Sports Challenges: Activities For Children And Parents At Home Or Outdoors

Looking for ideas of things to with your family? Duels, relay races, snakes and ladders, find fun and sporting activities to do as a family, at home or outdoors. Get set!
Decathlon Malaysia
June 12, 2021

Laughter fills the house, but what is going on here? Bella, Thomas, Alice and Aiden are in the middle of a family challenge. Let's take a closer look to see what's causing so much hilarity.

SPORTS GAMES AT HOME OR OUTDOORS

Parent against parent, child against child or parent against child, any sports challenge is possible. At home or outdoors, adapt the rules to your children's age and size and let your family spirits fly. An excellent way to do a bit of exercise and occupy children if leisure centres are not their cup of tea.It can also replace extracurricular activities, which may have been interrupted.

Here, Alice and Aiden are 9 and 10 years old but you can easily adapt the games for younger children.The first part of the afternoon is filled with duels of various kinds. Discover them below.


IDEAS OF GAME-TYPE SPORTS ACTIVITIES

Sports challenges: activities for children and parents at home

DUELS:

Alice, Aiden, Bella and Thomas write the duels suggested below on bits of paper.They also write their names and everyone choses and writes a penalty for the losers, for example: “washing-up duty tonight” or “do a cartwheel in the garden”, etc. You can also write a reward, for example: “movie night for the whole family tonight!” Woohoo!

If you want to try this game out, draw up a small table to tally the points of the sports challenge winners. The duels are played in the style of "each man to himself"! (Add a diabolical laugh and rub your hands after this sentence for effect).

Equipment required: you'll need a very light football-type ball, big comic-style hardback books, cushions (those on the sofa will do the job), solid cups and a timer.

Pick out a challenge and a name: let the game begin! Please note, high standards and fair play required!

Sports challenges: activities for children and parents at home

1- THE CHALLENGE THAT HOLDS UP THE WALL

The person who holds the chair position against the wall for the longest wins 5 points.

Sports challenges: activities for children and parents at home

2- THE BLUE SPEED CHALLENGE

The person who brings back a blue object the fastest wins 1 point ( possible with all colours, suitable for children under 7 years old).

suitable for children under 7 years old).

Sports challenges: activities for children and parents at home

3- THE R SPEED CHALLENGE

The person who brings back an object starting with the letter R wins 3 points ( possible with all letters, suitable for children aged 7 and over).

4- THE PINK FLAMINGO CHALLENGE

On a cushion, the person who stays standing on one foot with their eyes closed the longest wins 5 points (if it's too easy, ask them to make circular motions with their arms).

Sports challenges: activities for children and parents at home

5- THE 99 BALLOONS CHALLENGE

Bounce the ball on your knees as many times as possible. The person who does the most bounces gets 3 points.

Sports challenges: activities for children and parents at home

6- THE PAVING STONE CHALLENGE

Choose two big books. Place one on each head, the one who carries the book on their head the longest while walking around the house wins 3 points. If it's too easy, make a course ;).


Sports challenges: activities for children and parents at home

7- THE CANDLE CHALLENGE

The person who holds the candle pose (shoulder stand) the longest is the winner.This involves lifting your legs and buttocks off the floor and rolling your weight onto your shoulders. Get 3 points if you win.

RELAY RACES

Now the family is warmed up, it's time to start the relay races.
Preferably outdoors, or in an unobstructed corridor of the house. Form two teams, find an object to use as a marker like a cushion or a water bottle and mark the distance so you can turn around at the right time.

You can even go further by creating a course with the garden or living room furniture… There are no limits to the imagination! Well, apart from safety and common sense of course. Need ideas?

Sports challenges: activities for children and parents at home

1ST RACE: THE DUCK RACE

Start off in a crouched position with bum facing downwards! (all farm animals are possible with under 7s)


Sports challenges: activities for children and parents at home

2ND RACE: THE SNAKE RACE

Crawl, making sure you really dirty those trousers!

Sports challenges: activities for children and parents at home

3ND RACE:  THE ELEPHANT RACE

(yes, you've got it, all animals are possible) Walk with your hands and legs straight and your bum in the air (you don't have to make the associated sound).

Sports challenges: activities for children and parents at home

4TH RACE: THE AGE-OLD WHEELBARROW

Please note, I'm expecting well-formed and controlled wheelbarrows, no eating of grass or tiles...

Sports challenges: activities for children and parents at home

5TH RACE: THE POTATO SACK RACE WITHOUT SACKS OR POTATOES

Because real sacks are not always easy to find and may be a little dangerous (let's be honest), we keep the same principle and jump with feet together.

Sports challenges: activities for children and parents at home

6TH RACE: THE STATUE RACE

Children pretend to be very stiff statues and parents must carry them to a set place and come back to the starting line as fast as possible.

Sports challenges: activities for children and parents at home

7TH RACE: THE BOOK RACE

The hardback books can be turned into obstacles, use them to make hurdle course by standing them up on their spines, or trickier still, laying them flat for more width. If you have a lot of books, you can make piles!

Sports challenges: activities for children and parents at home

8TH RACE: THE FLOOR IS LAVA RACE

Each participant has two books. The aim of the game: to go to the marker and back without ever touching the ground. The person has to use the books on the floor to move as if the floor was a pool of boiling lava...

Sports challenges: activities for children and parents at home

9TH RACE: THE CUP RACE

Place a cup on your elbow and add some obstacles, the aim being to do the course without dropping the cup (you can do the same with a cup on your foot).

Sports challenges: activities for children and parents at home

10TH RACE: THE HOPPING RACE

A good old hopping race. (It's good to go back to basics sometimes.)

Sport
Brand
Tags