Obstacles courses are a great way to encourage your child to leave their computers behind and run around in the great outdoors – and there couldn’t be a better time to set one up!
Fruit Shoot have teamed up with Tough Mudder to create a brand new exhilarating day out to help get kids active and inspire their adventurous sides.
Fruit Shoot Mini Mudder allows kids to take on a custom obstacle course, created by Tough Mudder's team of designers, giving your little ones the opportunity to have fun, be adventurous and best of all - get muddy!
Here are 20 simple obstacles you can set up in your back garden. Combine however many of them you want to create one big obstacle course and help your little one train for the Fruit Shoot Mini Mudder. Use a stopwatch to time how long it takes everyone to complete the course. Try to beat other participants or work to top your own personal best.
1. Prop a broom across two buckets and two chairs. You child must jump over the bucket hurdle and crawl under the chair hurdle.
2. Line up kitchen chairs to create a tunnel your child can crawl through. A large cardboard box opened at both ends can also work.
3. Walk through a full paddling pool without falling over. If you slip, you must start again.
4. Lay down a skipping rope and walk across it like a tightrope.
5. Throw beanbags or tennis balls into a bucket from a distance.
6. Place balls or even stuffed toys in a line to create slaloms that you can run or walk backwards through.
7. Do 20 jumping jacks at the jumping station.
8. Create a running track around the outside of the garden and use rolled up beach towels as hurdles to jump over.
9. Secure a large old sheet to the ground with tent pegs leaving enough room for your child to ‘army crawl’ under. You can also use long strands of wool or ribbon.
10. Create a paper plate ring toss by cutting out the centre of some paper plates and trying to hook them over a water bottle.
11. Knock items out of a bush or tree using a water pistol.
12. Place a long plank of wood across the seat of two chairs (or two bricks or yoga blocks depending on how comfortable your child is) and create a balance beam to walk across. You should probably leave the flips and summersaults to the professionals…
13. Lay out a course of hula hoops and jump from one to the other.
14. Place two buckets at either end of your garden. Fill one up with water. Your child must scoop the water into a small paper cup and transfer it to the empty bucket.
15. Fill a paddling pool with water and cover the surface in balloons. Hide some objects at the bottom of the water that your child must collect before they can leave the pool.
16. Layout a ladder and bunny hop through it.
17. Do 30 skips at the skipping rope station.
18. Get into a black bag or sack and hop from one obstacle to another.
19. Get from one obstacle to another with a ball wedged between your knees. Every time you drop it, you need to start again.
20. If you have a slide, trampoline or swing set in your back garden, incorporate these in your obstacle course by getting your child to complete a specific number of slides/jumps/swings.
The first ever Ireland Fruit Shoot Mini Mudder event will take place on 11th & 12th July 2015 at Loughcrew Adventure Centre, Loughcrew, Oldcastle, Co. Meath. You can sign up for your preferred day by visiting the Fruit Shoot website and registering.