You don’t need to be a drill sergeant to enjoy an obstacle course

Talking about obstacle courses tends to conjure up an image of hard physical activity, perhaps lots of young soldiers being shouted at, maybe even your own childhood PE lessons. But there is a reason they are such a classic way to get people moving – the challenges of getting your body over, under and through obstacles is a brilliant workout and helps young children to build not only muscle strength, but also balance, body awareness and confidence.  

How can you embrace obstacle courses with your toddler?  

The good news is obstacle courses don’t have to be huge, or very complicated.  

Your toddler is learning a lot about how their body moves, where it is in relation to other objects, and how it feels to control their movements. Because this is a lot to think about, even fairly simple-looking challenges are useful for them, and become a lot of fun to master!  

At home, any space can be used to create a small obstacle course using things from around the house. 

Make sure the space is safe, and there are no hazards too close by which your toddler might fall on or bump into.  

You can make a climbing challenge from a few sofa cushions, and use a sheet or duvet cover spread over other items to create a tunnel. You could lie a broom or mop down for your toddler to try jumping or stepping over, and use pieces of cardboard or cushions as stepping stones (make sure they won’t slip around under your toddler’s feet, carpet is better than a hard floor for this).  

If you don’t have the time or space (or desire) to move things around for this, use what is already there and challenge your toddler to crawl under the table or step through doorways in silly ways. Just make sure that you don’t give them confusing messages by letting them do something that is usually not allowed, like climbing onto a windowsill.  

When you’re on the go, look out for opportunities to make the world into an obstacle course, too! 

Playgrounds and parks are perfect places to find obstacles, and a natural location for your toddler to challenge and develop their gross motor skills, but you don’t have to take a special trip to enjoy a DIY obstacle course.  

Climbing over or along low walls, stepping over cracks in the pavement, crawling under a street sign and racing up and down steps are all perfect obstacle course movements. When you have time, you could make a walk to the shops or library into an opportunity to get those muscles moving.