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Building obstacle courses together is a great way to build your little one's motor skills and teach them about teamwork.
Going through the course helps them learn problem-solving skills too. Why not say some action words like 'climb' and 'jump', or words for positions like 'over' and 'under' as they go?
Watch the video below to watch one family give it a go themselves.
The benefits of making an obstacle course with kids
- Allows them to use their imagination
- Encourages them to use lots of different vocabulary for objects around the house
- Offers an opportunity for them to practise following simple instructions
- They get to hear lots of vocabulary for actions like 'climb', 'jump' and 'crawl'
- Great for learning position words like 'over', 'under', 'through' and 'around'
- Helps develop their gross motor skills and physical coordination
- It can help build problem-solving skills
How to talk through your child through an obstacle course
Make the obstacle course together using lots of soft and safe items for them to climb over, crawl under or go around.
Ask them what items they'd like to use. Try giving them choices of different things to use e.g. 'Shall we make a tunnel or a bridge?'
Why not set an imaginative rule like not touching the floor? You could pretend it's made of lava.
As they go, ask them how they're going to do each task e.g. 'are you going to climb over the pillow?'
More activities to learn position words
The over and under game
Try asking your child to follow different instructions for where to place a favourite toy. See how quickly they can carry out each action 'Can you put it under your jumper? Can you put it over your head?'
Indoor treasure hunt
Try setting up a classic hidden toy hunt around the house. Ask lots of questions as they look around 'Is it under the chair? What about behind the sofa?'
