Go Around or Go Over
by Steve West on May 28, 2020
Because Olivia's school is closed we've been forced to do home schooling along with her teacher doing Zoom three times each week. So lesson plans are still happening but her special education also includes speech therapy, occupational therapy and physical therapy. I don't do speech or occupational but I stepped in for physical. I built her an obstacle course in the backyard.
Each station is numbered and the object is to get to the finish line as quickly as possible. Station 1 starts inside the house. Our sliding door to the backyard is a little heavy (it's a really good door with double paned glass, built-in Venetian blinds, and heavy duty lock). She has to manage the lock and slide it open.
#2 is a tunnel of sorts I fashioned out of extra large pool noodles forming an arch. I combined two noodles together then staked them into the ground to form five adjacent arches that she has to crawl under although sometimes she sits and scoots along the ground. Either way, she's getting some exercise.
#3 is a series of hula hoops that crookedly lead to the next station, far enough apart that she has to take large strides to get from one to another while staying inside the circles.
#4 is a short ladder for which she climbs only two steps to slam dunk 3 balls through a small basketball hoop I secured to the side of the house.
#5 is walking a 12 foot long balance beam.
#6 is a sandbox at the end of the beam in which is buried a box with a message within. She just use a large wooden spoon to dig through the sand to get the box and open it to reveal the message, "You did it!"
#7 is a toy car that when rolled backward for a few inches and then released, it rolls forward on its own. The object is to see how far down the balance beam she can get the car to go.
#8 is to walk backward for about 15 feet to the next station.
#9 is to pick up some ivory dominoes with salad tongs and place them back into their container.
#10 is a kiddie pool filled with floating rubber ducks. On the bottom of each such I drew either a star (96) or the letter O (4). She needs to grab a duck and turn it over to reveal its symbol. She keeps searching until she finds an "O".
#11 is simply to kick a ball through a goal.
#12 is to crawl under a sawhorse with blue crepe paper draped heavily across it. I tell her she's going through a waterfall.
#13 is to drag a wagon loaded with enough bricks to make it heavy (but not too heavy) across the finish line marked with a waving checkered flag.
Olivia has been quite enthusiastic about it all and has modified a few tasks to meet her abilities. I'm very okay with that. She looks forward to doing it once each day when it's not raining. If anyone has a suggestion for another station, I'm all ears, thank you.
Two Replies to Go Around or Go Over
Kelly Lee | May 28, 2020
Watch out, Scott, I might do that.
Web Junkie
Steve West scours the Web searching for interest or absurdity and then shakes his head ruefully when he finds it. Read more »
Half-time
At about the halfway mark between Halloween and Christmas, I ran across this gift idea suitable for both holidays. Zombie lawn sculpture. Dave Barry included this in his annual gift guide and I found the original source for it. Go »Phallic Logo Awards
Most of these fall under the "They Had To Have Noticed" category. I'll never look at another Head tennis racket quite the same way again. The winner is absolutely hilarious. Go »It's My Honor to Be Her Father
I just returned from Lauren"s surprise wedding shower. She was completely awed. She came on the pretense of picking up a couch for her apartment in North Dakota. Go »Just My Lucky Day, I Guess
Weekly shopping trips have been largely uneventful of late because of the absence of you know who, UOAS. She kind of startled me with her presence at the Safeway tonight and I wondered if God specifically was observing my sense of satisfaction over her MIA status. She noted my surprised expression and commented, "Long time no see!" Go »My Child Bride
I've mentioned my wife, Brenda in numerous posts. Thought it was about time to introduce (at least her picture) her to my on-line friends. This is also the only picture to which she consented. Go »
Scott Hardie | May 28, 2020
That sounds like fun -- to run and to build. :-) You did good, Steve.
Obstacle courses, matched to the player's ability level, are fun. I remember a Survivor contestant remarking how fun some of the show's challenges would be to play if there wasn't so much pressure to win them.
I see videos online of parents constructing obstacle courses at home for their bored kids, and I think, I wish someone would make an obstacle course for me. :-)