Indoor Obstacle Course Ideas for Kids
This page may contain affiliate links. Learn More.
Sometimes a rainy day gets out of hand. That’s a perfect time to create an indoor obstacle course for your kids. Use up that energy, be creative, and have hours of fun! It’s great to celebrate holidays and special days in daycare with kids.
Everyone loves the idea of American Ninja Warrior and obviously you can buy expensive obstacle course supplies from amazon, but you can also make something just as fun with whatever’s lying around.
My daycare kids LOVE doing obstacle courses outside and inside. We just grab a few toys from here and there and throw one together.
Steps to create an indoor obstacle course for kids
You need something to go over, something to go under, something to go on, and something to go around. It’s easy peasy to find that stuff in your toy stash, so go look around. Do you have a limbo game?
A broomstick you can hang? What about a sheet and some clothespins? We grabbed a fort sheet and some clamps to make our crawl under station. You could crawl under a jump rope or a string or piece of yarn. Use your imagination.
What do you have that can be jumped over? We used a tool caddy and barney the dinosaur. This one is pretty simple. Just don’t get caught up in perfection, use what’s there. You can also make a station to climb over. It could be the couch, a box, a step stool, whatever you have.
We used our busy bead station to go around. You can use orange ones, stuffed animals, a bean bag, or anything you have.
Next, find something to jump on. I don’t like the kids jumping on my furniture. It’s easier to get hurt and it tears up my stuff. We used our balance balls and river stones to jump on. You could use a baseball base, a pillow, a frisbee. What do you have that’s a little bit flat? Grab that.
Obstacle course ideas for kids
Now set the course up in a line and show the kids how to run it. Once you show them how to run yours, you can let them create an obstacle course with their own creativity. The fun and movement of this idea are endless. They will go at it all day.
If you have a long pole or board they can balance on, add that, it’s great fun to try not to fall off the sides. We wear ours out outside. Think about tipping a basketball goal on its side. What about a play slide? That would be a great addition.
Masking tape obstacle course
Think about all the fun stations you could make with tape. Just plain ole masking take will work. Make squares for kids to jump in, lines to cross, lines to balance on, circles to throw things in and more.
A hula hoop would make a great station, you can jump in it, jump through it, or spin it on your hips. Do you have a climbing wall? Make the course near that. The possibilities for an indoor obstacle course are endless. No matter what, the fun is there.
Imagine there is hot lava or an ocean you have to avoid. My kids love playing hot lava so I know they would love if I added pretending it’s there to their obstacle course.
You can also add trying to run with a bean bag or book balanced on your head. You could use a ring toss or basketball goal. You could wad up newspapers and throw them in a bucket. If your kids are big enough, you can have them do jumping jacks, handstands, sit ups, or whatever they can do.
What about a big parachute? Do you have one? How could you use it in your course? Whatever you decide to do, obstacle courses, even inside are SO MUCH FUN! I hope you make one up with your kids today.
Comment and share your obstacle course ideas to inspire us too! And for more rainy day ideas or for an indoor scavenger hunt, check these posts out.
Also, check out 25 Rainy Day Garden Activities.