Obstacle Challenge
Indoor Environment
Ages: 18 months+
Ready, steady, go! An obstacle challenge gives children an opportunity to bend, squat, crawl, climb, change direction, reach, and more. All physical actions are great for muscular endurance, body and spatial awareness, coordination, brain development, self-regulation and numerous other developmental benefits.
Obstacle Challenge Ideas
Every obstacle challenge is different depending on what you have available in your home. Here are some ideas to start you off.
- Tape line on floor = Balance beam
- Pillows and couch cushions = Hurdles or stepping stones
- Open-ended cardboard boxes = Hidden tunnels
- Table/Chairs = Open tunnels
- Blue towels = Water
- Red towels = Lava
- Stuffed animals = Treasures
- Bins or baskets = A treasure chest to place small items
Tips
- Arrange the obstacles in as many combinations around the room.
- Be creative when setting up challenges. (i.e. balancing a bean bag on your head as you walk across the balance beam or picking up a ball as you enter a tunnel and dropping it in a basket when you exit)
- During play, feel free to explore new obstacle arrangements with your child to encourage participation and creativity.
- Pump up the excitement by adding music.
SAFETY FIRST – Always check the room to make sure sharp objects and harmful items are put away (i.e. cords from lamps, glass objects on tables, loose items that may fall or topple over, etc.).
Adaptation
Increase or decrease the complexity of the obstacle challenge to suit your child’s age and ability.
At Learning Jungle, we believe all children are capable, confident and full of potential. Co-learning empowers your child to take initiative. Encouraging child participation and engaging in open-ended, thought-provoking conversation throughout play is important for healthy child development.
Conversations with your child
- Let’s try to complete the entire obstacles.
- How fast can you finish the course?
- Would you like to help set-up a new obstacle course?
- Let’s see how many treasures we can find.
- Be careful, don’t fall into the water/lava!
We would love to meet you
We currently have 51 locations in 5 countries. Our child care facilities offer tours throughout the year.
We invite you to visit a location near you.