How to Make Physical Education Equipment

Physical education equipment can be expensive, and many schools do not have large budgets for PE classes.  There are many ways to use household items to construct homemade physical education equipment.  Many types of equipment can also be made for home use, as well.

• Make your own weights by filling old milk jugs with sand, water or pebbles.  The milk jugs will be different weights depending on what is used to fill the jug up.  You can also use stacks of old phone books tied together with string.


• Construct tennis rackets; gather an old wire hanger, sports tape and a nylon stocking.  Bend the wire hanger into a loop and twist the two ends together.  The ends will become the handle.  Wrap sports tape, or even duct tape, around the ends to reinforce the handle.  Slide the nylon stocking over the loop and tighten the end in place with a rubber band.


• Purchase old tires from a used tire store.  Lay the tires out in the yard in the form of an obstacle course.  Stand on end for climbing and jumping exercises, or lay flat for agility practice.  The students can run across the tires by stepping in just the holes.


• Attach plastic containers, such as cups, to the end of long sticks.  Yard sticks work great for this.  Use glue, duct tape or a nail to attach the scoop on the bottom of the stick.  You can also attach cut-out sections of Plexiglas to the end to form hockey sticks.


• Cut out the bottom of a trash basket and hang on the wall to make a basketball hoop.  To remove the bottom, use wire cutters for metal baskets or craft shears for plastic bins.  Wrap a tennis ball with duct tape to make it bigger and heavier and use as a basketball.


• Attach two sticks to either end of a long section of fabric.  This can be used for goals, such as in soccer, or nets, as in volleyball.  Attach using glue or sew a loop at the end of the fabric for the stick to go through.