![[Obstacle Course Relay] Recommended Ideas & Fun Gags to Add to Your Sports Day](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/aEDWFWcm4VY/sddefault.jpg)
The “obstacle relay,” where teammates pass the baton while overcoming various obstacles, is a super fun event that excites people of all ages!
In this article, we introduce ideas for obstacle relays.
Hurdles and net crawls are classics, but this time we’ve also picked out some quirky, laugh-inducing ideas with a twist.
If you’re thinking, “Obstacle relays are a must, but the same old traditional course is boring!” then take a look for inspiration!
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[Obstacle Relay] Recommended Ideas and Fun Skits to Add to Your Sports Day (1–10)
Put the ball IN the bucket on your back!
Let me introduce a great obstacle relay activity: “Bounce the ball into the bucket on your back!” This is played in pairs—one person wears a bucket on their back, and the other bounces a ball so it’s caught in the bucket.
Because the bucket is behind the player, it’s hard to pick up, so good coordination between the two is essential.
It’s thrilling to watch, and its novelty is sure to draw attention.
Work together to match your timing while also adjusting how hard you bounce the ball.
Three-legged obstacle relay
An obstacle relay done three-legged really gets everyone excited, because you can’t win just by being fast.
Especially when partners have different athletic abilities, teamwork is essential to match each other’s pace, so a sports day like this can teach the importance of syncing up.
Also, the course is both simpler and more difficult than one designed for a single runner, which makes it easier to come up with variations—another nice perk.
Because spectators can easily imagine how tricky it is, it’s a thrilling event whether the pair is fast or slow.
dizzy bat
The “spinning bat” game involves placing your forehead on a bat, spinning around, and then trying to move forward while dizzy.
You often see it on TV variety shows.
If you include it in an obstacle race, it’s best to decide the number of spins in advance.
It works on its own, but combining it with other challenges—like carrying a ping-pong ball while dizzy—will increase the difficulty and make it even more exciting.
stilts
How about incorporating stilts, a traditional plaything, into an obstacle race by having participants cover a designated section on stilts? Stilts require control and balance, and just riding them normally is quite challenging.
When it’s part of a relay, the urgency of “I have to pass the baton quickly!” adds pressure, so many people will likely struggle more than usual.
Rushing and leaning forward can lead to injuries, so cheers from supporters—like “Stay calm!”—will probably be important too.
Obstacle relay race in high heels
An obstacle relay race done in high heels would probably be a hit, since even just running normally and keeping your balance becomes difficult.
Running with your heels elevated is uncharted territory for most adults—especially men—who rarely, if ever, have that experience.
You won’t need to design a complex course like a standard obstacle relay, because even a simple course turns into a tough one, making preparation easier.
Just make sure participants are careful to avoid injuries, such as twisting an ankle.
Rag-wiping relay
If you’re adding an obstacle race to an indoor sports day or recreational activity, how about including a floor-wiping segment with a rag? Place a rag on the floor and press it down with your hands, sliding it along as you go.
If this were real cleaning, you’d check whether it’s truly getting clean, but in an obstacle race, speed is everything! Since skin can get scraped on the floor and cause injury, it’s best to pick up speed only within a safe, comfortable range.
It could also be fun to set out cones and have participants dodge or loop around them as they move along.
bubble ball
We recommend incorporating bubble balls into obstacle relays.
They offer many advantages, such as high safety and minimal storage space.
There are various ways to use them—jumping on the bubble ball, carrying the ball with two people, or getting inside a tube-shaped bubble ball and pushing against each other—so feel free to get creative.
Bubble soccer and bubble sumo, which were devised to maintain social distancing during the COVID period, also seem to be options, so check them out if you’re interested.
When using bubble balls, it’s best to remove glasses and accessories, as they can cause damage or injury.