For kids, there’s sometimes nothing worse than being stuck indoors on a freezing winter day. For parents, there’s sometimes nothing worse than having to deal with your kids’ pent-up energy when they’re stuck inside! Fortunately, there are fun, healthy ways for them to expend their energy without ever leaving the house – create an obstacle course indoors.
An obstacle course is an excellent way to help them build motor skills, learn to follow directions, and get them active. To have a great indoor obstacle course, you don’t need a whole lot of space to move around; you just have to be creative with everyday objects. Here are five easy ideas for creating an awesome indoor obstacle course for kids:
1. Jump through hoops
Take your kid’s collection hula hoops and lay them on the floor. Encourage your kids to jump from one to the next without touching the floor outside the hoop. If the hulas are too big, try overlapping them. Jumping is an excellent way for your kids to burn some calories and get their heart rate up – and a bit of competition never hurts!
2. Get them climbing
Incorporate your kids’ favorite climbers as part of the fun. During their obstacle course, have them climb their way to the top, and see how fast they can jet down to the bottom. If that’s too easy for them, they could repeat the action a few times before they get to move on to the next obstacle.
3. Create a limbo challenge
Line chairs up across from one another and place a stick across them. Have your children crawl on hands and knees to get from one end to the next without touching the stick. Add an extra challenge for round two by lowering the stick and having them belly crawl under it.
4. Avoid the hot lava
Hot lava floor is a necessary part of any good obstacle course! Tell your kids that they aren’t allowed to touch the floor and have to find creative ways to cross the room. Make sure to remove all breakable items from the area and lay down soft padding in case a tumble does occur.
5. Balance on tape
Put tape lines on the floor and have them run part of the course as if they are on a balance beam. Include some sharp turns and wiggles in the tape to make the course a challenge. The tape balance challenge is a great way to move your little ones between the various obstacles of the course.
To chase away the winter indoor blues, create a fun and challenging indoor obstacle course for your kids, get out the timer, and have your children either compete against each other or try to beat their own record. As you’re planning out your awesome indoor obstacle course for kids, don’t forget to check out some Step2 toys to help chase away cabin fever this winter.
