{"id":7425,"date":"2020-11-26T15:24:07","date_gmt":"2020-11-26T21:24:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.greatwolf.com\/blog\/?p=7425"},"modified":"2022-08-12T15:20:53","modified_gmt":"2022-08-12T21:20:53","slug":"toddler-obstacle-course","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.greatwolf.com\/blog\/toddler-obstacle-course\/","title":{"rendered":"Create The Ultimate Toddler Obstacle Course"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>If there&#8217;s one thing we can say about toddlers, it&#8217;s that they&#8217;re always on the move! To make things easier for parents, we&#8217;re put together a few different ideas on how to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.greatwolf.com\/blog\/indoor-water-park-toddler-guide\/\">channel that energy<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Check out the list below for information on how to put together the <strong>ultimate obstacle course for toddlers<\/strong>. Most can be constructed using just a few items found around the house and a<a href=\"https:\/\/www.greatwolf.com\/blog\/toddler-activities-at-home\/\"> small dose of creativity<\/a>. To help encourage growth in all areas, we&#8217;ll introduce obstacle courses designed with different skills in mind.<\/p>\n<p>Now, let&#8217;s get started!<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">View Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-69dad4230bc1a\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #0f0f0f;color:#0f0f0f\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #0f0f0f;color:#0f0f0f\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-69dad4230bc1a\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.greatwolf.com\/blog\/toddler-obstacle-course\/#WHY-BUILD-AN-OBSTACLE-COURSE-FOR-YOUR-TODDLER\">WHY BUILD AN OBSTACLE COURSE FOR YOUR TODDLER?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.greatwolf.com\/blog\/toddler-obstacle-course\/#BACKYARD-OBSTACLE-COURSE-FOR-TODDLERS\">BACKYARD OBSTACLE COURSE FOR TODDLERS<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.greatwolf.com\/blog\/toddler-obstacle-course\/#WATER-OBSTACLE-COURSE\">WATER OBSTACLE COURSE<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.greatwolf.com\/blog\/toddler-obstacle-course\/#CHALKSTACLE-COURSE\">CHALKSTACLE COURSE<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.greatwolf.com\/blog\/toddler-obstacle-course\/#CLIMBING-OBSTACLE-COURSE\">CLIMBING OBSTACLE COURSE<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.greatwolf.com\/blog\/toddler-obstacle-course\/#HOW-TO-CREATE-A-TODDLER-OBSTACLE-COURSE-INSIDE-THE-HOUSE\">HOW TO CREATE A TODDLER OBSTACLE COURSE INSIDE THE HOUSE<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.greatwolf.com\/blog\/toddler-obstacle-course\/#HOW-WE-HELP-BRING-FAMILIES-TOGETHER\">HOW WE HELP BRING FAMILIES TOGETHER<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"WHY-BUILD-AN-OBSTACLE-COURSE-FOR-YOUR-TODDLER\"><\/span>WHY BUILD AN OBSTACLE COURSE FOR YOUR TODDLER?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Toddlers may be small, but they are plenty capable. By 30 months, your toddler may be jumping in place with both feet, walking in a straight line, walking on their tiptoes, catching balls, and even standing on one foot!<\/p>\n<p>And they aren&#8217;t just developing physical capabilities. At this age, toddlers are beginning to solve problems by trial and error, understand shapes and sizes, recall past experiences and demonstrate an increased attention span.<\/p>\n<div class=\"content-box-blue\">Don&#8217;t forget to check out our<a href=\"https:\/\/www.greatwolf.com\/blog\/category\/paws-play\/\"> Paws N&#8217; Play activities<\/a> for more ways to keep the kids engaged.<\/div>\n<p>Obstacle courses are a great way of engaging kids in both areas. Whether you&#8217;re working with a backyard obstacle course or something set up inside of the house, you&#8217;ll be providing your little ones with different ways to develop their cognitive and fine motor skills.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"BACKYARD-OBSTACLE-COURSE-FOR-TODDLERS\"><\/span>BACKYARD OBSTACLE COURSE FOR TODDLERS<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-7428 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.greatwolf.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/toddler-obstacle-course.jpg\" alt=\"Obstacle courses provide lots of benefits for small children\" width=\"600\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.greatwolf.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/toddler-obstacle-course.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.greatwolf.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/toddler-obstacle-course-450x300.jpg 450w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"WATER-OBSTACLE-COURSE\"><\/span>WATER OBSTACLE COURSE<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Now if there&#8217;s something toddlers can really excel at, it&#8217;s making a mess. Let&#8217;s indulge them with this next obstacle course for kids. For this next activity, fill up a small bucket with water. Ask your child to carry it from point A to point B. See how many times they can make the trip without spilling!<\/p>\n<p>Incorporate a few other materials to make this obstacle course even more of a challenge. Give the little ones some water balloons after they&#8217;ve completed the first part of the obstacle course. Ask them to toss it into the bucket, squat on them until they pop, or drop them from different heights until they go splat!<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"CHALKSTACLE-COURSE\"><\/span>CHALKSTACLE COURSE<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>First up on our list is the famous &#8220;chalkstacle course.&#8221; As the name suggests, this activity requires some sidewalk chalk and some outdoor space. Think about what activities your toddler can already do. If they&#8217;ve demonstrated the ability to walk in a straight line, then start there! Draw a line with the chalk for them to run down.<\/p>\n<p>You can also draw a spiral for spinning, a zig-zag to test their balance, and small circles to hop through a few times. Remember, there are plenty of other items you can use if you&#8217;re all out of chalk. Some painter&#8217;s tape, a jump rope, or even some yarn will do the trick!<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"CLIMBING-OBSTACLE-COURSE\"><\/span>CLIMBING OBSTACLE COURSE<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Toddlers love to climb! Give this instinct a little structure with some large, soft climbing blocks. You can also include a simple toddler slide. You can stack the blogs together to make them harder to climb or see how well they can stack them themselves.<\/p>\n<p>Think about bringing in a few different materials to make the course even more of a challenge. Ask the children to jump through a hula hoop or over some<a href=\"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/parents\/crafts-and-experiments\/pool-noodle-obstacle-course\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> pool noodles<\/a> before climbing up the slide. You can also ask them to do a few jumping jacks once they reach the ground!<\/p>\n<p>Remember, the more sequential your obstacle courses become, the more it will engage your child&#8217;s memory. What&#8217;s more fun than watching the kids play around in a backyard obstacle course, you ask? Knowing that it was designed with a little learning in mind, that&#8217;s what!<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"HOW-TO-CREATE-A-TODDLER-OBSTACLE-COURSE-INSIDE-THE-HOUSE\"><\/span>HOW TO CREATE A TODDLER OBSTACLE COURSE INSIDE THE HOUSE<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-7426 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.greatwolf.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/obstacle-course-for-kids.jpg\" alt=\"obstacle courses are a great way to help kids have fun while learning\" width=\"600\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.greatwolf.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/obstacle-course-for-kids.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.greatwolf.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/obstacle-course-for-kids-450x300.jpg 450w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Not every obstacle course for kids needs to be stationed outside. Some you can set up in the comfort of your own home. This can be a great alternative when cabin fever strikes during the winter months.<\/p>\n<p>Select a starting point for your indoor obstacle course and think about what kind of challenges you want to include. Rolled-up rugs are great substitutes for balance beams and a row of chairs can make for an awesome tunnel. You can also use hula hoops for the kids to jump through, or pillows for them to hop across. The more creative you get, the more fun the challenge becomes!<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"HOW-WE-HELP-BRING-FAMILIES-TOGETHER\"><\/span>HOW WE HELP BRING FAMILIES TOGETHER<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>We hope you enjoyed our post on how to create an obstacle course for kids! At Great Wolf Lodge, we create family traditions, one family at a time. These days, we\u2019re looking to take that mission out of the lodge and into your home. Check-in each week to see what Wiley and the rest of the Great Wolf Kids are up to.<\/p>\n<p>You can also explore our<a href=\"https:\/\/www.greatwolf.com\/blog\/\"> blog<\/a> for other activities designed for all ages. You&#8217;ll find birthday party ideas, backyard games, cooking challenges and lots of other fun things to do! Don\u2019t forget to share your experience on Facebook, Twitter, or TikTok.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If there&#8217;s one thing we can say about toddlers, it&#8217;s that they&#8217;re always on the move! To make things easier for parents, we&#8217;re put together a few different ideas on how to channel that energy. Check out the list below for information on how to put together the ultimate obstacle course for toddlers. Most can [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7427,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7425","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-family-fun","category-diy-crafts"],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/www.greatwolf.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/obstacle-course-for-toddlers.jpg",600,400,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/www.greatwolf.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/obstacle-course-for-toddlers-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/www.greatwolf.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/obstacle-course-for-toddlers-450x300.jpg",450,300,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/www.greatwolf.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/obstacle-course-for-toddlers.jpg",600,400,false],"large":["https:\/\/www.greatwolf.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/obstacle-course-for-toddlers.jpg",600,400,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/www.greatwolf.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/obstacle-course-for-toddlers.jpg",600,400,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/www.greatwolf.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/obstacle-course-for-toddlers.jpg",600,400,false],"wpvqgr-square-answer":["https:\/\/www.greatwolf.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/obstacle-course-for-toddlers-300x300.jpg",300,300,true]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"Great Wolf Lodge","author_link":"https:\/\/www.greatwolf.com\/blog\/author\/admin\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"If there&#8217;s one thing we can say about toddlers, it&#8217;s that they&#8217;re always on the move! To make things easier for parents, we&#8217;re put together a few different ideas on how to channel that energy. Check out the list below for information on how to put together the ultimate obstacle course for toddlers. Most can&hellip;","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.greatwolf.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7425","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.greatwolf.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.greatwolf.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greatwolf.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greatwolf.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7425"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.greatwolf.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7425\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11203,"href":"https:\/\/www.greatwolf.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7425\/revisions\/11203"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greatwolf.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7427"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.greatwolf.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7425"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greatwolf.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7425"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greatwolf.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7425"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}