A roundup of recommended obstacle ideas for obstacle courses
An obstacle course race is one of the classic events at school sports days.
Various obstacles are set up between the start and the finish, and it’s a race where competitors aim for first place while overcoming them.
What obstacles you include greatly affects both the difficulty and the excitement of the event.
In this article, we’ll introduce a variety of obstacle ideas you’ll want to incorporate into your obstacle course race.
We’ve included plenty of obstacles that require not only speed, but also dexterity and luck.
Use these ideas as a reference to create an obstacle course race everyone can enjoy!
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Recommended Obstacle Ideas for Obstacle Races (41–50)
can stacking
As the name suggests, can stacking is a game where you stack empty cans as high as you can.
When incorporating it into an obstacle course, set clear rules in advance, such as “Clear the stage when you’ve stacked X cans.” If participants stack the number specified in the rules, they clear the task and can proceed; if the stack collapses partway through, they must, of course, start over.
It’s best to decide how many cans to stack based on participants’ ages and the allotted time.
This is an obstacle idea that can be enjoyed by everyone from small children to adults by adjusting the rules.
vaulting box
I think the vaulting box is one of the activities kids practice during regular PE time even in kindergarten.
That’s why it’s a classic obstacle idea and gets included in many obstacle races.
For races with kindergarteners, you can set it low—like one or two tiers—while for elementary school students who regularly practice vaulting in PE, you can raise it to five or six tiers, adjusting the difficulty by age.
On the other hand, many adults can’t clear a vaulting box, so it’s better to set it lower for them.
two-wheeled scooter
Kick scooters are a classic means of getting around, and we tend to think that maintaining a stable posture is key to picking up speed.
Let’s incorporate those kick scooters as obstacles and test everyone’s sense of balance.
If the course is straight, it’s too easy, so it’s recommended to include bumpy sections and curves and check whether they can keep their posture even in those conditions.
You’ll also see individuality in how people decide whether to prioritize stability by taking quick, small pushes, or prioritize speed by pushing hard and gliding.
stilts
Stilts, the classic toy that many people have tried—walking while holding bamboo with footholds—are a staple, aren’t they? Let’s incorporate those stilts into an obstacle course and have participants run skillfully while staying mindful of their own sense of balance.
Even just moving forward makes balance challenging, and turning it into a race demands even greater concentration and control.
When you get flustered, it becomes hard to judge your angles, so it seems best for those around to offer clear advice.
mountain climbing
Mountain climbing is an activity that excites people with its impactful appearance.
As the name suggests, it’s a sport where you run up a sloped “mountain.” A convenient way to set it up is to use a vaulting box and mats.
First, prepare a vaulting box at your preferred height.
Then prepare a slightly lower vaulting box and place it next to the first.
Lay mats over them to form a mountain shape, secure everything firmly, and you’re done.
The appeal lies not only in climbing up but also in being able to descend from a high place.
Paper Cup Pyramid
How about incorporating sport stacking—stacking cups and then collapsing them back to their original formation—into an obstacle course? The official sport uses plastic cups, but paper cups make preparation easier and are recommended.
Instead of only using a “clear” condition where participants stack and then return the cups to the original shape, you could also set a time limit and have them retry if they don’t make it in time, which encourages a focus on speed.
If participants rush the stacking or collapsing motions, paper cups can get damaged, so it might be important to increase speed calmly and steadily.
In conclusion
We’ve put together a comprehensive list of obstacle ideas to incorporate into an obstacle race—the staple event of any sports day. Some obstacles are simply fun from a sports perspective, while others lean heavily into entertainment. Use the ideas introduced in this article as inspiration to create an exciting and enjoyable obstacle race!