What makes a good obstacle course?

Clementine Mann
2025-07-05 12:29:33
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: 9
When designing your own obstacle course—whether indoors or out—consider the various elements that make it both fun and challenging. Try to give your child: something to jump to, over, and into. something to crawl through or under, such as a play tunnel, a table, or a chair. something to walk on carefully, a board laid flat on the ground. something to climb over, like pillows, bean bag chairs, or large stuffed animals. something to wind their way around, like cones on the ground that they have to weave through. something to run to—you can have the obstacle course finish with a short sprint into your arms. You can extend the course by having them do it backwards, sideways, or even blindfolded.
Before drawing the course, think about physical activities your child can already do. Then, plan the chalkstacle course accordingly, adding a few new challenges for them to try. A great way to start is to have them walk a simple line on the ground. You can make the line with chalk, tape, the edge of a carpet or floorboard, or a line on the sidewalk. This is a fun way to practice balance before they get to the trickier parts of an obstacle course. If this is your child’s first time, consider starting small—just a few elements from start to finish—so they can feel successful before you add more.

Astrid Powlowski
2025-06-27 07:03:21
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: 8
Use wool or baking twine to add a laser-style course to climb through
Hang balloons under the table to make a balloon obstacle tunnel
Hang balloons for child to jump up to hit
Use washi tape or painting tape to make a straight line to balance along, a zig zag, a line to bunny hop over from side to side, or to make arrows
Cardboard boxes with holes to climb through
Cardboard boxes with holes to throw bean bags
Make an action dice from a cube shaped box, throw the dice and then follow the action
Use ropes to make obstacles or to skip on the spot
Hoops to jump into, smaller hoops too, or use as hula hoops
Blankets between two chairs to make a tunnel
Cushions can become stepping stones or landing spots to jump from a step
Make a balance beam from rolling up a carpet/rug
Ikea tunnels
Soft balls or bean bags to make a throwing game
Stepping stones
Chalk to make a squiggly line to follow or hopscotch
Forward roll along a mat
Sofa cushions can be made into tunnels, stepping stones etc
Play “the floor is lava/water” and balance on the various obstacles without touching the ground
Use a ride on car or scooter to move between stations
Make a cardboard car
Climbing under dining chairs
Climbing over dining chairs
Roll on fitness ball (with assistance)
Wobbleboard/Pikler triangle can be used as elements in your obstacle course
Throw balls into a box
Do star jumps
Make a rug/carpet “water” and they have to swim through it or walk around it
Jump on balance bike to collect something and bring it to a box
Make tin can stilts for kids with two cans and some string
Flop into beanbag
Make obstacles into a “forest” or “climb the mountain”
Hang up a laundry basket on the door handle to make a basketball hoop and they can throw ball in
Cones make good obstacles
Make a hopscotch with paper for each square
Use a twister mat
Place one boot on your foot and hop along a line without touching the other foot down
Use delivery crates to climb into
Make footprints from paper
A box wtih strings that you need to climb through
Make sensory stepping stones with dried beans or pasta
Hang scarves to touch or walk through
Push a ball
Set up the course in the corridor
Walk around the poles
Make stepping stones or path from foam mat
Use a board with wheels to sit or lie on
Hang bunting as an obstacle to climb over
Make pebbles from paper stuck down (or maybe books if you don’t mind them walking on books)
Egg and spoon race – use a paper plate with chopsticks (spoon) and balance a balloon (egg) or use them to play table tennis
Have an alternate path they can choose to take
Have a toy caterpillar to “rescue”
Make a narrow bridge to cross
Use shoes or hats as obstacles to walk around
Read also
- How to create an outdoor obstacle course?
- How to organize an obstacle course?
- How to make an obstacle course more challenging?
- How to make a tunnel for an obstacle course?
- How to set up a Ninja Warrior course without trees?
- What are the measurements for an obstacle course?
- How many obstacles are normally there in an obstacle course?
- What are the risks of the obstacle course?
- How do you make an easy indoor obstacle course?