What does physical education look like at this age?

Students spend most of class moving. They practice running, hopping, skipping, jumping, and balancing, and they learn to throw, catch, kick, and roll a ball. A lot of it looks like games and play, but each activity is building a specific skill.

How can families support this at home?

Give students time outside every day to run, climb, and play with a ball. Five to ten minutes of practice tossing a ball back and forth, hopping on one foot, or balancing on a line goes a long way. Active play counts.

How should the year be sequenced?

Start with locomotor skills like walking, running, and jumping, since students need those before anything else. Add balance and body control next, then bring in tossing, catching, and kicking once students can move safely in shared space. Save partner and small-group games for later in the year.

What does mastery look like by the end of the year?

Students can run, hop, skip, jump, and gallop without falling or crashing into others. They can toss and catch a large ball, kick a still ball, and follow simple game rules. They also know how to take turns and share equipment.

My child seems clumsy compared to other students. Should I worry?

Probably not. Skills like skipping and catching come in at different times for different students, and a lot of growth happens between fall and spring. Short, frequent practice at home, like tossing a beanbag or hopping across the kitchen, helps more than long sessions.

Which skills usually need the most reteaching?

Skipping, galloping, and catching a ball in the air are the slowest to develop. Many students also need extra practice stopping safely and keeping their hands to themselves during active games. Plan to revisit these throughout the year rather than teaching them once.

How do social skills fit into a physical education class?

Sharing equipment, taking turns, and playing without pushing are part of the work. Students learn to listen for a signal, line up, and cheer for classmates instead of only themselves. These habits show up in every lesson, not just the games.

How do I know students are ready for first grade physical education?

Look for students who can move through a busy space without bumping into others, follow two-step directions, and try a skill again after missing it. Students who can do those three things will keep growing next year, even if their throwing or catching is still rough.

What does a student learn in ?

This is the year movement becomes a skill students practice on purpose. Students learn to run, hop, skip, and jump with more control, and they start to balance, stretch, throw, and catch. They also learn how to share space safely, take turns, and follow simple rules during games. By spring, students can move through an active game with classmates, listen for directions, and name one reason being active feels good.

Running and jumping
Throwing and catching
Balance
Taking turns
Following directions
Active play

Source: New Jersey New Jersey Student Learning Standards

Year at a glance

How the year usually goes. Every school and district set their own curriculum, so treat this as a guide, not official pacing.

1
Moving safely together
Students learn how to move around the gym without bumping into others. They practice listening for signals to start and stop, and they learn the routines that keep everyone safe during active play.
2
Running, jumping, and balancing
Students try out the basic ways the body moves. They run, hop, skip, gallop, and balance on one foot, building the coordination that shows up later on the playground and in sports.
3
Throwing, catching, and kicking
Students start handling balls and beanbags. They practice rolling, tossing, catching, and kicking, and they begin to notice how their body moves to send something where they want it to go.
4
Playing and cooperating
Students join simple games and group activities. They take turns, share equipment, follow rules, and cheer for classmates, learning what it feels like to be part of a team.
5
Moving for a healthy body
Students notice what active play does to the body, like a faster heartbeat and warmer skin. They start to see exercise as something fun they can choose at recess and at home.

Mastery Learning Standards

The required skills a student should display by the end of Kindergarten.

Physical Education

Develop a variety of motor skills, including locomotor, non-locomotor

NJ-PE.1.k

Students practice moving their bodies in basic ways: running, jumping, balancing, and throwing or catching. Building these early movement skills helps students stay active as they grow.
Apply knowledge related to movement, performance

NJ-PE.2.k

Students learn basic rules about how their body moves, like bending their knees when they land or standing tall when they walk. That knowledge helps them join in games and activities with better control.
Develop social skills through movement, including respect for self and others…

NJ-PE.3.k

Students practice taking turns, listening to classmates, and working together during movement activities. They learn to follow group rules and treat others with care.
Develop personal skills, identify personal benefits of movement

NJ-PE.4.k

Students practice moving their bodies every day and start to notice how it makes them feel. They learn that staying active is something worth choosing, not just something school asks them to do.

Standard	Definition	Code
Develop a variety of motor skills, including locomotor, non-locomotor	Students practice moving their bodies in basic ways: running, jumping, balancing, and throwing or catching. Building these early movement skills helps students stay active as they grow.	NJ-PE.1.k
Apply knowledge related to movement, performance	Students learn basic rules about how their body moves, like bending their knees when they land or standing tall when they walk. That knowledge helps them join in games and activities with better control.	NJ-PE.2.k
Develop social skills through movement, including respect for self and others…	Students practice taking turns, listening to classmates, and working together during movement activities. They learn to follow group rules and treat others with care.	NJ-PE.3.k
Develop personal skills, identify personal benefits of movement	Students practice moving their bodies every day and start to notice how it makes them feel. They learn that staying active is something worth choosing, not just something school asks them to do.	NJ-PE.4.k

Physical Education

Develop a variety of motor skills, including locomotor, non-locomotor

NJ-PE.1.k

Students practice moving their bodies in basic ways: running, jumping, balancing, and throwing or catching. Building these early movement skills helps students stay active as they grow.
Apply knowledge related to movement, performance

NJ-PE.2.k

Students learn basic rules about how their body moves, like bending their knees when they land or standing tall when they walk. That knowledge helps them join in games and activities with better control.
Develop social skills through movement, including respect for self and others…

NJ-PE.3.k

Students practice taking turns, listening to classmates, and working together during movement activities. They learn to follow group rules and treat others with care.
Develop personal skills, identify personal benefits of movement

NJ-PE.4.k

Students practice moving their bodies every day and start to notice how it makes them feel. They learn that staying active is something worth choosing, not just something school asks them to do.

Standard	Definition	Code
Develop a variety of motor skills, including locomotor, non-locomotor	Students practice moving their bodies in basic ways: running, jumping, balancing, and throwing or catching. Building these early movement skills helps students stay active as they grow.	NJ-PE.1.k
Apply knowledge related to movement, performance	Students learn basic rules about how their body moves, like bending their knees when they land or standing tall when they walk. That knowledge helps them join in games and activities with better control.	NJ-PE.2.k
Develop social skills through movement, including respect for self and others…	Students practice taking turns, listening to classmates, and working together during movement activities. They learn to follow group rules and treat others with care.	NJ-PE.3.k
Develop personal skills, identify personal benefits of movement	Students practice moving their bodies every day and start to notice how it makes them feel. They learn that staying active is something worth choosing, not just something school asks them to do.	NJ-PE.4.k

Common Questions

What does physical education look like at this age?
Students spend most of class moving. They practice running, hopping, skipping, jumping, and balancing, and they learn to throw, catch, kick, and roll a ball. A lot of it looks like games and play, but each activity is building a specific skill.
How can families support this at home?
Give students time outside every day to run, climb, and play with a ball. Five to ten minutes of practice tossing a ball back and forth, hopping on one foot, or balancing on a line goes a long way. Active play counts.
How should the year be sequenced?
Start with locomotor skills like walking, running, and jumping, since students need those before anything else. Add balance and body control next, then bring in tossing, catching, and kicking once students can move safely in shared space. Save partner and small-group games for later in the year.
What does mastery look like by the end of the year?
Students can run, hop, skip, jump, and gallop without falling or crashing into others. They can toss and catch a large ball, kick a still ball, and follow simple game rules. They also know how to take turns and share equipment.
My child seems clumsy compared to other students. Should I worry?
Probably not. Skills like skipping and catching come in at different times for different students, and a lot of growth happens between fall and spring. Short, frequent practice at home, like tossing a beanbag or hopping across the kitchen, helps more than long sessions.
Which skills usually need the most reteaching?
Skipping, galloping, and catching a ball in the air are the slowest to develop. Many students also need extra practice stopping safely and keeping their hands to themselves during active games. Plan to revisit these throughout the year rather than teaching them once.
How do social skills fit into a physical education class?
Sharing equipment, taking turns, and playing without pushing are part of the work. Students learn to listen for a signal, line up, and cheer for classmates instead of only themselves. These habits show up in every lesson, not just the games.
How do I know students are ready for first grade physical education?
Look for students who can move through a busy space without bumping into others, follow two-step directions, and try a skill again after missing it. Students who can do those three things will keep growing next year, even if their throwing or catching is still rough.