20 Health and Physical Education Resources to Bring Your Class to Life

Health is a key aspect to living a fulfilling life. Physical education is far more than just a break from academics-it’s essential for brain health, focus, and social-emotional growth. When students move, they boost memory, concentration, and overall well-being, making Health & PE a vital part of the school day. By teaching the “why” behind self-care and movement, you’re giving students tools that are just as essential as math or social studies—tools that help them thrive both in and out of the classroom.

Even the most creative Health & PE teachers sometimes need fresh inspiration to keep classes exciting and inclusive. The right resources can make all the difference, providing lesson plans, activity ideas, and articles that support both physical and mental health. 

We’ve curated a selection of educator-approved sites, such as SHAPE America, which offers national standards, ready-to-use lesson plans, and a wealth of professional resources. Open PE delivers free, grade-specific modules and creative activities for all K-12 levels, supporting teachers with adaptable and inclusive content. These tools are designed to spark new ideas, support your professional growth, and help every student enjoy moving and learning in your class.

22 Simple Ways to Get Healthier With Minimal Effort
This article provides students with quick and practical ways to improve their daily health. The assignment encourages self-reflection as students discuss how each tip fits into their routines or how they can incorporate healthy habits into their lives. (James C. 9-12)

American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM)
The benefit of this site is that it provides excellent continuing education credits and a wide range of articles on exercise, physical health, and mental well-being. ACSM also offers webinars and resources for ongoing professional development for teachers of all age groups. (Gabriella V. 9-12)

BetterLesson
This site offers simple, standards-aligned lesson plans, instructional strategies, and professional development resources for all K-12 subjects, including health and PE. (Wayne I. 6-8)

BrainPop
This site has a health and SEL section that is very useful for implementing health topics into lesson plans. The engaging videos and activities help students understand important health, fitness, and social-emotional concepts. (Marcela U. K-5; 6-8)

Chowan University Free K-12 Educational Resources
The benefit of this website is that it provides example lesson plans specifically for health and physical education teachers, along with a curated list of additional websites students can use as resources. It’s a comprehensive hub for free, high-quality materials that support both teaching and student learning in health and PE. (Courtney S. 9-12)

Dynamic PE ASAP
Dynamic PE ASAP is a resource a colleague of mine introduced to me to help with lesson planning. This resource is great to get ideas for lesson planning, inspiration on activities, and much more. Ever since I was introduced to this site, planning lessons has gotten easier, and my lessons have gone smoother. For anyone in the PE department, I highly suggest this source. (Alexander L. 6-8)

Edutopia
Edutopia may help accommodate different learners and give you ideas to diversify your learning activities. (David D. 9-12; 6-8)

Kid Health in the Classroom
It provides free health-related lesson plans for various grade levels. The lessons cover topics such as nutrition, mental health, and personal safety. (John D. 6-8)

McGraw-Hill
McGraw-Hill is a very useful site that colleagues and I use daily in the health education setting. This site is a useful tool for subject content that follows the NJ state standards. It includes all units and materials for the classroom and are specific to each district. A subscription is needed that my school has provided. Overall, the resource paves the way for my health classes providing unit lessons, activities, assessment materials, pacing guides, and so much more. I highly recommend using this site. (Alexander L. 6-8)

Open PE
Open Phys Ed provides access to lesson plans, lesson outlines and various new games and activities that can be used in any physical education teacher's class at any grade level. (Chris M. K-5)

PE Central
It includes lesson plans, assessment ideas, and a variety of activities for different age groups. The site also offers a section specifically for middle school PE. (John D. 6-8)

PBS LearningMedia
This platform is a great media resource for visual learners, offering a variety of interactive and video-based health and physical education materials for students of all ages. (Daris D. K-5)

Physical Edge
Physical Edge provides excellent professional development for Physical educators. We have them now. They have consulting services, health education, curriculum writing and a myriad of great resources and tips. (Ashley P. 9-12)

Shape America
This site is a valuable resource for online tools, national standards, curriculum guides, assessments, and current content relevant to health and physical education. SHAPE America supports teachers with practical materials and professional development opportunities. (Crista S. 9-12)

Share My Lesson
This website is simple to navigate and packed with high-quality content, offering free lesson plans and resources for health and physical education across grade levels. (Wayne I. 6-8)

Spark PE
Spark provides a good range of lesson plans for multiple grade levels and subjects, including ideas for limited space and equipment, as well as at-home options. (Christopher C. K-5)

Teachers Pay Teachers
This popular site offers a huge range of resources, including activities, games, and lessons for health and physical education. (Kathi P. K-5)

Teachers Toolbox Health Education
This website provides PDF access to reputable health education articles from the American Journal of Health Education, making it a valuable resource for any professional teaching health or wellness. (Courtney S. 9-12)

Ted Talk: The Importance of PE
This video features a professional discussing the vital role of physical education in today’s schools, sharing statistics and personal stories that highlight how movement and PE can boost student success and confidence, especially for students with special needs. (James C. 9-12)

The PE Specialist
This website has awesome resources for PE teachers to use and implement into their own lessons, including videos, lesson ideas, and teaching strategies. (Zachary A. K-5; 6-8)

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