An indoor obstacle course presents an opportunity for you to have fun with your kids. Creating it with domestic items is in itself a fun activity.
You have just bought an apartment or moved into a new neighborhood. What is the first thing you do? You throw a weekend party for your neighbors to get to know them, of course. Also, you want to get rid of the packaging material. But, instead of throwing all the stuff away, why not make an indoor obstacle course for kids?
In this activity, there are a series of fun challenges that kids have to overcome to reach the end. They have to race till the end to win. This playful activity will ensure a fun weekend party for adults, as well as kids. You can use the packing material and anything extra lying in your basement.
By having your own obstacle course, your kids will not have to wait till the summer to enjoy it in the summer camps. But, always remember that you are designing it for kids, so do ensure that safety comes first.
A few considerations like space available, number of kids, and their ages, among other factors should be taken into account before designing the course. The games should be interesting enough to keep the kids occupied till the last challenge.
Let us address every challenge in this activity as "station." A few probable stations that could be included are tunnel, crawl, jumping, hula hoop, revolving chair, balancing, and tossing stations. Given next, are some ideas for the same:
Few Tips to Remember
Preferably, begin with a zigzag crawl station. Ropes can be used for this. Place a few chairs (in two columns) about four feet apart, such that the ropes can be tied parallel to each other. Ask the kids to crawl under the ropes from one end and emerge from the other. Tie the ropes in such a way that they can crawl in a zigzag manner.
Once kids emerge from the crawling station, they can race towards an indoor inflatable castle (you will probably have to rent one).
Ask them to jump at least ten times and then, go to the next station. This is an ideal jumping station that will fetch you a lot of praise. The kids can reach the next station by hopping in gunny bags.
Now, that they are all worked up, design a station based on tossing the balloon. Inflate a few balloons and ask the kids to hit the ceiling. The one who hits it three times gets to go to the next station.
At times, tossing the balloon can be a bit difficult, so make the next station easier. Arrange a few chairs and cover them with a sheet, so that this can become a tunnel station. See to it that the tunnel is a little dark from inside, so that emerging from the tunnel itself becomes exciting.
Kids enjoy hula hoops a lot. You must have a hula-hoop station in your course to make it more interesting. Revolve the hula hoop five times around the waist and go to the next station.
After all these physical activities, kids will be very hungry. This is simply an opportunity for a refreshment station, where you can keep some healthy snacks.
For a hand-eye coordination station, ask them to throw a few baseballs at some targets (hang sweets at different locations). If the targets are hit, they get to keep the sweets and go to the next station.
Fifteen revolutions on a revolving chair station can be made mandatory. This will increase the fun quotient of the entire course.
Take a couple of skateboards. Get the kids to skate from one point to another. This is your balancing station.
Treasure hunt station in an obstacle course sounds a little bit unconventional, but it's all about having fun with kids, right? Write down a few clues (on chits) and hide them at various locations in the house. Place a few toys in those locations. Kids will have to find the toy and overcome the obstacle.
Once all the game hurdles are crossed, you can choose to end the activity with a puzzle or a tongue twister. This will be a great way to end the fun activity (the answer to the puzzle can be a lesson, as well).
Not only for weekend parties, but this can be an offbeat idea that you can arrange for birthday parties and many other occasions. Do plan it every year before your kids are too old for it.