Indoor Obstacle Course Adventure

A large blanket draped over chairs for a tunnel

2-3 sturdy chairs

Painter's tape for a balance beam line

4-5 pillows or cushions

A broomstick or string for a crawl-under obstacle

Set up your obstacle course in a loop so your child ends up where they started. Plan 4-6 stations using whatever household items you have.

Station ideas: a blanket draped over chairs for a crawl-through tunnel, a tape line on the floor for a balance beam, scattered pillows for a jumping path, a broomstick resting between two chair seats to crawl under, a couch to climb over.

Walk your child through the entire course first. Demonstrate each station: "Here you crawl, here you walk the line, here you jump!" This preview reduces frustration.

Now let them go. Stand nearby and coach: "Crawl through! Good! Now walk the line!" Keep your voice excited.

The first time through will be slow and full of questions. By the third time, they'll be zooming.

Once they've got it, pull out a stopwatch (your phone timer works). Time their run and announce it dramatically: "Twelve seconds! Can you beat that?"

Let them run the course as many times as they want. Rearrange obstacles when they master the current layout.

For a grand finale, run the course yourself while your child times you. They'll love watching you struggle.

The setup takes a few minutes, but once it's built, most kids will run the course for 20-30 minutes straight. It's the best return on investment for indoor play.

Change one station each time you rebuild. This keeps it fresh without starting from scratch.

Let your child help build the course. They have surprisingly good ideas, and building it is its own activity.

Add a "freeze" spot where they have to stop and hold a pose for 3 seconds before moving on. This builds impulse control.

Take a video of their best run. Kids love watching themselves on repeat.