What does PE look like at this age?

Most class time is spent moving in big, simple ways: running, hopping, skipping, kicking a ball, tossing a beanbag, balancing on one foot. Students also practice taking turns, following directions, and playing without bumping into each other.

How can I help my child build these skills at home?

Pick one skill a week and play with it for ten minutes. Hop on one foot to the mailbox. Toss a rolled-up sock into a laundry basket. Walk heel-to-toe along a line of tape. Short, repeated practice beats a long session.

My child is clumsy. Should I be worried?

Coordination at this age is uneven and that is normal. Children grow into their bodies at different rates. Keep offering chances to climb, balance, throw, and catch. Improvement usually shows up over months, not weeks.

How should I sequence motor skills across the year?

Start with locomotor skills like walking, running, and hopping in open space. Add non-locomotor skills like balancing, twisting, and stretching once students can control their bodies. Save manipulative skills like throwing and kicking for later, when students can keep their eyes on a target.

Which skills usually need the most reteaching?

Skipping and galloping take the longest to click. Catching is also slow, because students often close their eyes or grab too late. Plan to revisit these every few weeks rather than teaching them once and moving on.

How do I help students who get upset losing a game?

Use games where everyone moves at once and no one is out. Tag variations, follow-the-leader, and station rotations keep students active without picking winners. Talk about effort and trying again rather than who came first.

How will I know my child is ready for next year?

By spring, students should run, jump, and hop without falling, toss a ball toward a target, follow a two-step direction, and play with a partner without melting down. If most of these are in place, they are ready.

What does a student learn in ?

Kindergarten is the year students learn to move with purpose. They practice the basics that make a body feel coordinated: running, skipping, hopping, jumping, throwing, catching, and balancing. Along the way, they learn to share space, take turns, and listen during games. By spring, students can follow simple directions in a group activity and bounce or toss a ball with some control.

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

Source: New Hampshire New Hampshire College and Career Ready 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 a gym or playground without bumping into others. They practice listening for signals like start, stop, and freeze, and find their own space to work in.
2
Running, hopping, and skipping
Students try the basic ways the body travels. They walk, run, hop, jump, gallop, and skip across the floor, and learn that warming up the body feels different from sitting still.
3
Throwing, catching, and kicking
Students start handling balls and beanbags. They roll, toss, catch, kick, and bounce, and figure out how to aim at a target or a partner.
4
Playing fair with classmates
Students work in pairs and small groups for simple games and tag. They practice taking turns, sharing equipment, using kind words, and following the rules of the activity.
5
Choosing to be active
Students notice how moving makes them feel and pick activities they enjoy. They talk about why exercise is good for the body and try out games they can play at home or at recess.

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

NH-PE.1.k

Students practice basic ways to move their body: running, jumping, rolling, and throwing or catching. Building these skills early makes it easier to stay active and join in games as they grow.
Apply knowledge related to movement, performance

NH-PE.2.k

Students learn basic ideas about how their bodies move and stay healthy, then use those ideas when they run, jump, and play. It connects what they know to what they do in gym class.
Develop social skills through movement, including respect for self and others…

NH-PE.3.k

Students practice getting along while they move. In games and activities, they take turns, listen to others, and act responsibly as part of a group.
Develop personal skills, identify personal benefits of movement

NH-PE.4.k

Students practice basic movement skills and start to notice how moving their body feels good. They begin choosing to be active on their own, not just when told to.

Standard	Definition	Code
Develop a variety of motor skills, including locomotor, non-locomotor	Students practice basic ways to move their body: running, jumping, rolling, and throwing or catching. Building these skills early makes it easier to stay active and join in games as they grow.	NH-PE.1.k
Apply knowledge related to movement, performance	Students learn basic ideas about how their bodies move and stay healthy, then use those ideas when they run, jump, and play. It connects what they know to what they do in gym class.	NH-PE.2.k
Develop social skills through movement, including respect for self and others…	Students practice getting along while they move. In games and activities, they take turns, listen to others, and act responsibly as part of a group.	NH-PE.3.k
Develop personal skills, identify personal benefits of movement	Students practice basic movement skills and start to notice how moving their body feels good. They begin choosing to be active on their own, not just when told to.	NH-PE.4.k

Physical Education

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

NH-PE.1.k

Students practice basic ways to move their body: running, jumping, rolling, and throwing or catching. Building these skills early makes it easier to stay active and join in games as they grow.
Apply knowledge related to movement, performance

NH-PE.2.k

Students learn basic ideas about how their bodies move and stay healthy, then use those ideas when they run, jump, and play. It connects what they know to what they do in gym class.
Develop social skills through movement, including respect for self and others…

NH-PE.3.k

Students practice getting along while they move. In games and activities, they take turns, listen to others, and act responsibly as part of a group.
Develop personal skills, identify personal benefits of movement

NH-PE.4.k

Students practice basic movement skills and start to notice how moving their body feels good. They begin choosing to be active on their own, not just when told to.

Standard	Definition	Code
Develop a variety of motor skills, including locomotor, non-locomotor	Students practice basic ways to move their body: running, jumping, rolling, and throwing or catching. Building these skills early makes it easier to stay active and join in games as they grow.	NH-PE.1.k
Apply knowledge related to movement, performance	Students learn basic ideas about how their bodies move and stay healthy, then use those ideas when they run, jump, and play. It connects what they know to what they do in gym class.	NH-PE.2.k
Develop social skills through movement, including respect for self and others…	Students practice getting along while they move. In games and activities, they take turns, listen to others, and act responsibly as part of a group.	NH-PE.3.k
Develop personal skills, identify personal benefits of movement	Students practice basic movement skills and start to notice how moving their body feels good. They begin choosing to be active on their own, not just when told to.	NH-PE.4.k

Common Questions

What does PE look like at this age?
Most class time is spent moving in big, simple ways: running, hopping, skipping, kicking a ball, tossing a beanbag, balancing on one foot. Students also practice taking turns, following directions, and playing without bumping into each other.
How can I help my child build these skills at home?
Pick one skill a week and play with it for ten minutes. Hop on one foot to the mailbox. Toss a rolled-up sock into a laundry basket. Walk heel-to-toe along a line of tape. Short, repeated practice beats a long session.
My child is clumsy. Should I be worried?
Coordination at this age is uneven and that is normal. Children grow into their bodies at different rates. Keep offering chances to climb, balance, throw, and catch. Improvement usually shows up over months, not weeks.
How should I sequence motor skills across the year?
Start with locomotor skills like walking, running, and hopping in open space. Add non-locomotor skills like balancing, twisting, and stretching once students can control their bodies. Save manipulative skills like throwing and kicking for later, when students can keep their eyes on a target.
Which skills usually need the most reteaching?
Skipping and galloping take the longest to click. Catching is also slow, because students often close their eyes or grab too late. Plan to revisit these every few weeks rather than teaching them once and moving on.
How do I help students who get upset losing a game?
Use games where everyone moves at once and no one is out. Tag variations, follow-the-leader, and station rotations keep students active without picking winners. Talk about effort and trying again rather than who came first.
How will I know my child is ready for next year?
By spring, students should run, jump, and hop without falling, toss a ball toward a target, follow a two-step direction, and play with a partner without melting down. If most of these are in place, they are ready.