We are still temporarily closed for the safety of our community, employees, and customers, but we miss seeing all of you here at Rainbow Roller Rink! It’s hard to wait while we look forward to the day we can finally re-open safely, and we know many of you are struggling to keep your kids entertained and active during this stressful time. Our bounce zone indoor playground and obstacle course is a local favorite for kids, but since it’s not accessible right now, we thought we’d share the next best thing: How to create your own obstacle course at home! Check out these ideas to build an obstacle course in your yard, driveway, or even your living room.
How to Build an Indoor Obstacle Course for Your Kids
Building an at-home obstacle course can be as simple or as complicated as you want! Think back to when you were a kid and had to amuse yourself on a rainy day. Almost anything can become an obstacle element with some creativity; just remember to keep safety first and foremost, and tailor the course to your kids’ ability levels. Some ideas include:
- Take the sofa pillows off and lay them out on the floor to create a “lilypad” trail that your kids can use to hop from one to the next like little frogs.
- Line up chairs and have them “army crawl” underneath.
- Use yarn, string, or even a broom laid across two chairs as a limbo-esque obstacle.
- Set up rows of stuffed animals, starting with the smallest and increasing in size. Have your child jump them like hurdles. If they fall, the stuffies are sure to break their fall and put a smile on their face.
- If your child plays soccer, have them dribble a ball down the hallway and “shoot” it into a laundry basket goal, or if they play basketball, see if they can sink a shot into the wastebasket.
- Play “the floor is lava.”
How to Build a DIY Obstacle Course in Your Yard
Want to take the fun outside? A homemade obstacle course works just as well—maybe even better—outside, where you can incorporate natural and landscape elements into the course.
- Do you have any existing play equipment like a slide? It can easily be incorporated into the obstacle course. For extra fun, you could even make a slip ‘n slide the grand finale!
- Use pool noodles to create arches for crawling under or jumping over.
- Use tent stakes with string to create a zig-zag maze to climb through.
- Set up practice cones for your kids to dribble a soccer ball through.
- Lay a two-by-four across a couple of stepping stones or bricks to create a “balance beam.”
- Lay hula hoops flat and get your kids to jump from one to the next (similar to the lilypad idea above).
The only limit is your imagination, so look around your yard and start building your very own obstacle course. Just remember to keep safety in mind, and have fun!
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