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How to Set Up an Obstacle Course in Your Backyard. Got some kids with energy to spare? Help them
work it off with an obstacle course. You will need A backyard or field Two traffic cones
A wooden ladder Eight hula hoops Yarn or string Tape 100 balloons A table An 8-foot 2-by-4
Six foam swimming pool noodles Six 1-gallon buckets 50 pounds of sand A small tossing
beanbag A large trash bag Help Prizes Sandpaper (optional) and a small basket (optional).
Step 1. Pick start and end points for the course and mark them with traffic cones. Map
out a trail that includes 10 or 15 feet of space between events and avoids hazards like
sinkholes, stumps, and dangerous plants. Step 2. At the start of the course, place a wooden
ladder flat on the ground. Participants run the length of the ladder as fast as they can
by stepping between each of the rungs. Step 3. Lay eight Hula-hoops in a row. In this
segment, kids step into the first hula hoop, raise it up over their body, and drop it behind
them before going to the the next hoop, moving down the line until they're done. Step 4.
Inflate about 100 balloons and tie short lengths of yarn or string to them. Tape the ends of
the yarn to the top, legs, and underside of the table making a narrow, balloon-covered
passageway under the table for the little ones to crawl through. Step 5. Make a balance
beam by laying the 2-by-4 flat on the ground for the obstacle coursers to walk across.
Sand the 2-by-4 to remove any splinters. Step 6. Stand foam swimming pool noodles vertically
in six 1-gallon buckets filled with sand or dirt, and place them in a zigzag pattern about
6 feet apart. Have contestants balance beanbags on their heads as they run around the outside
of each bucket. Set up a basket 10 feet from the end of the slalom to toss the beanbag
into before moving on. Step 7. Place a large plastic garbage bag 20 feet from the end of
the course. Have the kids put both legs in the bag, pull it up to their waist, and hop
to the finish line. Step 8. Get a few adults to man the course by returning the hula hoops
and the garbage sack to their original positions, repairing the challenges as needed, releasing
the kids to run the course one by one, and timing them. Now all that's left to do is
let the kids have at it, and award prizes for the fastest times! Did you know Did you
know? At the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, cadets must complete a 11-step obstacle
course before they can graduate.