Our mission at Journeys and Jaunts is to get kids outside, so when we were invited to try out the Kids Obstacle Challenge, we were all for it. This 1.5 mile kids mud run led us on a path that had about 15 different obstacles that we had to complete.
Think: Tough Mudder, but for kids.
The course is designed for kids ages 5-16 and you want to take it more seriously, there is a competitive wave in the morning. The best part is that parents run free, so we get to join in on the fun.
We arrived an hour early as suggested and had fun collecting stamps in our adventure passports. The event is very well managed. The runners go in waves so that they are spread out enough that you aren’t waiting in line for an obstacle.
I ran with my two sons, Andrew (age 7) and Harry (age 5) as well as my two nieces. Andrew wore a GoPro to show what the course looks like from a kid’s perspective.
We were given tickets to give away in a contest and were happy to have some children from African Community Education (ACE) join us. Harry is not a competitive person and was hesitant to do it at first. I assured him that I would stay with him and we would do it together. Well, as soon as that bugle blew to start the race, he took off and left me in the dust.
We were prepared to get dirty and wow was it muddy. There were kids losing their shoes in the mud pit. But what is more fun than letting kids get as messy as they please?! If there was ever an obstacle that they didn’t want to do, they could easily walk around it.
We jumped fences, crawled through a spider web of ropes, waded through a ball pit and swung across a muddy pool. They save the muddiest obstacles for last.
I think our favorite was going down the big slide straight into a pool of mud. It certainly was a challenge, but holding their little hands as we crossed the finish line was a great feeling. They were beaming with confidence when they had a finishing medal placed around their necks.
There was a rinse off station at the end where you could hose the mud off of yourself. Be sure to pack: a change of clothes, including shoes (flip flops or crocs are best because you will be wet). Bring a towel to dry off with. A poncho type towel is good for changing kids in public because there was no real place to change in private. Wear clothes and shoes that you don’t care about, because they will get really dirty! Pack a plastic bag to put your wet muddy clothes in.
I was so proud of my boys especially Harry because in the days leading up to the event, he would announce that he wasn’t going to do it. I knew he was just nervous because he didn’t know if he could do it.
I think completing a kids mud run like this really boosted his confidence because it showed him that he can do anything he sets his mind to. They learned that if you fall, you just get up again and keep going and that you always help out a teammate. We had such a great time and can’t wait for next year!
The Kids Obstacle Challenge is traveling around the country. Visit their website to see if they will be in a city near you!
Disclosure: we were given free tickets to this event. All opinions are my own.
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