How to Make Your Own Backyard Ropes Course

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A ropes course can be fun for adults and kids alike. Not only does it engage your mind, but it is also great exercise. It is common to see ropes and ladders made of ropes at a kids playground, but why not make one in your own backyard? If that catches your interest, read on. Today I will be going over how to build a backyard ropes course (for both kids and adults), tips and tricks on tying the knots on the ropes, and how to use a ropes course. Hopefully this article will motivate you to get making a backyard ropes course for plenty of exercise.

How to Build a Kids Ropes Course

Let’s first take a look at how to make a kids backyard ropes course. A ropes course can be great a exercise for kids, and even more fun than a regular playground. A ropes course can make a great obstacle course for kids. Here is how to build one:

Rope Nets

Include rope nets in your kids rope course. Rope nets require a lot of balance, and can engage your kids’ brains.

Rope Playhouse

A rope playhouse is a playhouse that can only be reached by kids climbing on either rope nets, rope ladders, or rope bridges.

Rope Ladders

Rope ladders are similar to rope nets, but they look more like a ladder.

Rope Bridges

A rope bridge is like a rope net with ropes along the sides to grab onto.

Rope Swings

Although rope swings are not exactly part of a ropes course, they are often added for extra fun since they are made from ropes.

Swinging Rope

Unlike a rope swing, a swinging rope is indeed part of a ropes course.  Kids can either try to climb up the rope as far as they can, or they can swing to the next station.

Monkey Bars Made from Ropes

Instead of monkey bars, attach ropes up high and have your kids try to climb across it. It may be even a little harder than monkey bars, because the ropes can move a little.

Rope Balance Beam

Create a balance beam with a rope. You will want to have either a rope above it or along the sides of it so that kids can grab onto something.

How to Build a Ropes Course for Adults

Not only can a ropes course be great exercise for kids, but it can be a great exercise for adults too. Of course, if you are making a ropes course for adults you will need to make it bigger, stronger, and able to hold the weight of an adult. So, here are some tips and instructions on making a ropes course for yourself and other adults.

Plan Out the Site

Take a look around your backyard and decide where you want your backyard ropes course to go. The idea of a ropes course is to make it start at one end, and you continue to go through the course until you reach the end. It is similar to an exercise station, where you move from one site to the next. Consider how much room you have in your yard for a ropes course. If you are short on space, consider going through the ropes course multiple times, or making your ropes course turn into the front yard and then back into the backyard.

Decide If You Want a Low Ropes Course or High Rope Course

There are two different kinds of ropes courses: High ropes courses and low ropes courses. High ropes courses are ropes that go up really high, while low ropes courses are usually low to the ground. Consider which type you would like.

Dig Holes for the Posts

Once you have decided where you would like to build your ropes course, it is time to get building. Start by digging holes for the wood posts. Some people use big trucks and equipment to dig and install the posts, but it is possible to do it by hand. If you are building a high ropes course (20 feet tall or more), you may want a tractor to dig out the holes and set the posts for you. But if the ropes course is small, you can do it by hand.

Build Additional Stations

Not all rope courses are made with ropes only. Some also include balance beams to walk on, monkey bars, tires to hop over, and tunnels. If you will be adding these things to your rope course, now is the time to get them ready and built.

Tie Your Ropes

In just a little bit I’ll go over how to tie knots on your ropes for climbing. As for attaching your ropes to your posts, you will probably want to tie the rope around your post and then use a clamp to keep it in place. The Figure 8 Follow Through knot can help hold the rope in place too. Continue reading to learn how to make this knot.

Have Fun

Have fun on your new ropes course. For additional information on building a backyard ropes course, here is a video for you to watch.  

Tying the Knots: Tips and Tricks

If you will be having a rope that you can climb on, it is important to have knots. Knots can help you have a good grip on the rope and not slip.  But how do you tie knots? Here are some tips.

The Figure 8 Follow Through Knot

The Figure 8 Follow Through knot is used to tie climbers into a belay line (what keeps you from falling and hurting yourself). If you won’t need a belay line in your backyard, you can still use this knot to connect the rope to the post. You can learn how to make it by clicking here.

Butterfly Knot

Use a butterfly knot to create a loop in a rope line where you can clip in equipment or lobster claws (similar to the belay line). Learn how to do it by clicking here.

Water Knot

Use a water knot to connect two pieces or two ends of tubular webbing to create secure knot that will not slip.

Super 8 Knot

The super 8 knot, also known as the Double Figure 8 Loop, is a commonly used knot. It can be used for just about anything in a ropes course.

How to Use a Ropes Course

There are many ways to use a ropes course. Here are some ideas:

Exercise Workout

One of the most common uses of a ropes course is to get a good exercise workout in. This is especially common for adult ropes courses because it can give adults a good workout routine. Why go to the gym if you have one in your yard?

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Family Fun

Not everybody is looking for a sweat-drenching workout, but instead they are looking for family time. That is another reason why people install ropes courses in their yard. It is a great way to connect with your kids, have fun, and forget about the stress in life.

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Obstacle Course

Ropes courses make great obstacle courses, especially for kids. If you decide to make an obstacle course for your kids, it may be a good idea to include stations where your kids play games with ropes. There are many different games to play, such as playing a rope ring toss or tug-of-war. You could even have stations where your kids stop and play jump rope for a short period of time. The goal is to keep your kids active and see who wins the game.

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Final Thoughts

I hope this article has inspired you to create a ropes course in your yard. There are two different types of ropes courses you can make, either adult ropes courses or kids ropes courses. Of course, kids can use the adult ropes course and adults can use the kids ropes course if they want to, but each type is slightly different. The kids ropes course is more of a playground where kids can play and have fun with friends. The ropes course for adults is more for working out, and it can be challenging. Besides adult ropes courses and kids rope courses, there are two different types of rope courses: high ropes courses and low ropes courses. High ropes courses can be more challenging and scary for some, while the low ropes course is can in some ways be easier, but it is still challenging. If you don’t like heights, you will probably like the low ropes course better.

In this article, I also went over how to tie knots for your rope course. Knots are a big part of your rope course, because they are what give you a grip, connect ropes together, and attach ropes to poles. For some people, tying knots can be difficult to do. That is why I went over four different knots to try tying, along with links that showed hot to tie them. Lastly, in this article I went over ways to use a ropes course. Remember to have fun. Backyard ropes courses can be fun to use, and they are a great workout.

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