School is out, summer is here, and the Fourth of July is just around the corner.  This is the time of the year where fun and games are all your kids have on their mind. To keep things interesting and to prevent mid-summer doldrums, why not help your kids create a challenging backyard obstacle course.  It’s a great way to keep them both occupied and satisfied.  Plus, it’s the perfect afternoon entertainment for family bar-b-ques, birthday parties, and those fun Fourth of July gatherings.

To create an obstacle course that will keep your kids happy for hours, be sure to choose obstacles that draw on different skills.  For example, create a course that includes obstacles that gives them the opportunity to rely on their balance, speed, agility, strength, daring, or even their wits.  Using a variety of activities guarantees that your obstacle course will be a memory-making hit.

Here are some ideas you can use for obstacles.  Mix and match these, create your own, or change them up to suit your child’s age and abilities.  Include your child and their friends in the creation of the course, and they’ll really love it!

Jumping:

• Do X number of jumping jacks on a designated spot.  (Pick a number appropriate for their age.)
• Hop through a hopscotch board drawn on the sidewalk.
• Jump Over Obstacle:  Arrange boards, towels, or anything you have on the grass for them to jump over.

Crawling:

• Crawl under lawn chairs, lawn furniture, or outdoor tunnels.
• Belly crawl over a tarp that has a small sprinkler on it.
• Special Delivery Obstacle:  At the beginning of this obstacle, have them pick up a carrot from a bowl with their teeth and crawl to the receiving bowl (placed wherever you’d like) and drop the carrot in.

Balance:

• Walk The Tightrope:  Stretch out the garden hose and have them walk across it.
• Walk with an egg balanced on a spoon from point A to point B.
• Balance one, two, or three flat objects on their heads. Books, plastic plates, or Frisbees work great.

Wits:

• Solve a riddle
• Recite a poem
• Recite the alphabet backwards.

Water:

• Run or crawl through a wading pool.
• Throw water balloons at a target.  (This target can be a person for an extra twist of fun!)
• Using a squirt gun, shoot at a target.  (A tab of alka seltzer on a plate a short distance away works great for this obstacle as the alka seltzer dissolves and fizzes.  They are allowed to move on when they’ve dissolved the alka seltzer tab.)

Agility:

• Weave your way through a plastic cone course (Use plastic cups for this if you don’t have cones.)
• Follow a crazily drawn chalk line that weaves down the sidewalk or driveway.
• Weave through balloons strung from tree branches that are at their head-height.

Speed:

• Take a lap around the block on a bicycle.
• Sprint through the yard or around the house.
• Walk backwards from one end of the yard to the other.

As you can see, these ideas are great starting points for you to choose from to build an awesome obstacle course.  When kids get involved in the planning, then the creativity really starts to flow!  If you really want to have fun and outfit the kids with some fun water balloon launchers, squirt guns, or other outdoor toys, check out our website at www.jmcremps.com.  We carry a full selection of toys, gear, and games to make summer adventures extra special.