Don't Spill! Obstacle Course

Skill: Hop, Jump, Run, Skip, Throw
Time Required: 20
Activity Type: Physical
Group Size: Large Group, Medium Group, Small Group
Age Group: 6 - 9yrs, 9 - 12yrs
Play area: Outdoor - Field
Safety Considerations: Make sure participants go the same way in the obstacle course.
Remove any safety hazards and obstacles from the activity area.
Remind participants to be aware of their surroundings and to keep their head up.
Equipment: Plastic Cups
Bucket(s) filled with water
Pylons
Hoops
Rope
Beanbags
Tennis Balls
Objective:
Participants have to go through the obstacle course while carrying their cup filled with water, and trying not to spill too much of their water.
Fundamental Skills: (depends on the obstacles set up)
Set up:
Could have participants get into groups of 3-5 participants, or it can be an individual activity.
Set up an obstacle course for the participants.
Each participant will start with a plastic cup filled to the top with water.
Example of stations: Beanbag balance beam, hoops to jump in, row of pylons to jump over, throwing beanbags/tennis balls into a hoop or past a line, hop over a rope, skip from one pylon to another, balance on each foot for 5 seconds, try to do 3 hulas with a hula hoop and so on. The stations are meant to make it difficult for participants to not spill any water.
Please see the attached document for an example of an obstacle course set up.
Set up the stations so they are in a circular shape, and all participants are going the same way around.
Each group/participant will have an empty bucket/cup that they are trying to fill up.
Step by Step:
1. Set up one or more obstacle courses for participants to go through.
2. For a list of stations that could be set up please see the "Set Up" section of this activity. Also, please see the attached document for an example of the obstacle course set up.
3. Have a big bucket or area for participants to fill up their plastic cup with water.
4. Participants will go through the obstacle course set up and do the designated activities with the appropriate actions at each station.
5. When they go through all the stations, they then run to their bucket and dump whatever water they have left in their cup into the bucket.
6. They will collect more water in their cup and go through the obstacle again.
7. Continue until one team has filled their bucket.
8. The winner group could be allowed to dump their bucket onto the other participants.
Variations:
Participants fill up the other groups' buckets. The goal is to be the last group with their bucket filled.
Set up individual obstacles and participants have to run to each one, and do the action and run back to their bucket. Then the next participant in their group runs to the same one. When each participant has done that obstacle, they move onto the next one.
Sources: Developed for the Leisure Information Network.
Attachments: Download