Create an amazing kids obstacle course in your backyard with these super simple steps.
Kids playing aimlessly outside can sometimes mean disaster during school holidays and weekends. While it is good to let them explore without any parental resources, there’s only so much of that they can do before they are squabbling or even worse, back inside begging you for that ipad again!
Building a a simple obstacle course for kids is fun, cheap and super easy! And we all know that the benefits of exercise for kids are many (not to mention it wears them out so they can sleep well at night!)
What is a kid’s obstacle course?
A obstacle course for kids needn’t be complicated. All you need is some household items and a bit of yard space. Get your children moving by providing parts of the course that are challenging and also works different parts of their body and its skills! Things like crawling, hopping, running, balancing and jumping will all work their bodies and leave them feeling pumped!
Items required for a good obstacle course for kids?
Here’s some items you can gather up from home to build a fantastic obstacle course.
- Cardboard boxes – Use large cardboard boxes as tunnels or small ones like shoe boxes to have them aim and throw into.
- Laundry baskets – Laundry baskets can become so many things! Climb into them as a jumping task, use them as sleds or have children aim or collect balls in them as fast as they can.
- Ladder – lay a ladder flat and have children step through it
- Egg and spoon – Why not incorporate the classic egg and spoon race? If you don’t want to use eggs try golf balls on ladles which can be easier for younger children.
- Planks of wood – If you have a plank of wood and some smaller pieces you can easily lay out a simple balance beam for kids to walk across. Make it tricker by having them balance something on their head!
- Outdoor toys – If you have a cubby, slide or swing in your yard you can incorporate it into the course too. Try putting an inflatable pool at the end of a slide filled with water or soft, plastic balls.
How can you keep the kids interested in an obstacle course?
The best way to make sure you don’t go to all this effort and find the kid’s obstacle course only keeps them amused for minutes is to get their involvement in the design!
Older kids will love mapping out the best obstacle course ideas, coming up with rules and timing the challenges themselves! Have them try and beat their PBs and figure out ways to make the course easier or harder. It will have them amused for hours and out of your hair. On top of that they’ll be getting their minds and bodies healthy and active.
Take your obstacle course to the next level
If you’re looking for ways to up your home obstacle course game or even just improve outdoor play options at your place read on!
Vuly Swings Sets & Playsets
If you’ve never heard of Vuly, you are missing out! Vuly is famous for their innovative play equipment and they are arguably the BEST creators of safe, fun and stylish outdoor equipment in Australia. Their play equipment is built strong, looks amazing and kids LOVE IT!
Based in Brisbane Australia, Vuly has been at the global forefront of innovative engineering for trampolines, swing sets, monkey bars, basketball hoops, kids bikes and many other outdoor play products. We have Vuly products at home and they are without a doubt the best money we’ve ever invested in play equipment for our family. Our friends have Vuly equipment too, so trust us when we say once you buy Vuly you’ll never look elsewhere for outdoor play equipment because they simply over deliver when it comes to quality, safety and fun!
The Vuly Medium Swing Set + Seat Swing + Yoga Swing is the perfect addition to your outdoor setup as it comes with a dedicated shade cover perfect for the Queensland climate and the ability to swap the swings out depending on your families needs. There’s so many accessories to choose from including a toddler swing, monkey swing (trapeze style), spin swing (stand, skate and spin the full 360°), bounce swing + bungee, wrecking ball, seesaw, bed swing, 360 yoga swing and the traditional seat swing. With endless combinations, this backyard swing set becomes whatever you make of it.
If you’re in the market for a swing set plus cubby house you can always go bigger with Vuly swing sets. All it takes is an Upsize Kit to step up to the ultimate backyard experience with layouts that include a cubby house and up to 6 swings. Their larger swing sets can include a two-storey indoor cubby house with sand pit, basketball hoop, ring swing, flying fox, climbing ladder, ninja grips, boxing bag, punching ball and more! We’re excited just thinking of the combinations.
We love that Vuly put their swings through 500,000 test swings simulating 5 years of play. Plus the twice galvanisation and matte powder-coating keeps corrosion at bay for longer and unlike other play equipment, it’s visually appealing too. This fills us with confidence that a Vuly swing set will not only stand up to tough Australian weather, but also be able to withstand rough play from our hyped up kids. If your family is serious about safe, outdoor fun you simply need to invest in Vuly play equipment. It will bring endless hours of play and happiness into your lives and be one of the best investments you’ll make.
Families Magazine Tip: We’ve just seen that Vuly now make kids beds and they are EPIC! You can check out the awesome Vuly kids bed design here.
Add a Ninja Warrior experience
How about this slack line Ninja Course? Click here.
We love these giant yard games and you can browse their selection click here.
Inflatable obstacle courses
You can buy or rent inflatable obstacle courses for your kids. All over Brisbane companies have sprung up that offer inflatable obstacle courses for hire or purchase. The companies will usually bring the inflatable course to your venue and set it up for you. You will need power to run a small generator that will keep the inflatable …errr.. inflated for the duration of use. The often come with slides, tunnels, places to bounce, climb and run! We love the one in the photo above – you can get it here.
Or if you fancy an inflatable obstacle course that will get you wet, check out Aquasplash on the Gold Coast – click here.
We also love this article for other fun outdoor activities for kids.
Indoor obstacle course for kids
If the weather is bad or you are looking for an indoor obstacle course for kids, we LOVE this one that we made in our hallway.
Kids Obstacle course directions
Follow there simple instructions for an epic obstacle course for kids:
- Find some long string that you can cut
- Measure lengths across the hallway
- Use scissors to cut it into varied lengths
- Stick each length with blu tac
- Use a stop watch (or your phone) to time each ‘run’
- Kids can climb under, over or go through the lengths
- Leave them to it to adjust the course as they so desire!
The best thing about this obstacle course is that they can build and change it to vary the degree of difficulty – hours of fun!!
Find other indoor fun activities here.
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