Deals for Moms Blog

Ninja Warrior Basement

Our kids are big fans of the popular show, America Ninja Warrior. They like to test out their skills at the local park but since we live in the Chicago suburbs, there are multiple months that aren’t quite the best for playing outside on cold metal playgrounds. Our boys never seem to run out of energy so we decided to build a space in our basement that would hopefully tire them out a little bit (and keep them from constantly jumping on the couch)!

Our contractor knew our plans for having a ninja warrior area throughout our basement build and they were great to brainstorm ideas with and help us bring the vision to life. One of their suggestions that we followed was to use 2x4s underneath the plywood boards. This would allow for the plywood to be taken down easily to move rock wall holds and also keep the drywall underneath in good shape for if we ever wanted to turn the space into something else. During another brainstorming session, we came up with the idea to run 2x4s the length of the ceiling for the hanging rings and bars. A bonus feature that we didn’t plan on but that worked out really well for us was that the framers covered our steel support beam in plywood before placing the drywall on top of it. What this did was give us a lot more freedom in where we could hang our pegboard, rock wall training board, and ultimate cliffhanger piece.

I included the links to the items we used below, since that tends to be the most frequently asked question. Let me know if you have any other questions. Happy to answer them the best I can.

Warning: Don’t show your kids the images below unless you’re okay with them asking you to build a ninja warrior course nonstop until you do. lol

Materials we used:

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Mats
They are firm but provide some cushion for when the kids drop or fall. These can be purchased in different sizes. We measured our area and then purchased what would work best for the space.
https://amzn.to/2XDHDoM
Eye Hooks
All the pieces were attached to the ceiling using these eye hooks. We had to make sure they were safe for the biggest kids (AKA my husband).
https://amzn.to/39xCOTu
Rock Wall Holds
We got these a few years ago as a Christmas present. We thought we might mount them in a bedroom and use them as a bunk bed ladder but instead decided to put them in the basement. I like the natural color. We have two sets.
https://amzn.to/2XyG0Zw


There was a deal a while back for a doorway mounted pull up bar that had various attachments like a swing, rope, and trapeze bar. Before the ninja warrior area was completed, we had it in a doorway and our kids used it constantly.  Now that we have the ninja warrior area, we switch out the attachments in the new space. It’s a nice way to give the kids some variety. 
https://amzn.to/3qmn90h
Pod Swing & Cargo Net
Our kids like to swing and read in this comfy seat.
Pod Swing https://amzn.to/3ye8WHg
Cargo Net https://amzn.to/3flxYM5
Note: Please be careful if you get a cargo net. Since it’s not attached to the ground,
it can be very dangerous. We only have ours up when an adult is downstairs supervising.

Monkey Bars
These aren’t cheap but they were exactly what we were looking for. The kids spend a lot of time on them so we think they’re worth it.
https://shopstyle.it/l/buwuc
Ninja Rings and Trapeze Wheels
This is a fun multi-pack of hanging items to add variety to hanging ceiling pieces. 
https://amzn.to/38CaUGJ

Ultimate Cliffhanger 
This is actually a leftover piece of decking that meets the specifications of the authentic ninja warrior ones.
You could probably find a similar piece at your local hardware store.

Rock Wall Training Board
This is a great training piece for grip strength.
https://amzn.to/39tlSxx
Pegboard
This is another training piece that both kids and adults can use. It can be mounted horizontally or vertically. We bought two so we hung one each way. This set comes with everything you need to hang it. 
https://amzn.to/39xS7fb
Another view of the pegboard.
https://amzn.to/39xS7fb

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Our kids are big fans of the popular show, America Ninja Warrior. They like to test out their skills at the local park but since we live in the Chicago suburbs, there are multiple months that aren’t quite the best for playing outside on metal bars. We have three boys that never seem to run out of energy so we decided to build a space in our basement that would hopefully tire them out a little bit (and keep them from constantly jumping on the couches)! Our builder knew our plans for having a ninja warrior area throughout our build and they were great to brainstorm ideas with and help us bring the vision to life. One of their suggestions was to use 2x4s underneath the plywood boards. This would allow for the plywood to be taken down easily to move rock wall holds and also keep the drywall underneath in good shape for if we were ever to not have a ninja warrior area. During another brainstorming session we came up with the idea to run 2x4s the length of the ceiling for the hanging rings and bars. A bonus feature that we didn’t plan on but that worked out really well for us was that the framers covered our steel support beam in plywood before placing the drywall on top of it. What this did was give us a lot more freedom in where we could hang our pegboard, rock wall training board, and ultimate cliffhanger piece.