54 stations
Checked October 2026

Obstacle Course Party Games

Obstacle course stations built from a hose, chairs, noodles and pillows, dealt six at a time as a course.

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Rising Noodle Hurdles1. Rest three pool noodles across pairs of things that get taller: two shoes, two flowerpots, two buckets.2. The runner jumps or steps over all three. A noodle that falls is set back up before the runner goes on.3. Harder for big kids: both feet leave the ground together on every jump.You need: three pool noodles, two shoes, two flowerpots and two buckets.Over
Chair and Blanket Tunnel1. Stand four lawn chairs in two facing pairs and drape a blanket over them to make a tunnel. Clothespins hold it in place.2. The runner crawls through from one end to the other.3. Harder for big kids: crawl through backward, feet first.You need: four lawn chairs, a blanket and clothespins.Under
Hose Spiral1. Lay a garden hose or a long rope on the grass in a spiral, with a path one big step wide between its coils and a cone in the middle.2. The runner follows the path in to the cone, touches it and follows the path out again. Stepping over the hose is not allowed.3. Harder for big kids: hop the path on the way out.You need: a long garden hose or rope and a cone.Around
Wiggly Rope Tightrope1. Lay a rope on the ground with three bends in it.2. The runner walks it from end to end with a foot on the rope at every step and arms out. A step off means back to the last bend.3. Harder for big kids: heel to toe, with both hands on the head.You need: a rope about ten steps long.Balance
Tray of Three1. Put three tennis balls on a baking tray, a tennis racket or a flying disc turned upside down.2. The runner carries the tray in both hands around a cone and back without losing a ball. A ball that rolls off goes back on at the spot where it fell.3. Harder for big kids: one hand under the tray, like a waiter.You need: three tennis balls, a tray and a cone.Carry
Ring the Bell1. Hang a bell from a branch or a swing-set bar at a height the smallest runner can reach on tiptoe.2. The runner sprints the last ten steps and rings it. The ring stops the clock.3. Harder for big kids: ring it with a pool noodle from behind a line two steps back.You need: a bell, string and a pool noodle.Finish

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Backyard stations for kids 24

Armful of Five 1. Pile five things of different sizes at the start, such as a beach ball, a pillow, a bucket, a boot and a soft toy. 2. The runner picks up all five at once, with no bag, and carries them to a blanket ten steps away. Anything dropped is picked up again before going on. 3. Harder for big kids: add a sixth thing, then a seventh. You need: five things of different sizes and a blanket.
Bell String 1. Tie a string between two chairs at the height of the runner's knees and hang a bell from the middle. 2. The runner slides under the string without ringing the bell. A ring means back out and another try. 3. Harder for big kids: lower the string to the height of a shin. You need: string, a bell and two chairs.
Both Ways Around the Tree 1. Choose a tree, a post or a chair standing in the open. 2. The runner goes around it once with one hand on it, turns, and goes around once the other way with the other hand on it. 3. Harder for big kids: three hops on one foot before leaving the tree. You need: a tree, a post or a chair.

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Backyard stations for kids, continued

Brimful Cup 1. Stand a bucket of water at the start of the station and an empty jar ten steps away. 2. The runner fills a plastic cup to the brim, walks it to the jar and pours it in. 3. Harder for big kids: carry the cup on a flat palm. You need: a bucket of water, a plastic cup and a jar.
Chair and Blanket Tunnel 1. Stand four lawn chairs in two facing pairs and drape a blanket over them to make a tunnel. Clothespins hold it in place. 2. The runner crawls through from one end to the other. 3. Harder for big kids: crawl through backward, feet first. You need: four lawn chairs, a blanket and clothespins.
Dress the Finisher 1. Lay a grown-up's hat, a big shirt and a pair of rain boots on a chair at the finish. 2. The runner puts on all three, sits down in the chair and shouts "done". The shout stops the clock. 3. Harder for big kids: the shirt has to be buttoned. You need: a chair, a hat, a big shirt and a pair of rain boots.
Flat Sheet Crawl 1. Spread an old cotton bedsheet flat on the grass and hold its corners down with four shoes. Use cloth, never plastic, and stand a grown-up beside it. 2. The runner wriggles under the sheet from one end and comes out at the other. 3. Harder for big kids: a second sheet laid end to end with the first. You need: an old cotton bedsheet and four shoes.
Hose Hops, Side to Side 1. Lay a garden hose or a long rope in a straight line about ten steps long. 2. The runner travels its whole length by jumping from one side of the hose to the other with feet together, moving forward a little on every jump. 3. Harder for big kids: on one foot for the first half and on the other foot for the second. You need: a garden hose or a long rope.
Hose Spiral 1. Lay a garden hose or a long rope on the grass in a spiral, with a path one big step wide between its coils and a cone in the middle. 2. The runner follows the path in to the cone, touches it and follows the path out again. Stepping over the hose is not allowed. 3. Harder for big kids: hop the path on the way out. You need: a long garden hose or rope and a cone.
Lawn Chair Figure Eight 1. Set two lawn chairs four steps apart. 2. The runner runs a figure eight around them twice, which means passing between the chairs four times. 3. Harder for big kids: carry a ball in two hands held overhead the whole way. You need: two lawn chairs.
One-Foot Flamingo 1. Chalk an X on the path or lay a doormat on the grass. 2. The runner stands on it on one foot while everyone watching counts aloud to five. A foot that touches down starts the count again. 3. Harder for big kids: a count of ten with arms folded. You need: chalk or a doormat.
One-Foot Line, Switch at the Shoe 1. Lay a rope, or chalk a line, eight steps long and put a shoe beside its middle. 2. The runner hops along the line on one foot and changes to the other foot at the shoe. 3. Harder for big kids: every hop has to land on the line itself. You need: a rope or chalk, and a shoe.
Plank Walk With a Turn 1. Lay a plank flat on the grass. It stays on the ground and is never propped up. 2. The runner walks to the middle, turns once all the way around without stepping off, and walks on to the end. 3. Harder for big kids: sideways steps the whole way. You need: a plank about three steps long.
Ring the Bell 1. Hang a bell from a branch or a swing-set bar at a height the smallest runner can reach on tiptoe. 2. The runner sprints the last ten steps and rings it. The ring stops the clock. 3. Harder for big kids: ring it with a pool noodle from behind a line two steps back. You need: a bell, string and a pool noodle.
Rising Noodle Hurdles 1. Rest three pool noodles across pairs of things that get taller: two shoes, two flowerpots, two buckets. 2. The runner jumps or steps over all three. A noodle that falls is set back up before the runner goes on. 3. Harder for big kids: both feet leave the ground together on every jump. You need: three pool noodles, two shoes, two flowerpots and two buckets.
River of Doormats 1. Lay five doormats or hoops across the grass as stepping stones, each a long step from the last. 2. The runner crosses with a foot on every stone and no foot on the grass between them. 3. Harder for big kids: pull the stones apart until every gap is a jump. You need: five doormats or hoops.
Shoe Slalom 1. Everyone lends a shoe. Stand eight shoes in a line, a big step apart. 2. The runner weaves in and out down the line, touches the last shoe and weaves back. 3. Harder for big kids: dribble a ball through the shoes with the feet. You need: eight shoes.
Teddy Taxi 1. Tie a string to a box lid and sit a soft toy in it. 2. The runner pulls the taxi along the ground around two cones and back. If the passenger tips out, stop and sit it back in. 3. Harder for big kids: two passengers, one sitting on the other. You need: a box lid, string, two soft toys and two cones.
Three in the Bucket 1. Put a bucket three steps beyond a rope line and a pile of rolled socks at the line. 2. The runner throws socks until three are in the bucket. The third one stops the clock. 3. Harder for big kids: a throwing line two steps farther back. You need: a bucket, a rope and eight pairs of rolled socks.
Three Noodle Bridges 1. Rest a pool noodle across the seats of two lawn chairs, and build three of these bridges in a row. 2. The runner goes under all three, on hands and knees, without knocking a noodle off. 3. Harder for big kids: lower the bridges onto buckets and slide under on the tummy. You need: three pool noodles and six lawn chairs or buckets.
Topple the Cup Tower 1. Stack six plastic cups in a pyramid on a box: three, two, one. 2. From a line three steps back, the runner throws soft balls until every cup is off the box. The last cup stops the clock. 3. Harder for big kids: ten cups, stacked four, three, two, one. You need: ten plastic cups, a box and three soft balls.
Tray of Three 1. Put three tennis balls on a baking tray, a tennis racket or a flying disc turned upside down. 2. The runner carries the tray in both hands around a cone and back without losing a ball. A ball that rolls off goes back on at the spot where it fell. 3. Harder for big kids: one hand under the tray, like a waiter. You need: three tennis balls, a tray and a cone.
Wiggling Snake Rope 1. A helper kneels and wiggles one end of a jump rope from side to side along the grass, so that it moves like a snake. 2. The runner jumps over the snake without touching it. A touch means two steps back and another jump. 3. Harder for big kids: three jumps in a row, there, back and there again. You need: a jump rope and a helper.
Wiggly Rope Tightrope 1. Lay a rope on the ground with three bends in it. 2. The runner walks it from end to end with a foot on the rope at every step and arms out. A step off means back to the last bend. 3. Harder for big kids: heel to toe, with both hands on the head. You need: a rope about ten steps long.

Indoor stations for kids 18

Bang the Pot 1. Stand a saucepan upside down on the floor at the finish with a wooden spoon beside it. 2. The runner kneels, bangs the pot three times and puts the spoon down. The third bang stops the clock. 3. Harder for big kids: copy a rhythm the timekeeper claps first. You need: a saucepan and a wooden spoon.
Broomstick Bridge 1. Rest a broom across the seats of two chairs. 2. The runner goes under the broom without knocking it off. 3. Harder for big kids: rest the broom on two stacks of books and go under on the tummy. You need: a broom, two chairs and some books.
Cushion on Your Head 1. Mark a start and a finish with tape, with one doorway between them. 2. The runner balances a small cushion on the head and walks from tape to tape with hands down. A cushion that falls goes back on at the spot where it fell. 3. Harder for big kids: touch one knee to the floor in the doorway. You need: a small cushion and tape.
Hop the Sleeping Toys 1. Lay six soft toys in a line across the room, a step apart, all asleep. 2. The runner hops over each one on one foot without touching it. A touched toy wakes up, and the runner goes back to pat it before hopping on. 3. Harder for big kids: change feet after every toy. You need: six soft toys.
Land on the Pillow Pile 1. Pile every spare pillow and cushion on the floor at the finish, away from the furniture. 2. The runner sits down in the middle of the pile and shouts "done". The shout stops the clock, and nobody dives. 3. Harder for big kids: pull a blanket over the head before the shout. You need: pillows, cushions and a blanket.
Lap the Table Both Ways 1. Choose a table or an armchair with clear floor all around it. 2. The runner walks one lap with a hand on it, turns and walks one lap the other way. Walking only, so that the corners stay safe. 3. Harder for big kids: both laps on tiptoe with a cushion held overhead. You need: a table or an armchair, and a cushion.
Low Road Under Three Chairs 1. Line up three sturdy chairs side by side to make one long low roof. 2. The runner slides under all three seats on the tummy, from one end of the row to the other. 3. Harder for big kids: roll a ball ahead of you the whole way. You need: three sturdy chairs and a ball.
Oven Mitt Movers 1. Put five building blocks in a bowl and an empty bowl five steps away. 2. Wearing oven mitts, the runner moves the blocks to the empty bowl, one block a trip. 3. Harder for big kids: two blocks a trip, one in each mitt. You need: a pair of oven mitts, five building blocks and two bowls.
Pillow Hurdles 1. Lay three pillows across a hallway or a rug, two steps apart. 2. The runner jumps over each one with feet together and lands without touching it. 3. Harder for big kids: two pillows stacked for the last hurdle. You need: four pillows.
Six-Cup Pyramid 1. Leave six plastic cups in one stack on a low table. 2. The runner builds them into a pyramid of three, two and one, then lifts both hands. Hands up stops the clock. 3. Harder for big kids: build it, then take it down into one stack again. You need: six plastic cups and a low table.
Slipper Slalom 1. Stand six slippers or shoes in a line down the hall, a step apart. 2. The runner weaves down the line and back on hands and feet, like a bear. 3. Harder for big kids: weave it as a crab, tummy up. You need: six slippers or shoes.
Sock Ball Around the Cushions 1. Drop three cushions on the floor, well apart. 2. The runner pushes a rolled pair of socks with one foot around all three cushions, in any order, and back to the start. 3. Harder for big kids: only the foot they do not kick with. You need: three cushions and a rolled pair of socks.
Sock on a Spatula 1. Roll a pair of socks into a ball and balance it on a spatula or a wooden spoon. 2. The runner carries it around a cushion and back with one hand on the handle and the other behind the back. A dropped sock goes back on at the spot where it fell. 3. Harder for big kids: flip the sock once in the air on the way. You need: a pair of socks, a spatula and a cushion.
Stork With a Teddy Held High 1. Tape an X on the floor and leave a soft toy beside it. 2. The runner stands on the X on one foot and holds the toy overhead in both hands while the room counts to five. 3. Harder for big kids: pass the toy once around the waist during the count. You need: tape and a soft toy.
Table Cave 1. Drape a blanket over a sturdy table so that it hangs to the floor on two sides. 2. The runner crawls in at one open end, under the table and out at the other. 3. Harder for big kids: carry a soft toy through without letting it touch the floor. You need: a sturdy table, a blanket and a soft toy.
Tape River 1. Stick two lines of painter's tape on the floor in a long V, a hand's width apart at one end and a big jump apart at the other. 2. The runner jumps across the river at the widest place they can clear. A foot in the water means crossing again at a narrower place. 3. Harder for big kids: jump it from a standing start with feet together. You need: painter's tape.
Tape Tightrope 1. Stick a line of painter's tape ten steps long down the hall, with one corner in it. 2. The runner walks it heel to toe without stepping off. A step off means back to the corner or the start. 3. Harder for big kids: walk it with a book lying flat on each palm. You need: painter's tape and two books.
Waiter With Three Cups 1. Stand three empty plastic cups on a tray or a big book. 2. The runner carries the tray across the room and sets it on a chair with all three cups still standing. A cup that falls is stood up again before the next step. 3. Harder for big kids: the cups ride stacked in a tower of three. You need: three plastic cups, a tray and a chair.

Stations for adults 12

Flipper Walk Along the Hose 1. Lay a garden hose in a gentle curve and leave a pair of swim fins at its start. 2. Put on the fins and walk the length of the hose with a foot on it at every step. 3. Harder: carry a tray with a full cup of water on it. You need: a garden hose, a pair of swim fins, a tray and a cup.
Hang Three Socks on the Line 1. String a clothesline at shoulder height with a basket of socks and clothespins under it. 2. Hang three socks with two pins each, then step back and raise both hands. Hands up stops the clock. 3. Harder: find three matching pairs in the basket and hang them side by side. You need: a clothesline, twelve socks and twelve clothespins.
Ladder Walk 1. Lay a ladder flat on the lawn. 2. Walk its whole length with one foot in every gap and no foot on a rung or a rail. A touch means back to the first rung. 3. Harder: a full cup of water in each hand. You need: a ladder laid flat and two cups.
Pillow Tower on Two Forearms 1. Stack four pillows on a chair. 2. Lift the whole stack on two forearms, with no hand on top, and carry it to a second chair ten steps away. A pillow that falls is put back on the stack at the spot where it fell. 3. Harder: a soft toy rides on top. You need: four pillows, two chairs and a soft toy.
Roll a Hoop Around the Buckets 1. Set three buckets in a triangle, five steps apart. 2. Roll a hoop on its edge around the outside of all three, tapping it along with one hand. A hoop that falls is stood up at the spot where it fell. 3. Harder: tap it along with a wooden spoon. You need: a hoop, three buckets and a wooden spoon.
Rolling Suitcase Slalom 1. Stand five buckets in a line, three steps apart, and sit a soft toy on top of a rolling suitcase. 2. Wheel the suitcase in and out of the buckets and back to the start without touching a bucket or losing the passenger. 3. Harder: wheel it through the buckets walking backward. You need: a rolling suitcase, a soft toy and five buckets.
Shoe Off, Shoe On 1. Lay a doormat beside a chair. 2. Stand on one foot on the mat, take off the shoe of the lifted foot, hold it up for the crowd and put it back on before that foot touches down. One finger on the chair is allowed. A touch starts the station again. 3. Harder: tie the lace as well. You need: a doormat and a chair.
Sign the Board With the Other Hand 1. Stand a chalkboard at the finish, or tape a big sheet of paper to the fence. 2. Write your first name with the hand you do not write with, clearly enough for the timekeeper to read it aloud. The name read aloud stops the clock. 3. Harder: add the name of the guest who ran before you. You need: a chalkboard and chalk, or paper and a marker.
Ten Skips With the Rope 1. Leave a jump rope on a doormat. 2. Skip ten times on the mat, counting aloud, then drop the rope and move on. A trip does not reset the count. A guest who would rather not jump lays the rope down and steps over it ten times. 3. Harder: ten skips with the rope turning backward. You need: a jump rope and a doormat.
Under the Line With a Full Cup 1. Tie a rope between two trees or posts at waist height and stand a table of full cups of water in front of it. 2. Take a cup under the rope, any way you like, without spilling and without touching the rope. A spill means a refill and another try. 3. Harder: the rope at knee height. You need: a rope, plastic cups and a jug of water.
Under the Picnic Blanket 1. Two guests hold a picnic blanket stretched level at shoulder height. 2. Go under it without touching it, carrying a beach ball in both arms. 3. Harder: the holders lower the blanket by a hand's width after every guest who gets through. You need: a picnic blanket, a beach ball and two holders.
Waiter's Tray of Full Cups 1. Fill four plastic cups with water and stand them on a tray. 2. Carry the tray around a tree and back on one hand, at shoulder height. The timekeeper counts the cups that are still full at the end. 3. Harder: step over a low rope on the way. You need: a tray, four plastic cups, water and a rope.

How this list was compiled: Our list of stations for a party obstacle course, one station to an entry, sorted by what the runner does at it. The wording is ours. Everything stays at ground level: nothing is climbed, nobody is blindfolded, and no station uses food or balloons. No outside source was used and no fact is stated. Licence: own work

How it works

These obstacle course party games are single stations, not whole courses. Six make a course in the order it runs: over, under, around, a balance, a carry and a finish that stops the clock.

Read the full guide

Three ways to play the course

Time every runner twice and cheer the biggest improvement, so the fastest guest does not always win. Or count faults in place of seconds: a knocked noodle, a spilled cup, a step off the rope. Or run it once, then let each guest swap one station for one of their own.

Laying it out

Set the stations in a loop that ends near its start, with a few steps of clear ground between them, and walk the guests through once before anyone is timed. Everything stays at ground level: nothing on the list is climbed.

Questions and answers

What are good obstacle course stations for a backyard party?

Rising Noodle Hurdles, Bell String, Hose Spiral, One-Foot Flamingo, Brimful Cup and Ring the Bell make a full course from things in a yard and a garage. Each station ends with a harder version for the oldest kids.

What are indoor obstacle course ideas for kids?

Eighteen stations fit a hallway and a living room. Pillow Hurdles, Table Cave, Slipper Slalom, Tape Tightrope, Oven Mitt Movers and Bang the Pot make one course of six, one station of each kind.

What are obstacle course ideas for adults?

Twelve stations are written for adults, among them Ladder Walk, Rolling Suitcase Slalom, Flipper Walk Along the Hose and Waiter's Tray of Full Cups. None uses alcohol, and none has to be run.

Which stations work as PE obstacle course games?

The ones built from tape, ropes and hoops move into a gym as they are: Tape River, Tape Tightrope, Wiggly Rope Tightrope and River of Doormats with hoops. Shoe Slalom works with cones, and Three in the Bucket with bean bags.