In my previous articles in this series, I shared a conversation I had with Julie Walder.  She told me a bit about her upbringing, the impact that her own grandparents had on her as a child, and the ways in which she creates opportunities to connect with her own grandchildren.

In this entry I want to share one more activity that has been a favorite with her grandsons and likely can be with my grandchildren or yours!

Sitting down with Julie sparked so many fun ideas for things to do with grandkids. As a parent, you know how fast childhood flies by—and as a grandparent, that feels even more true. Now’s the time to create lasting memories and little moments that spark connection.

Julie told me that before one overnight with her grandsons, she decided to set up an obstacle course. The boys were so excited! They had a blast at Grandma and Grandpa’s—and when they got home, they were inspired to build one of their own.

I asked her what they used and how they made it. As she showed me pictures, I realized most of it was made from simple, easy-to-find items: colorful stepping stones, a play tunnel, floor beams, and a small basketball hoop. But Julie added a great reminder:
“You don’t need [to buy] a bunch of stuff. You can have them jump over sticks or climb up a ladder.”

Here are some ideas that I came across:

• Set up lawn chairs, opposite one another to create a path. Using rope, strung across, this can be a short path to army crawl under. Or it can become an over/under path for older children.
• Another simple thing to do with lawn chairs is to run them in a curvy line to create a slalom for kids to weave in and out as they pass through.
• Create a balance beam out of cardboard, logs, 2×4’s, whatever you have (making sure to stabilize it.)
• Find differing objects to use as stepping stones.
• Create tasks, such as shooting a basketball, throwing a frisbee or disk, knocking down stacked solo cups, etc.
• Ramp up the fun by incorporating water toys.
• Don’t forget pool noodles, sidewalk chalk, and cardboard boxes.

Julie also shared, “We made [an obstacle course] in the house one time during the winter… I had them throw a ball into a laundry basket. There was a bench they had to get up on, walk across, and get down. They had to jump into hula hoops and circles.”

It takes a lot of creativity to pull off these types of activities but hopefully this has inspired you to think about what you have around the house that can provide an interactive activity for you and your grandkids.