle choices affect overall well-being, or researching age-appropriate health topics that connect to daily life.

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In 8th-grade

During the last year before high school, kids usually move from following instructions to more advanced analysis, independence, and leadership. Kids often begin applying everything they’ve learned to implement a healthy, self-managed lifestyle in these areas:

• Health: Kids learn to be critical consumers who can evaluate the health claims of various products and study the nutrient value in all foods, fruits, and vegetables. They also take a deeper dive into healthy dating relationships, setting boundaries, and the physical and emotional responsibilities related to reproductive health.
• Social and mental health: This year’s focus is on knowing how to manage oneself while helping others who may be in need. They learn where and how to seek professional help, how to use refusal strategies in high-pressure situations, how to resolve conflicts, and how to engage in digital advocacy.
• PE: The child now acts as their own fitness coach or personal trainer. Kids move beyond FITT to learn about progression and overload when exercising. They learn about the physics of movement, how to cross-train, and offensive and defensive strategies in various sports.
• Common projects: Eighth graders are often asked to create a personal health portfolio, develop a health advocacy campaign, and create a resource map identifying community resources, like parks, clinics, gyms, and mental health service centers. 

Main Types of Homeschool Health and PE Curricula for Middle Schoolers

The type of curriculum that will work best for you and your child will depend on your preferred delivery method and the level of involvement you want to have. There are four main types:

• Textbook-based: This is a traditional approach that treats health like a science class and PE like the lab component. Kids read chapters on nutrition, safety, and anatomy, and then answer questions or complete activities. A separate PE handbook usually teaches the history and rules of various sports. Parents who want clear written records of what was covered and kids who like a predictable, structured routine find this approach helpful.
• Video-led, self-paced: These are digital platforms in which a pre-recorded lesson covers a health topic, and PE involves “follow-along” workouts. Students who like to work independently and parents who want a hands-off approach often choose this option.
• Live, instructor-led: This approach uses real-time online classes to teach fitness, movement, or wellness topics with a live teacher. Rather than working through a textbook or pre-recorded videos, students participate in scheduled classes that may include group workouts, dance, sports skills, or mindfulness activities. Families who value accountability, social interaction, and outside instruction often find this format to be a helpful complement to at-home learning.
• Activity-based: This is an experiential approach that seeks to help kids learn by doing rather than by simply reading about it. Instead of using textbooks, this lifestyle-based method provides life challenges, like sleep and fitness tracking. This is a good option for student-athletes and active families.
• Unit studies: This integrated approach teaches health and PE but not as separate disciplines. Instead, it weaves them into other content areas, like biology or life science. For instance, when a child studies respiration in biology, they might also complete a PE segment on cardiovascular health. Families who like to see the big picture of how things connect find this approach helpful for understanding the why behind health choices. 

What to Consider When Choosing a Homeschool Health and PE Curriculum for a Middle School Learner

Without a doubt, health and PE are highly personal subjects. No longer the leader of playtime like you may have been during elementary school, you are now acting a bit more like a health and fitness consultant.

The best curriculum for you then will be one that fits with your child’s personality and learning needs and your state’s specific requirements.

Your state’s legal requirements

Some states require a certain number of hours of physical education per year (for example, 75 hours) and mandate specific health topics, such as substance abuse prevention, reproductive health, and fire safety. 

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Find out whether your state requires written logs of time and activities. Fortunately, you have an easy way to do that. Outschool provides detailed information about the homeschool laws in each state.

Preferred delivery method

Consider whether you want to involve the whole family in fitness activities together or prefer an online program that grades the work itself. 

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Also, consider the digital versus physical delivery methods that your child already uses for other subject areas. If history, math, and language arts are driven by online resources, then a physical textbook for health could provide a welcome screen break.

Your child’s preferences

If your child loves to compete, look for a curriculum that involves community sports or co-op teams in your community. But if your child is not a fan of team sports, look for a “lifestyle” curriculum that emphasizes movement through things like yoga, hiking, or even martial arts. Similarly, if your child is interested in science, they might prefer a health curriculum that’s heavy on the anatomy side.

Your family’s values

Let’s face it. Health education involves challenging topics like substance abuse, mental health, puberty, and reproduction, so you’ll want to make sure that the curriculum you choose aligns with your priorities and values. Some homeschool health programs are developed with a specific religious perspective in mind, while others are clinical and fact-based. Make sure you are comfortable with the way delicate subjects are handled when creating or deciding on a curriculum. 

Connections to other subjects

Think about how you might want to use health and PE content to reinforce other subject areas you are teaching. For instance, you might want a health curriculum that links to a biology or anatomy course your child is already taking. 

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How to Plan a Homeschool Health and PE Curriculum for a Middle School Learner

Worried that the health and PE program in your home will be a third-rate reproduction of 80s Jazzercise workouts? Well, don’t! Just follow these five manageable steps to implement a high-quality program, and your child will be well on their way to taking control of their own lifelong health and wellness. 

Step 1: Identify your benchmarks

Before selecting activities, decide what standards you want your child to hit. The guidance we’ve provided here lays out exactly the kind of targets you should shoot for.

Step 2: Choose a scope and sequence

A school year is usually 36 weeks, so divide that into units. It’s wise to rotate themes or emphases every 4-6 weeks. Then, within each unit, cover four aspects of the topic: 1) foundational knowledge, 2) skills and strategies, 3) risks and responsibilities, and 4) lifelong wellness.

Step 3: Select your delivery methods

For health, decide whether you want to use a textbook, pre-recorded videos, or live online classes. For PE, decide if you want to use YouTube workouts, connect with a local sports center, collaborate with a personal trainer, or lead the physical activity yourself.

Step 4: Select a method of documentation

Kids at this age need to take ownership of their fitness tracking. Have your child keep a physical activity log that includes the type of exercise, duration, and intensity. Then add this documentation to other project outputs, like nutrition labels they analyzed and a mental health toolkit, to create a health and PE portfolio. 

What a Middle School Homeschool Health and PE Curriculum Can Look Like in Practice

Planning for learning about health and PE will feel a lot different from scheduling math or literature classes. This is actually a real benefit because physical activity can be worked into any flexible learning plan! Think about scheduling by weaving together these four elements.

• Weekly schedule: There’s no need to plan health and PE for every day. Instead, you may consider PE as a daily exercise habit and health as a twice-a-week academic subject. Have your child identify the movement/exercise they will do each day and then add in related health content twice during the week.
• Health lab: Think about health as more than reading textbook chapters. Have your child apply the concepts from a textbook or video series to real-life labs by asking them to create family meal plans or anatomical models.
• Continual fitness: In many ways, your child can become their own personal trainer. PE then becomes a way of life. The goal is to make these kinds of fitness activities part of their lifestyle.
• Physical literacy portfolio: Have your child compile fitness logs, goal-tracking documents, health projects, and even certifications like Red Cross First Aid/CPR to demonstrate their learning. 

Best Homeschool Health and PE Curricula for Middle Schoolers

Thirty years ago, we would have questioned anyone who suggested that active physical education could work outside of a school gymnasium, in a regular home environment, and even online. But no more! Health and PE education in the 21st century is technologically advanced and far more practical than it’s ever been. Check out these fantastic options for teaching middle school health and PE at home.

Outschool’s online curricula and classes

With its full-curriculum courses, focused skill-building options, and one-on-one training opportunities, Outschool’s offerings appeal to parents who love the flexibility they offer. 

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Kids go nuts for their clever approach to making health and movement fun. Of course, who wouldn’t find classes like Pokemon PE, Kickboxing Cardio, Valentine Yoga, and Volleyball 101 captivating? Everything from super-fun, game-based movement to one-on-one personal training to advanced skill-building in every sport imaginable is available at different times and for different durations. 

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Also, health topics like Sports Psychology & Nutrition and Comprehensive Sexual Education help parents feel confident that their kids are getting what they need, not just for school but for life. 

Textbook approach

Often used in traditional classrooms, these books are highly structured and include a lot of scientific detail. Parents who don’t have much time for preparation may find the provided scope and sequence and end-of-chapter quizzes helpful. The text primarily covers health content, and the parent then supplements it with related movement activities.

Narrative approach

Health and PE can be part of the “Living Books” curriculum, too. This approach involves stories about how the body works, and parents supplement with biographies of athletes and scientists. Often, this content connects to what the child is learning in other subject areas, such as science, math, and literature. 

Digital libraries

Struggling readers or kids who are visual learners can learn health and PE through a pre-recorded video series. The digital content provides the instruction, and parents add in movement activities.

Project-based resources

Health and PE are subjects that kids can do, not just read about. If your child is a hands-on learner, try using cooking as a vehicle for health education. Also, consider combining physical activities with science through citizen science projects, like geocaching. Organizations like the Red Cross offer free first-aid and CPR courses that can be integrated into any health program.

Frequently Asked Questions: Middle School Homeschool Health and PE Curricula

Health and PE deals with kids’ personal topics: their choices, bodies, and lifestyles. But don’t let that intimidate you. With the guidance provided here and answers to some common questions, you’ll have everything you need!

How do I track or document health and PE for homeschool records?

Many states require documentation of minimum benchmarks for homeschool health and PE. Here are some options for keeping track of what’s important without spending too much time keeping records.

• Activity log: This is a simple logbook or spreadsheet that records the hours spent on health and PE. Fitness apps can do the same thing. But don’t keep track of everything yourself. Now that your child is in middle school, they should be responsible for keeping records up to date.
• Portfolio: If you’d rather not focus on time, you might prefer to collect artifacts that demonstrate your child’s growth. For instance, you could include a first aid certificate, a week-long family meal plan, and a written summary of a documentary about processed food. Photos are another great type of evidence. 
• Anecdotal journal: Instead of keeping track of hours in a logbook, this “teacher’s journal” is where you would jot down dates and important discussions, like when you covered social media privacy or the reproductive system. Here is also where you can list the articles or books you read together.
• Tracking apps: If you like technology, you might prefer one of the many types of apps available today. Some let you schedule PE as a recurring task and keep track of the hours logged, and some track data related to exertion, like heart rate and blood pressure. 

Can middle school health and PE prepare students for high school requirements?

Absolutely! Health and PE have “spiral” curricula, which means that with each year, the child goes back to previous content but engages with it at a higher level. For instance, in middle school, your child will be asked to describe something, like why sleep is so important. 

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In high school, they’ll return to the topic of sleep, but this time they’ll be asked to investigate how lack of sleep impacts mental health or metabolism. You can help your child prepare during middle school by having them track the time they spend exercising, how many steps they take, their heart rate before and after activity, and more.

Down With Dodgeball

Middle school health and PE can be both educational for kids and fun for the whole family. Since the homeschool environment offers flexible scheduling and opportunities for sibling involvement, this kind of academic preparation can actually promote family bonding. Use the tips we’ve shared here to help you select the right homeschool curriculum for your child. Health and PE success will be a slam dunk.

Sources

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“4 Important Considerations for Homeschooling.” American Psychological Association, 2024, www.apa.org/topics/schools-classrooms/homeschooling-considerations.

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Ray, Brian D. “Research Facts on Homeschooling.” National Home Education Research Institute, 2024, www.nheri.org/research-facts-on-homeschooling/.

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“National Standards & Grade-Level Outcomes for K-12 Physical Education.” SHAPE America, 2024, www.shapeamerica.org/standards/pe. 

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