E39: Obstacle Courses: Building Skills Through Play

How obstacle courses help raise thinkers and problem solvers

Obstacle courses aren’t just a great way for kids to burn energy (though they certainly help with that, and as a parent, I’ll take all the help I can get when it comes to bedtime!). They’re also an incredible tool for building both physical and mental skills, encouraging creativity, and helping kids set and achieve personal goals.

Obstacle courses can be a fantastic indoor activity for a rainy day, a creative way to structure homeschool PE, or just a great way to keep kids engaged while you grab a few minutes to cook dinner or catch up on emails. The best part? They don’t have to cost a thing! You can create them with household items, dollar store finds, or even materials from nature. One evening, I set up a quick course with about six blocks and a few plastic bowling pins, and it bought me just enough time to put together a salad... every minute is a win sometimes!

So, why are obstacle courses so beneficial? Let’s explore how they help kids grow—physically, mentally, and creatively—and how you can easily create your own at home.

The Benefits of Obstacle Courses

Physical Skills

Obstacle courses naturally help develop a variety of motor skills. When kids crawl through tunnels, jump over pillows, or balance on a taped line, they’re improving:

• Gross motor skills – running, jumping, and climbing
• Balance and coordination – navigating different movements
• Strength and endurance – building muscle through repeated activity
• Agility and flexibility – adapting to different challenges

These foundational skills help with sports, playground play, and overall physical confidence. The best part? Kids get to work on these skills repetitively, refining them without even realizing it—they’re just having fun!

Cognitive and Problem-Solving Skills

Beyond the physical benefits, obstacle courses challenge kids’ brains, too. When they create a course or figure out how to navigate one, they’re engaging in:

• Planning and sequencing – What comes first? Can I remember the order?
• Memory – Can I recall the path I took last time?
• Decision-making and adaptability – If something doesn’t go as planned, how do I adjust?

This kind of active problem-solving is fantastic for brain development and encourages kids to think ahead while adapting to challenges in real-time.

Creativity and Goal-Setting

One of the best things about obstacle courses is that kids can design their own. If you’ve been here for a while, you know I’m all about promoting design thinking and creativity! I still remember one of my birthday parties in elementary school where we all pretended to be puppies and completed a “dog agility course” (aka an obstacle course). I got to help design it, which made it even more special.

The process of creating a course taps into a child’s creativity, engineering skills, and spatial reasoning. You can challenge your child to:

• Create a theme – Jungle adventure? Superhero training? Pirate treasure hunt?
• Use different materials – Household pillows, tape on the floor, hula hoops, sticks from outside, or even chalk-drawn paths.
• Set personal goals – Can they complete the course in under a minute? Can they do it backward? Can they improve their time each round?

If they want to take it further, put up a leaderboard or graph their results over time. You could even use a bar graph and a line graph to delve into the different types of graphs and why one type is used over another to display data. This visual helps them reflect on what part is hardest and how they can improve.

Creating an Obstacle Course at Home

You don’t need fancy equipment to make a fun and challenging course. Here are some simple ideas:

• Start small – Begin with one challenge, like weaving between cones, then add more elements.
• Tape a path on the floor – Have kids balance on one foot or pretend it’s a tightrope.
• Use pillows as stepping stones – Perfect for “don’t touch the lava” challenges.
• Create tunnels with chairs and blankets – Crawling helps build core strength.
• Hop over sticks or rolled-up towels – Great for jumping and agility.
• Set up a target toss – Throw a ball into a laundry basket at the end.

If you have outdoor space, try:

• Using logs or boards for balance beams
• Drawing a chalk path for kids to follow
• Jumping between “islands” made of leaves or rocks

Making It Fun and Challenging

Once your child has mastered a course, mix it up! Try these fun twists:

• Add music – Make it feel like a sporting event.
• Time them – Can they beat their own record?
• Reverse the course – Can they complete it backwards?
• Add a challenge – Hold a stuffed animal while running through!
• Blindfold a section – Let a sibling guide them with spoken directions.
• Make it a relay race – Transfer objects from one side of the course to the other. You could even have collaborative teams racing.

Final Thoughts

Obstacle courses aren’t just about movement—they’re about thinking, problem-solving, and setting goals. They encourage kids to be creative, challenge themselves, and stay active, all while having fun. And the best part? You don’t need expensive equipment—just a little imagination.

If you decide to make some obstacle courses at home, I’d love to hear about it! Come share your experiences in the Raising Thinkers Community—it’s completely free and a great place to connect with other parents who want to raise engaged, curious learners.

And if you’re looking for more structured learning, check out Raising Mathematicians! I’ve got videos and resources to help parents understand the way math is taught today so you can support your child’s learning with confidence.

Finally, exciting news! I’ll be bringing on guest speakers to the Raising Thinkers Podcast soon. If you have expertise to share—whether it’s in education, parenting, child development, or a unique skill that helps kids think and learn—I’d love to hear from you. Check out the "Join Our Mission" part of the webpage to fill out the guest interest form. I can’t wait to share these upcoming episodes with you!

Happy obstacle course building!