Picture this: Children of all ages being let loose into a wild forest of mud pits, zip lines, rope swings, and climbing walls. No, this isn’t a nightmare come true—this is the 2013 KEEN Vail Kids Adventure Race, happening August 8 through 11 at Vail Village. The multi-skills obstacle course race gives children the opportunity to dip, dive, tube, and swing—in a safe environment.

After a safety briefing and instructions, kids will work together in teams of two to complete the course, which is full of problem-solving challenges and sports like mountain biking and tubing. The course’s distance and number of physical challenges is tailored to the age of the participants, with 12 waves scheduled to start during a two-day span. For the racers’ (and parents’) peace of mind, four optional mini clinics will be held two days prior to the event. After days of high-activity fun, kids will be too tired and dirty to resist the usual groan-inducing bath and bedtimes. Sounds like a win-win in our books.

Sign Up: Registration for the KEEN Vail Kids Adventure Race opens March 18, with a fee of $150 per team of two. Optional skill clinics are $50 per child. But hurry—space is limited to 230 teams and the race always sells out.

—Image courtesy of Kat Jahnigen