Parachute Activities With Kids

Basic Parachute Activities

• Kids typically form a circle when engaging in parachute activities. To make the chute take form as a mushroom, have the kids raise their arms and lift the chute over their heads, pulling it behind them as they sit down with their rears on the chute's edge. Inside the chute, kids rock left, forward, right, and repeat the motion.

  To make a wave, have the kids--one by one around the circle--raise their arms as they hold onto the parachute. Kids make a carousel by turning their body, and hopping, jumping, skipping and walking while holding the chute with one hand.

  Kids test a parachute's endurance when playing "All Change." A leader designates colors and numbers to each child. With kids holding the edge of the chute, the leader calls out colors, numbers or birth months, after which kids matching the information run under the chute and change place with another kid matching that information. When the leader calls multiple birth months or colors, the parachute sinks on top of players.

  To test out the parachute's strength, each kid takes a turn laying in the middle of the chute and having everyone carefully lift it up and put it back down.

"Chase" Games and Others

• To play "Cat and Mouse," kids stretch the chute out and hold it at waist height. Kids take turns as the cat (who stays outside of the chute) or mouse (who goes underneath). The remaining kids move the chute up and down, trying to hide the mouse from the cat. To add more of a challenge to the game, the leader places an empty can (the "cheese") under the chute in the center. The mouse starts outside the chute and runs between kids holding the chute to reach the cheese, while the cat tries catching the mouse. Whoever reaches their goal within 20 seconds scores one point. After all kids have had a turn, whichever team has the most points wins the game.

  It may not be safe to go into the chute when playing "Sharks." Kids sit on the ground, stretch their legs out out under the chute and hold the chute at chest height. Two children crawl around under the chute and play "sharks," grabbing the legs of anyone around the area, pulling them under the chute. If the sharks catch a player, they switch places with their "victims." If younger kids get scared easily, they should sit this game out.

Object Maneuvering Activities

• Kids may maneuver objects lying on top of a parachute, such as shaking the chute to make beanbags rise like popcorn, shaking the chute to try to shake "snakes" (several skipping ropes) off or making waves to try to put/land a plush teddy bear into bed (a box).

  If kids like ball activities, they may shoot a ball off the opposite side of the parachute, amidst ripples and heavy chute motion. Kids may go under a chute and try to knock foam footballs off, while kids around the chute try keeping the balls on.

  Kids may try flipping a lightweight football over others' heads or try kicking a football and aiming it to shoot out through any side, as others ripple the chute up and down. If kids like golf, they may "putt" a table tennis ball or tennis ball through a hole in the chute.