Plan An Obstacle Course Fundraiser For Your School

An obstacle course fundraiser is a unique and fun way to get students moving and working together while your school raises funds! And with so many options on how to create your course and customize the level of difficulty, this type of fundraiser is the perfect option for a wide range of ages and grades. 

In this blog, you’ll learn more about: 

• The Benefits of an Obstacle Course Fundraiser 
• How to Plan Your Event 
• Tips on How to Make Your Fundraiser a Success

Read on to learn more about all the great benefits of hosting an obstacle course fundraiser and tips on how to create one for your school.

Benefits of an Obstacle Course Fundraiser 

Not only are obstacle courses a blast for students, but this type of fundraiser also has so many additional benefits. An obstacle course fundraiser:

• Encourages physical activity, providing a fun way to exercise and build healthy habits. Activities can help with strength and balance, memory and problem solving, motor skills, coordination and more. 
• Gets participants working together, building teamwork and cooperation skills. You can choose to make the entire course a team event and break it up into sections. Team members can pass a baton or simply tag one another once they complete their challenge. Alternatively, you can create one course which each student does as an individual.
• Builds a sense of community and school spirit as students and family cheer on their classmates. 

How to Plan Your Event 

When you begin the actual planning process, it is key to keep in mind the grade levels that will be participating. The abilities of a kindergartener are clearly different from those of a fourth grader. 

If you will have a wide age range, make more than one course or make one portion of a larger course on the easier side so that the younger students can try an abbreviated obstacle course. You can get as creative as your school would like with what your obstacle course entails. 

Some great obstacle course challenges are:

• Rope climbing
• tunnels
• bag races
• wall climbing
• balance beams 
• water feature 

As you begin to design your obstacle course fundraiser, take into account the resources you have available. Gym equipment is always a great place to start! You can also reach out to local fitness gyms and play spaces in your town that may be willing to share some of their equipment for the day.

If you’re hoping to skip the DIY, pre-designed obstacle courses like a bouncy course may be a great fit. These can be rented for a fee or you may be able to get them donated to your school if there is a local business that would like to support your cause. 

Along with reaching out to local organizations and businesses for supplies, you may also want to consider offering them the opportunity to sponsor your event and have custom t-shirts made with their logo included. 

Booster Gear has in house designers to help create the perfect t-shirts and they ship free. You can really take your event to the next level and enhance school spirit just by giving students the opportunity to sport some special apparel. 

The design of your obstacle course fundraiser will also dictate how many volunteers you will need to execute a successful event—from preparation to the actual event day. Make a list and be sure to include needs for set up, course monitoring and any type of registration or collection tables present at the event. 

Make Your Fundraiser a Success 

Now that you’ve got the outline of your event, it’s time to focus on the actual fundraising aspect. One option is to sell entry tickets to families and your community to attend the event and cheer on students. This can be done in advance or on event day. Consider inviting a local vendor or hosting a bake sale to raise additional funds through concessions on event day.

You can also register each student that would like to participate and have them collect pledges. A fast and easy way to do this is by using the free online fundraising platform MyBooster. Use this option to collect donations in real time. 

Each student is given their own page to share with friends and family, allowing them to collect donations with the click of a button from anywhere in the U.S.—or even the world! And contributors can rest easy entering their personal information knowing the website is secure. Opting to take registration and collections online will also reduce your overall volunteer needs for event day. 

Finally—get the word out! Use flyers, posters and social media to share information about your obstacle course fundraiser. If you are raising money for a specific goal, make sure to share that too. The more you get your students and families excited about your obstacle course fundraiser, the more they will participate and the more you will raise!  

An obstacle course school fundraiser can provide a fun and exciting way for schools to raise funds, build community, and promote physical activity. With the right planning and execution, your school can host a successful and memorable event that will be talked about for years to come!