Create a backyard obstacle course with playful challenges to get you moving and giggling.

What You Need: 

• Ball 
• Laundry basket or bucket 
• Two chairs 
• String, yarn, or ribbon 
• Sidewalk chalk or tape 

 
What You Do: 

1. Set up your backyard obstacle course with these challenges. Add a few of your own.
2. Run through your obstacle course. Have someone time you. Repeat to improve your speed and coordination. 

• Crab Racer Challenge: Lie on your back and push yourself up with your hands and feet. Scamper like a crab to the next challenge.
• Don’t Drop the Ball Challenge: Put a small ball between your legs. Walk to a basket without dropping the ball. Drop the ball in the basket using your knees. 
• Wiggle Worm Challenge: Tie a string (or yarn or ribbon) to 2 chairs high enough to crawl under. Lay on your tummy and wiggle like a worm under the string. 
• Bee Balanced Challenge: Make a line on the ground using sidewalk chalk or masking tape. Walk with one foot in front of the other to stay on the line. 
• Hop to It Challenge: Cross your feet and cross your arms like you are hugging yourself. Without uncrossing your arms or feet, hop to the finish line.

Words to Use: 

• Obstacle: Something that makes it difficult to achieve something. 
• Coordination: The way your muscles move together. 
• Endurance: The ability to do something challenging for a long period of time. 
• Balance: Steadiness. Not wobbly. 

 
What to Talk About:  

• Estimate how long it will take to complete the course. 
• Which challenge was hardest for you? Which was easiest? 
• How could we make the course more challenging? 

 
Change It Up:  

• Age It Down: Engage in each challenge together.  Make it collaborative instead of competitive.  
• Age It Up: Add additional challenges to the course. Race against a timer. 

Learning Connections:  

• Persistence 
• Collaboration 
• Problem-solving 
• Gross Motor Development 
• Physical Activity 

 
Curriculum Connections:  
NC Standard Course of Study 

• Physical Education: K.MS.1, 1.MS.1, 2.MS.1, 3.MS.1, 4.MS.1, 5.MS.1, K.MC.2, 1.MC.2, 2.MC.2, 3.MC.2, 4.MC.2, 5.MC.2, K.HF.3, 1.HF.3, 2.HF.3, 3.HF.3, 4.HF.3, 5.HF.3 
• Health Education: 1.NPA.3, 2.NPA.3