Hula hoop obstacle course: 21 Hula Hoop Activities – Teaching Expertise
21 Hula Hoop Activities – Teaching Expertise
Hula hoops may seem like a simple tool in comparison to the numerous high-tech toys and games available today. However, they’re great instruments for helping kids learn skills, develop their muscles, and improve their gross motor movements. Hula hoops are easily available, inexpensive, and safe. Additionally, kids will have fun trying to control a moving hoop! Whether you’re a parent organizing birthday parties or a teacher trying to hone kids’ physical skills, these fun hula hoop games and activities will keep them entertained!
1. The Hoop Game
This is one of the simplest games to play with hula hoops, bean bags, and water bottles. Lay a hula hoop on the ground and place plastic bottles in the middle. Now, kids have to target the water bottles; trying to knock them over using bean bags. This is one of the best activities for kids because they learn target practice and develop their motor skills!
Learn More: Final Site
2. Hula Hoop Pass
This is a great hula hoop team-building activity that also serves as the perfect party game. Make the kids stand in a circle and hold hands. Now, ask them to pass the hoop around the entire circle without separating their interlocked hands.
Learn More: Guide Inc.
3. Hoop Rolling
Hoop rolling is one of those fun hula hoop games that are great for developing locomotor skills. Make a line with chalk, provide each student with a stick and hula hoop, and ask them to roll the hoop along the traced path. Once they get the hang of hoop rolling, add obstacles like bowling pins and traffic cones along their path.
Learn More: Wikipedia
4. Rope And Hula Hoop Activity
This simple hoop activity improves kids’ practice in gross motor movements. Simply tie a rope to the hoop and hang it from a tree. Give the kids small objects like balls and arrows, and ask them to aim and throw them through the hoop.
Learn More: Happy Hooligans
5. Hula Hoop Basketball
Traditional netball hoops are very small so if you have little kids, you can try this variation. Secure a hoop to a pole or a door with cable ties. Give the kids soccer balls and ask them to aim at the hoop; attempting to toss their ball through the ring and score a point.
Learn More: Moms.com
6. Jump Rope With Hula Hoop
Try this amazing variation of jump rope using a hula hoop. You can also make it a race and have your learners compete to quickly skip their way to 100!
Learn More: Dana Pederson
7. Hoop Catch
Also known as up high, this simple game is sure to challenge your students.
Have your kids toss the hoop as high as possible and catch it before it touches the ground.
Learn More: New Folks
8. Hula Hoop Toss
Divide the kids into two teams and assign one hoop per team. Position the hoops a few feet away from the start line and give each team a bag full of bean bags. Set a timer and have each team compete to throw their bean bags into their hula hoop. The team that gets the most bags in the hoop wins the game!
Learn More: Empowered Parents
9. Hula Hoop Challenges
This challenge tests kids’ basic hula hooping skills. Give each kid one hoop and ask them to start spinning on cue. The last one to remain spinning without dropping their hoop wins the competition.
Learn More: The PE Specialist
10. Hula Hoop Relay
For this hula hoop relay course, divide the kids into teams and make them stand in a line, holding hands. Give each team one hoop. The children must quickly pass the hoop to the final play before the whistle sounds.
Learn More: Tip Junkie
11. Hula Hoop Rock Paper Scissors
Divide the kids into two teams. Set up a line of paired hoops that is equal to the number of participants. Members of opposing teams stand near the first pair of hoops and play rock, paper, scissors (RPS). The player who wins moves to the next hoop, while another member takes their place on the first hoop; playing RPS with the same member of the opposite team. The team that is able to occupy all the hoops wins the game!
Learn More: SSWW.com
12. Ring Around The Bottle
This one will soon become one of the kid’s favorite hula hoop games. Divide the kids into two teams and assign one soda bottle per team. The kids must aim to make the hoop land over the bottle. The team that covers the bottle with hoops first wins the game!
Learn More: Work R Fun
13. Physical Challenge
Make kids stand in a hoop and give them physical challenges like standing on one leg, becoming a chair, and so on.
The child who lasts the longest wins.
Learn More: Playground Parkbench
14. Washer Toss
This engaging game will have your kid playing with hula hoops for hours. Align the hula hoops and assign a score to each hoop. The closest hoop gets the lowest score, and the farthest gets the highest. Ask kids to aim washers at the hoops and score their best.
Learn More: Playground Parkbench
15. Hula-Hoop Hopscotch
This evolved version of hopscotch is one of the most fun hula hoop games. Place the hoops in patterns and have your little ones engage in a game of hopscotch.
Learn More: Playground Parkbench
16. Hoop Targets
To play this excellent hula hoop game, assign one hoop and one knockable target (empty plastic bottle, bowling pin) per participant. Spread the hoops across the ground and place the targets in the middle of the hoops. Every participant has to guard their target while knocking off the opponents’.
Spread cheap tennis balls or small-size balls across the activity area. When they receive the start signal, the kids pick up the balls and begin.
Learn More: Play Sport
17. Hula Hoop Tag
Ask kids to spread themselves out in an open activity area. Designate 2-3 kids as taggers and give each one a hula hoop to use in order to tag the others. When someone is tagged, they must perform a particular physical activity.
Learn More: Asphalt Green
18. Hula Hoop Obstacle Course
Use a couple of hula hoops to prepare an obstacle course. Ask the kids to run through, over, and under; moving from hoop to the next to complete the obstacle course.
Learn More: Your Therapy Source
19. Hula Hoop Tic Tac Toe
To play this simple party game, form teams X and O and give each team different colored bean bags. Arrange 9 hula-hoops in the form of a TTT board. Ask alternate team members to aim at the board and attempt to get three in a row.
Learn More: Asphalt Green
20. Dolphin Island Tag
Spread some hula hoops across the activity area. The hoops are islands or safe zones. Appoint a leader to give commands. When the leader declares swimming time, all the dolphins must “swim” to avoid being captured. They must return to the hoop base for safety.
Learn More: Moms.com
21. Circus-Inspired Hula Hoop Game
Decorate a hoop with yellow and orange construction paper so that it appears like it is on fire. Now, make the kids, aka circus animals, jump through the hoops. Hold the hoop higher to increase the difficulty level.
Learn More: Hi Sawyer
10 Creative Hula Hoop Games and Activities for Kids
Hula hoop games and activities for kids are super motivating and fun ways to promote gross motor skills like coordination, endurance, balance, strength, and more.
*This post contains affiliate links. Read more.
And now that spring has officially sprung…it means that we can spend hours out in the yard doing our favorite spring activities and family activities without getting frostbite! Hooray! So get out there and give some of these a try!
10 Creative Hula Hoop Games and Activities for Kids
1 ||
Rabbit Hole from The Inspired Treehouse
One of our all-time most popular posts on the blog, Rabbit Hole gets kids working and moving as a team – perfect for parties and play dates!
2 ||
Hula Hoop Rag Rug from Sisters Guild
This is SO cool.
Who knew you could turn a pile of t-shirts into a rug using only a hula hoop?! Can’t wait to try this cool hula hoop rag rug idea!
3 ||
Hula Hoop Ring Toss from Leigh Laurel Studios
Love this step-by-step tutorial on how to make your own washable bean bags for a hula hoop ring toss game – ones that can get dirty and muddy and wet without ruining the typical bean bag stuffing…beans. Genius and perfect for springy outdoor play!
4 ||
Rattlesnake Relay from Education.com
Check out this great cooperative group game for kids! No set-up or other materials required…just a group of kids and a hula hoop!
5 ||
Flaming Hoops from The Inspired Treehouse
Kids will get a chance to be circus daredevils with this fun flaming hoops activity! Transform your set of hula hoops into the flaming hoops from the circus – kids will love pretending to be the lions, tigers, and acrobats defying this dangerous feat!
6 ||
Hula Hoop Croquet from The Crafting Chicks
This one might just be our favorite.
Materials from the dollar store transformed-in a super creative way-into an awesome outdoor croquet activity for kids! It doesn’t get better than that!
7 ||
Rope and Hula Hoop Activity from Happy Hooligans
The easiest backyard activity in the world that will keep young kids entertained for hours! Super simple setup and kids will love inventing their own ways to play with this rope and hula hoop activity.
8 ||
Hula Hoop Obstacle Course Pool Game from Everyday Dishes & DIY
Who would have thought to take your hula hoops into the pool? This is such a great summer idea and a super smart ways to turn hula hoops into a cool underwater obstacle course!
9 ||
Tire Run from The Inspired Treehouse
Try setting up your hula hoops in the yard in an array of different patterns for this awesome tire run endurance challenge!
10 ||
Gross Motor Color Match Game from The Inspired Treehouse
This creative color match game is great for promoting a variety of skills at once, including balance, coordination, self-regulation, and more!
Our Favorite Hula Hoops for Kids
LED Light-Up Hula Hoop
Snap Together Detachable Hula Hoop
Spiral Taped Hula Hoop
Weighted Foam Hula Hoop
Have you and your kids come up with your own creative ways to play with hula hoops? We’d love to hear about it! Leave us a comment below!
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Lauren Drobnjak is co-author of The Inspired Treehouse blog and a pediatric physical therapist who currently practices in the educational environment. She has been a physical therapist for 18 years, with 17 of those years specifically in pediatrics. Her drive to make a difference in the lives of kids has led her entrepreneurial spirit in the direction of creating opportunities for play-based wellness and child development. She is a busy mama of 3 who thrives on chaos. To come down from the stress, Lauren enjoys exercising like she’s still 20, yoga, chocolate, a great book, browsing Pinterest, and anything crafty!
Hula Hoop Games for Kids
Play healthy hula hoop games for kids outdoors or indoors to keep kids happy and healthy.
At any time of the year, such games with a hoop will be of interest to children, they can warm up, develop ingenuity and strengthen team spirit. In addition, such children’s entertainment with a hula hoop will help people of all ages stay in shape, train fine motor skills and the motor apparatus.
These year-round hula hoop games for kids are a great way to stimulate team spirit and help everyone involved develop their personal skills.
The hoops can be used in many movement exercises at home or at school. Here are some hula hoop games to try with your preschoolers, kids, and older adults.
Obstacle Course
Get creative and create an obstacle course! Our obstacle course included running a tire using 6 hoops, crawling through the hoop using plastic bases, putting the hoop on your head and lowering it to your feet to run back and mark the next teammate. The first team to complete the course wins!
Children’s hoop game Climb
Play with the children a hoop game called Climb. It can be done both outdoors and indoors. This game will greatly amuse your wards. The advantage of the game is that it is played several times, during which time the best ones are revealed. The game will be more fun if you turn on dynamic music. See the photo of the Climbing game to visually understand the rules.
The Climbing Hula Hoop game has three variations.
Rules for the children’s game with the Climb Hoop
Props: 2 hoops (hula-hoop) for the first two options and at least 10 hoops for the third version of the game.
The first version of the game
Two equal teams are organized, from five people to infinity. Teams join hands and line up in a line, standing opposite each other. The judge puts hoops on the shoulders of the first participants, according to the principle: from the left shoulder to the right hip, or from the right shoulder to the left hip. Participants, without breaking their hands, must move the hoop (hula hoop) from one end to the other, climbing through the hoop and pushing it to the next participant. Whose team will do it faster, she wins.
The second version of the game
Two equal teams of ten people form two circles, holding hands. The judge puts hoops on the shoulders of the first participants, according to the same principle: from the left shoulder to the right hip, or from the right shoulder to the left hip.
Participants, without breaking their hands, must move the hoop from the first participant to the last, climbing through the hoop. The winner is the team that will move the hoop faster without breaking the rules.
The third variation of the game
Another variation on which the children’s game with the Climb hoop can be played involves climbing through several hoops. The rules of the game are as follows: teams must pass several hoops through the formation or circle. For example, each team is given 10 hula hoops. Whose team will climb through all the hoops faster, she wins the competition.
The rules can be changed, both for the game of time and for the speed of climbing through hoops.
Hula Hoop Marathon
Practice the participants’ skills and try the hula hoop marathon! Gather everyone in the group and start spinning the hula hoop at the same time, the one who can spin the hoop the longest wins.
Pass the hoop
This hula hoop game is great for any event if you have a whole group of attendees.
Ask everyone to join hands and stand in a line or circle. To start the game, put the hoop on the player’s hand. From there, the rest of the group must walk the hoop in a line or circle without letting go of each other’s hands.
Single hoop games
If you only have ONE hula hoop, you still have options to play with.
Hang the hoop on a tree to make a target hoop. Throw different balls through the hoop. You can swing the hoop back and forth and still throw the ball over a moving target. Play ball with each other, but every time you have to throw the ball through the hula hoop.
Useful hula hoop games are always fun!
Use your hoop as a jump rope. You can raise the hula hoop above your head and jump over it. Also use this method for the relay race.
See more games for children and adults:
- Games for all ages
- Folk games for children
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Types of rhythmic gymnastics hoops
Types of rhythmic gymnastics hoops
If your child has chosen rhythmic gymnastics, you should pay attention to several important points.
Just don’t start your search with the question “how much does a hula hoop cost?”. First, you will need special props. And the hoop will be on this list, at least in the top five items. In specialized stores today, two types of hoops are sold:
Simple hoops for rhythmic gymnastics
Professional
The difference between the first and second ones is that simple hoops deform quite quickly after hitting the floor, since they are made of soft plastic. In addition, while catching the hoop with her feet, the girl will sooner or later bend it to complete disrepair. It is not uncommon for hoops to literally crack from impact. It is logical to assume that they are inexpensive.
But professional hoops are made of a special, more durable plastic, which is not easy to bend and, moreover, break. They practically do not crack and do not break. Particularly economical trainers will surely advise you not to throw away even a professional hoop that has cracked at the junction. It can be repaired, glued and continue training without problems.
What hoop sizes do you need?
There are many sizes, knowing the specifics of which you can easily select the right hoop for your young gymnast. Let’s make a reservation right away – non-professional hoops are designed for two age categories:
Hoop sizes available for all ages (range 60 to 90 cm in 5 cm intervals):
| Age, years | Hoop diameter, cm |
| 3-6 | 60 |
| 6-7 | 65 |
| 7-8 | 79 |
| 9-10 | 75 |
| 10-12 | 80 |
| 12 | 90 |
Do not forget about such a factor as growth. To make the hoop fully fit your young gymnast, measure the distance from the floor to the pelvic bone (the point is about 2 cm below the navel) – the data obtained will be the desired hoop diameter that is right for your girl.
When buying, you can use a different classification, focusing on height:
| Height, cm | Hoop diameter, cm |
| Up to 135 | 70 |
| 135-150 | 75 |
| 150-160 | 80 |
| 160-170 | 85 |
| 170 and above | 90 |
If you are short on money and want to buy a hoop, so to speak, “for growth”, then measure the diameter from the floor to the navel. However, not all trainers will recommend this method to you. Saving on rhythmic gymnastics, which fully reveals the capabilities of the human body, is a thankless task.
World Gymnastics Federation recommends
In addition, for gymnasts aged 15 years and older, you need to pick up a hoop of at least 85 cm in diameter and weighing from 300 grams.