Portal Obstacle Course

Before the meeting: 

1. Identify a safe area free of obstacles where you can safely put painter’s tape on the floor. 
2. Create a portal obstacle course. 
3. Place a strip of blue painter’s tape to mark the starting point. 
4. The rule is that you can only step on the painter’s tape or in a designated square on the floor to get from one side to the other. Use the green tape to designate the direction they have to go in by making arrows on the floor. 
5. Create obstacles and challenges: 
   • Make 1’ x 1’ squares on the floor that get further apart from each other, so Cub Scouts have to jump from square to square.  To add to the challenge, designate that blue boxes mean you have to have both feet in the box and green boxes mean you can only have one foot in the box. 
   • Lay two parallel strips of tape down to designate they have to walk on the tape like a balance beam.  You can add to the challenge by creating curves. 
   • Make 6” x 3” rectangles on the floor.  Green rectangles mean you have to place your hands on the rectangle, blue rectangles mean you have to use your feet.  Make rectangles running parallel with each other alternating green and blue so Cub Scouts have to “crawl” to complete the obstacle.  
   • Make a 6’ circle on the floor with the painter’s tape, you cannot step in the circle you must move around the circle staying on the painter’s tape. 
   • Make a 1’ x 1’ square with an X in the middle.  Place a 3 gal. trash can 5 feet away.  Place the tennis balls in the bowl and place the bowl in the square.  The object is to throw the three balls into the trash can before moving to the next obstacle. 
6. Place a strip of blue painter’s tape to mark the finish line 

During the meeting: 

1. Have Cub Scouts gather at the obstacle course. 
2. Demonstrate how to run the course. The course does not have to be completed in a specific order.  
   • Blue boxes mean you have to have both feet in the box and green boxes mean you can only have one foot in the box. 
   • Side by side tape means walk on the tape like a balance beam. 
   • Green rectangles mean you have to place your hands on the rectangle. 
   • Blue rectangles mean you have to use your feet.   
   • You cannot step in the circle; you must move around the circle while staying on the tape. 
   • At the “X,” throw the three tennis balls into the trash can. 
   • If an obstacle is missed, you are put in a portal that brings you back to the starting line and you start over.  
3. Give each Cub Scout a turn to run the obstacle course and record how fast they did it. 
4. Allow each Cub Scout to run the course at least twice to see if they can improve their time.