When you set out to design an obstacle course for your students, think about what you want to accomplish. If you want your students to constructively burn off some excess energy, your obstacle course will look different than if your goal is to promote sensory integration. An energy-burning obstacle course could include jumping over a series of small steps while a sensory-based obstacle course could require a child to stand on a balance board for 15 seconds with or without help. Deciding what you want to accomplish with your obstacle course will help you to determine appropriate activities.
When you design your obstacle course, think about ways to modify and adapt the course to the needs of your students. An obstacle course for children who use wheelchairs could be very different from one designed for children with autism. If you are adapting an obstacle course for children who use wheelchairs, design as many obstacles as possible so that students can use their hands. Students can throw a ball into a box, drop or toss a beanbag onto a target, or toss rings over posts stuck in the ground.
If the abilities of your students vary, prepare your obstacle course so that it is flexible. Some students can go through the course, or portions of it, independently, while others may need the assistance of an aide. You can also adapt the goals of each event to meet the needs of your students. Some students may need to throw five balls into a box before moving on while other students only need to hit the box once. Making the obstacle course easier for some students and more difficult for others is not favoritism, it is providing challenges that your students can meet.
Do not feel as though you have to purchase a multitude of equipment in order to build an obstacle course. Use what you have available. A few traffic cones can set a path for students to run or skip through, bike around or steer a wheelchair through. A set of paper plates on the floor can give students the opportunity to hop from one plate to the next while a tunnel made of boxes lets students crawl through, possibly pushing a truck or other object. Students can jump on a miniature trampoline, crawl across pillows, stomp on popping packing material and walk along a low-balance beam.