Your local YMCA or YWCA can provide a year-round foundation for exercise to keep your children healthy. If this resource isn't reasonably available there are still even more options to provide your children a healthy lifestyles foundation. Martial Arts classes are a great start for children of any age and can help develop not only a healthy body, but a more focused and disciplined mind. Dance classes are an incredible way for your children to have fun and develop strong bodies, many homeschool parents have even exclaimed how their children's have benefited from taking martial arts or performing in a dancenter.

When African American children are taught to focus and learn a new skill, with their flexible and creative minds they begin to transfer same training to their homeschool studies. Dance classes have many choices to make between modern dance, tap dance, ballet and jazz to name a few. Let's also remember to possibly enroll your children in foundation yoga classes and tumbling classes for flexible minds and bodies.

I personally have a neighborhood resource here in North Texas thru a great professional dance teacher Kristy Jo. She works with children of all ages and has a specific stretch and movement class exclusively for homeschoolers. As we find other resources we will continue to update this incredible info for our children's healthy lifestyle, so don't forget to keep in touch.

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Daviyd Peterson: 10-year consultant, instructor, trainer Helps african american homeschools bridge the digital divide by becoming computer homeschools. Free article on "Computer Homeschooling" and other related articles http://www.homeschoolwireless.com/homeschoolwireless.htm

6. Let children play Animal Charades. Whisper an animal's name to a child, have him act like that animal, and have other children guess name of animal.

7. Cut out pictures of animals from newspapers, magazines, catalogues, flyers, brochures, or any other resource. Have children make collages of pets, farm animals, zoo animals, large animals, small animals...you get idea.

8. Discuss what kind of animal would make a good pet for your classroom or living situation. Write down positives and negatives. What will pet need for food and living space? What supplies will it need? Who will take care of it? When pet grows bigger, will it still be suitable for your classroom or living situation? What will you do with your pet when you go on vacation or when weather is extremely bad? Will you be able to afford this pet's upkeep? Will this pet get along well with children?? Take all these factors into consideration when you make a decision as to pet you should choose!

7. Discuss how to treat animals at zoo or those that are wild. Should you feed them?

8. How should you treat animals with special needs, such as manatees?

9. Discuss seeing-eye dogs and police dogs. Should you bother them when they are working?

I hope these ideas have been useful and have inspired your own creativity. Remember...Reading is FUNdamental!!