Parachute Activities And Games

Ripples and Waves

Use an overhead grip.  Shake the parachute gently making only
ripples.  Gradually let your ripples get bigger until the parachute
makes little waves.  Now, let those waves get bigger and bigger. 
Shake the parachute until the group instructor tells you to freeze. 
The Ripples and Waves activity teaches self-control and how to
follow directions.  Students use their full upper body for this
workout.

Stretch Mr. Chute

Hold the edge of the parachute overhead.  On the signal, stretch and
gently pull the parachute tight for five seconds.  Relax; let the
parachute go limp and then stretch it again.  Mr. Chute teaches
strength, agility, and coordination using the serratus anterior,
hand flexors and extensors.

Dome

Start with one knee on the ground and hold the parachute’s edge
overhead.  On the signal, all players stand up quickly.  Raise the
parachute above all heads and return to the starting position on the
ground.  This traps air under the chute and creates a dome.  The
Dome activity teaches cooperation, working together, and following
directions while employing the front and back deltoids.

Merry Go Round

Hold the parachute edge overhead and choose a leader to perform
different movements like skipping, hopping, running, etc.  All
children perform the chosen movement together while holding the
parachute edge and circling clockwise and then counterclockwise as
instructed.  The Merry Go Round activity teaches problem-solving and
following directions while using the shoulders and upper arm
extensors and flexors.  This activity is especially fun if, while
moving, children can imitate circus or amusement park sounds such as
animals, shouting, and cheering.

Balloon Float

Equipment: Balloons

Hold the parachute edge overhead.  Put balloons in the middle and
gently wave the chute.  Ask students what happens to the balloons
when they are shaken off the chute.  Pull the parachute taut and, as
you shake the balloons; ask what will happen as you shake them
higher and higher.  The Balloon Float is a great activity to do as
an extension of Mr. Chute.  It works the biceps, triceps, and the
lattisimus dorsi.

Copy Cat

Hold the parachute’s edge  with an overhand grip.  Have the children
stand around the bunched up chute and grip it, thumbs-down.  Have
them think of an exercise that the group can do while holding onto
the chute.  Quickly go around the chute and have each child whisper
his exercise to you.  Walk the chute out and have the children hold
the chute above their heads.  One child ducks under the chute to
demonstrate his exercise—such as jumping up and down four times—and
then runs back out.  Lower the chute to waist high once again while
everyone imitates the activity.  Raise the chute for another child
to demonstrate an exercise.  Continue with several more children. 
The Copy Cat activity teaches children to use creativity, take
turns, and follow directions.  Both the upper and lower body muscles
can be used in this activity- depending on the exercises the
children select.
 
New Places

Lower the chute to the ground and ask the children to stand in a
larger circle around the chute and hold hands.  Move in a circle,
doing several large body movements such as sliding, galloping,
taking giant steps, etc.  At the last movement, bring the children
close to the parachute so they can pull it out.  You could ask them
to tiptoe toward the chute, hold it with thumbs up and walk
backwards until it is stretched out.  Call a child’s name and a
movement, such as twirl.  Have the other children raise the chute
above their heads.  The named child releases the chute and quickly
twirls to a new place on the chute.  After he has grabbed the chute
in his new place, everyone lowers the chute.  Call on another child
and continue playing.  New Places teaches spatial awareness while
working all the back muscles and the wrist extensors and flexors.

 
Group Balance

Make sure everyone in the group has a good grip on the parachute and
then tell them to lean back slowly at the same time.  Remind
children to roll the edge several times and tuck their fingers in
under the roll before leaning.  As students lean, the parachute gets
tighter and tighter.  If all members work together, no one should
fall.  As an added bonus, have the players face outward and lean
back from the parachute.  The Group Balance activity teaches
students to follow directions; take turns and allows them to
practice agility.  This activity uses upper body muscles in
coordination.

Mushroom

Have all the players kneel down and make the parachute taut on the
ground.  On the signal, have everyone stand up, lifting the
parachute high above their heads.  This forms a giant mushroom. 
Then have children stand still as the parachute slowly settles back
down to the ground.  The Mushroom activity teaches children to
follow directions and prepares them for other activities.  It
recruits the upper body muscles of the trapezius and the
stermocleidomastoid. 

Ostrich

Use the parachute and take two steps forward to make a large
mushroom.  While the mushroom is descending, have students lie on
their stomachs, poke their heads under and pull the parachute around
their neck and shoulders.  Vary the game by reversing the activity
and asking children to put their bodies under the parachute and
stick their heads out.  The Ostrich activity encourages students to
listen to direction, work together and teaches them spatial
awareness.  This activity specifically works the upper body. 

Rabbit and Hounds

Put two different colored or types of balls on the parachute.  Name
one ball the “Hound” and the other the “Rabbit.”  Hound’s team tries
to catch the rabbit by seeing how many times the ball hits the
Rabbit ball while the other team helps the Rabbit get away by
shaking it off the chute.  Designate half of the parachute
participants as the Hounds and the other half as the Rabbits.  The
team that better manipulates the balls wins.  This activity uses the
upper arm muscles of the triceps and biceps and teaches children to
follow directions and use self-control.

Having a Ball! 
A Fun Parachute Play Alternative!
Children of all ages enjoy this fun and active game involved in
parachute play. This series of games is great both indoor and
outdoors and can be played with a variety of ages and athletic
abilities. Get your chute and get ready to have a ball!
A warm up is essential for any aerobic activity. Since using the
parachute is primarily an upper body activity, the following routine
that gets you ready to play.

Warm-up
Upper Body
1.Arm Circles ( Muscles Targeted: Biceps brachii, Triceps brachii,
Brachialis, Brachioradialis, Anterior, and Posterior Deltoid)
Circle the arms ten times forward and ten times back.
2.  Alternate Biceps (Muscles Targeted: brachii, Triceps brachii,
Brachialis, Brachioradialis)
Ten times on the left and the right.
3.  Wrist curls (Muscles Targeted: Wrist flexors and Wrist extensors)
Ten times each.
Lower Body
4.   Hop, skip, squat, and jump (Muscles Targeted: Biceps Femoris
long and short heads, Semitendinosus, and Semimembranosus.
Do each action for a minimum of five seconds each.
The warm-up portion of the activity is also good for cooling down.
Parachute Tips
When you are introducing the parachute, the following terms are
essential. Have the students follow what you have modeled and try it
for themselves. You only have to introduce terms that you will be
using for the games that you plan to play. Loco motor movements of
the lower body— skipping, walking, hopping, running, jumping,
galloping, and leaping skipping, walking, hopping, running, jumping,
galloping, and leaping —are also important. Directions such as
forward, backward, sideways, up, down, clockwise, counter-clockwise,
left and right hand, high, and low are helpful to teach students
when using the parachute.
Teach the following grips for using the parachute—palms facing down,
underhand with palms facing up, and the crossover grips with the
right hand over left hand with both palms down. This crossover grip
can be done with an overhand and underhand grip. Movement and speed
terms include emphasizing fast, slow, accelerating, decelerating,
light, and heavy. Clearly explain and model both upper and lower
body movements.
Most of these chute games can be played with different kinds of
balls—whiffle balls, foam balls, balloons, beanbags, footballs,
beach balls, and even a stability ball. Different sized balls will
change the way in which the game goes, so feel free to experiment.

Directional Skill Games

Rock n- Roll
This game is played with a large beach ball.  Place the ball in the
middle of the chute and by pulling up and down; throw the ball as
high in the air as possible. See how long the students can keep the
ball on the parachute.
Competitive Rock n- Roll
Have children start with a crossover underhand grip.  Mark an
imaginary line across the diameter of the chute. Have equal teams
hold the edge of the chute on either side. Throw a ball into the
middle. The aim is to get the ball off the chute on the other team's
side of the line, and stop it from coming off on your own side of
the line.

Popcorn Popper
Start with everybody holding the chute stretched out. Throw as many
soft balls as you can find on to the chute. Then see how quickly you
can bounce them off with out letting go of the chute. For a
variation of this game, try small sponges, balloons, or beanbags. 
Hypothesize which balls come off the chute first and why.
Bouncing Ball Buddies
Place two or three children under the chute.  The children under the
chute have try to push off the balls while every one else tries to
keep them bouncing on the chute.

Roll and Flow
Have children start with an overhand grip. Everyone holds the chute
taut. Place a large ball near the edge. Try to make the ball roll
around the edge of the chute. To do this, one student starts the
ball rolling. As it comes towards the student, lower the edge you
are holding, and as it goes past the student raises the edge. When
all the players do this in synchronization, it creates a kind of
wave around the edge of the chute, which pushes the ball in a smooth
steady circle.

Save the Canoe
A ball is placed on the parachute, representing a canoe.  Players
wave the chute so that it ripples.  Encourage the waves to be ones
that will allow the ball to not fall off the edge of the chute.
Students try to get their canoe to safety as soon as possible
through the hole in the center of the parachute.  For a variation of
this game try to use an overhand, underhand, and crossover grips.

Sports Ball Games

Volley Ball Adventure
Divide the class in half down the middle of the parachute. With a
soft, medium-sized balloon on the parachute, have students try to
flip the balls onto the other team's side. Some adaptations include
having the students hold the parachute in various handgrips.

Goofy Golf
Toss the ball on the chute. Begin waving the chute, trying to
maneuver the ball through the hole. When the ball is sunk, name
someone to go under the chute, get the ball, and toss it back on the
chute. See how many strokes it takes to get the ball in the hole.
Have the children count aloud as they wave the chute.

Fun Ball Games

Sink the Colored Ball
Put balls of different colors on the chute. Call out one color. Have
the children work together to sink that ball down the hole. After
that ball has been sunk, call out the color of the second ball and
try to sink it.

Sliding and Gliding
Grasp the edge of the parachute with an underhand grip.  Place one
ball on the parachute. Make the ball slide around the chute by
slowly raising the chute up and down. Keep the ball rolling so that
it does not go off the edge.

Surfing U.S.A.
Place a large ball on top of a flat chute and roll it around the
edge. Players should lift the parachute just after the ball passes
by. Timing is important. If someone lifts up a section of the
parachute too soon, the ball slows down and stops. If someone lifts
a section too late, the ball either runs into the player or off the
chute. Test and hypothesize with various sizes of balls. Discuss
which ones come off first and why.

Floaters
Have the children stand around the bunched-up chute and pick it up
with a thumbs-up grip. Show the children one balloon. Set the
balloon on the chute. Have the children slowly walk outwards keeping
the balloon on the chute, until is completely stretched out.  Put
several more balloons on the chute. Gently wave the chute. What
happens when the chute is loose, taunt, and balloons are put in the
air light, medium, and hard?  For a variation of this game, try
different hand positions and grips.

A Simple Guide to Parachute Play

Parachutes are a great addition to any game session when working
with children.  They teach teamwork, cooperation, strength, agility,
body movements, coordination, and endurance.  It encourages positive
cooperative group experiences.  A group 6 to 40 can play.

Even when students are playing against each other, they have to work
together toward a creative end.  This is good practice for group
sports must share equipment.  Instead of people always fighting over
who has control of the equipment, most parachute games do not
involve competition at all.  They play to share one goal; to have
fun.
 
Parachutes games  help strengthen the biceps, triceps, forearms,
back, and the deltoids.  The exercises also work the entire shoulder
girdle.  Sometimes you can even involve other parts of the body such
as the quadriceps, hamstrings, and calves when doing parachute
games. You can perform isometric, rhythm and locomotion skills also.
 
Games are very flexible with the parachute.  You can play from five
minutes to over an hour depending on your needs.  They are for all
abilities levels and can be played for quiet or noisy games.  They
work well with many abilities and special needs are for
coeducational settings.  They lead to imagination.

 Parachutes can be played anywhere.   A group exercise instructor
needs to remember certain games work best with different kinds of
surfaces.  Safety should proceed with any type of parachute play. 
 
A variety of grips  can be used with using the parachute.  Grips can
be done with one or two hands, underhand, overhand or crossed.  It
makes the games more exciting when the motions are varied.
 
• When lifting the parachute, you should lift it in a 1, 2, 3
count.  Lower and get all of the air out by pulling  it toward you. 
Start in a squat position on the feet so it is easier to stand up 
and places less pressure on the back.  Be sure to stretch arms
upward and reach full height to make the parachute go higher. 
Emphasize the importance of everyone lifting at the same time.  Be
sensitive too if different sizes/ ages of students are using the
parachute.  Safety is most important when doing parachute play.
 
 Specific terms are very important in parachute play.  Terms such as
inflate, deflate, float, dome, and mushroom need to be addressed;
.          Inflate means to lift the  parachute over your head,
• Deflate means to let the parachute go into a flat position.
• Float is when the parachute is in the air and above the
student’s deltoids and back.
• At the game leader’s request the group can change the
direction to a dome.  Have the students lower the parachute together
to the ground, the children together go under it, and it becomes a
dome.
• To make a mushroom grasp the edge of the parachute with an
overhand grip and inflate. Pull edge of parachute to the ground,
trapping air inside and creating a mushroom.  

Parachute activities need to be repeated so that children have a
chance to learn the game.   A game leader should  be sensitive to
know when the activity is exhausted.  Each group or set of children
you work with will be different.  Give students opportunities to be
a leader by having them explain rules of parachute games to students
who have never played the particular activity with the parachute. 
 
Objects can be used  with the parachute.  Some items include a soft
foam ball, a beach ball, or volleyball.  Frisbees and ropes can be
used as well.   These items be easily stored in a duffle bag.  Heavy
balls such as medicine balls should not be used.  They can tear the
parachute.  Beanbags are useful.  If you use a small parachute, be
sure that the objects you use for the middle of the parachute are
lightweight and small.
 
When doing parachute play, the trainer needs to think ahead.  It is
important that they have the supplies that they need ahead of time. 
This will allow the group to focus on the activity and not on the
process of gathering the equipment.  You can even take part of the
session by have the different participants take charge of gathering
the equipment. 
 
When playing teams let the leader, decide who is on each team by
numbering, birthdays, or any non-threatening form of delegation. 
 
Discipline is essential in any form of playing.  Be sure to let the
children know the rules and the consequences for deliberate
inappropriate action.  Having a child sit out for round can be very
effective.  If a child is active, have him be your special
assistant.  Never force someone to parachute play.  Instead, have
them sit out and watch the group from a comfortable distance. 
Periodically, encourage them to join in.

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