Build elements with scraps in an afternoon for hours of outdoor fun
By ALDONA BIRD
Newsroom@DominionPost.com
The weather has cooled, and it’s the time of year to do last-minute outdoor home repair work, start raking leaves, preparing garden beds for winter or just sitting outside and watching leaves fall.
Trouble is, by now kids are getting tired of their outdoor toys and activities. There aren’t quite enough leaves to play in, and summer DIY bubbles and chalk are old news.
With scraps of wood, some nails or screws and a saw, you can whip up a little obstacle course in an afternoon. Obstacle courses can entertain children of various ages for hours, while you get to enjoy the fall weather and wrap up outdoor projects.
For a DIY obstacle course, you will need:
- Plywood
- 2×4 wood scraps
- 4×4 wood scraps
- Longer 4×4 wood pieces
- 2×2 scraps or branches
- Large stones
- Nails or screws
- Nail gun or drill
- Circular saw
Every obstacle course needs skewed boards, to jump from one angled pad to the next. These can be as simple as a one and a half foot by two foot piece of plywood with two 12-18 inch
2×4 attached to two corners of the plywood. The other side of the plywood rests on the ground.
If you have bigger children, you may want to reinforce your skewed boards — cut pallets in half and cover with plywood before propping them at an angle with supportive legs.
For a balance beam use 4×4 boards — use a few of varying lengths to make a long and zig-zagging balance beam. Rest these boards right on the ground, prop up on 4×4 wood scraps, or do some of each, with others angled — one end propped up on a scrap and the other on the ground for a sloping balance beam your little one will have to master.
Use smaller boards such at 2×2 scraps to create simple obstacles to jump over — use multiple in a row of different heights with space in between to get a running start.
Pallets can also make great obstacles for the kiddos to climb. Simply take two sturdy pallets in good condition, and lean them against each other in a triangle, with one top edge overlapping the other. Secure cross boards with screws or nails (at least three on each side), to keep the pallets upright.
Other elements of the course can be made with simple materials. Use large stones as landing pads to test leaping skills — place the first few close together, and gradually increase the spacing. Use a large branch or thin log as wobbly obstacle for your child to run down.
Logs cut into stumps can also be a challenge to walk across — space them at your child’s largest stride. Pool noodles or flexible branches work well as hoops to belly crawl under.
There are loads of ways to make an exciting back yard obstacle course — ramps, ropes, wobbly boards and swings. But you don’t have to start by building the toughest and most complicated obstacles. Put together a few simple ones, and then work together with your youngster to expand and add to the course.
As your child gets their exercise in, you can check those outdoor projects off your list, or sit back with a cup of warm apple cider and enjoy the season.
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