Parachute Activity List

Parachute Activity List
Compiled by Chuck McNevich, Carver Elementary School, Lexington Park, MD from ideas submitted to NASPE-L

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Crossing Over and Crossing Under

The kids kneel and make hard, fast waves, then when you call out the numbers the kids crawl ON the parachute instead of run under it. Another might be using the same numbering off and go under the chute (regular inside the mountain directions), call the number or whatever and those students go into the center and make statues (you can ask for different levels or whatever) then come back and call another group, etc.

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Air Conditioner

Kids stand around the chute--number them off. When you call a number, that group crawls under the parachute, lies down on their backs with feet crossed and hands covering eyes. Kids still around chute make fast waves to "cool them off". Nice activity for the end of a lesson.

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Mousetrap

Kids stand around parachute and hold it high above their heads (a very taut parachute is needed so have the kids take an extra step or two backwards). Number off the kids. When a number is called, those students become the mice. They must crawl under the parachute, trying to crawl out between the students still holding the chute and back under the chute as many times as they can. When you blow the whistle, students still holding the chute pull it quickly to the ground to see how many mice they can trap.

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Parachute Basketball

Place two old bike tires on the parachute along with two different colored balls. Each team will try to make a basket with their ball in one of the tires. Of course, they will be flipping the chute in the process....

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Parachute with Scooters

Another favorite is to place scooters under the parachute (4-5) and call a number. They will try to get on the scooter and get out before the chute lands on them (practice bubble lifts first)...

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Colored Chute

Finally, with a colored chute, the students are matched up by color and when called they must climb up the mountain as it falls to the ground (the procedure is lift, pull down hard, kneel on chute, and others climb.

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Freeze

Students make big waves while music is playing, and freeze when music stops. Variations while making big waves to music and then freezing--jump up and down with both feet off the ground; jump on one foot; other foot; make big waves while holding parachute behind instead of in front; kick feet under chute one at a time to see if you can touch with your toe; one hand on chute and one hand behind your head; make waves back and forth instead of up and down; etc

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Alligator (Crocodile, Shark, etc.) Students lay down on floor and pull parachute up to their chin. They must have their legs straight out under the chute and legs together. They pretend to be asleep with eyes closed. Teacher walks around and taps one student on the shoulder--this student becomes the alligator. Alligator crawls quietly under parachute in order to "eat" other students. Alligator "eats" by quickly pulling the feet of another student. When a student is pulled under, they must SCREAM as loud as they can to warn others, and then they also become an alligator. Continue until all students are alligators, then start over.

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Cat and Mouse

Students are all holding the parachute. Teacher walks around chute and taps every other student (you can't tap students standing next to one another or there won't be anyone left to hold the parachute--you'll get the students you miss the second time around). When you tap the students, alternate by telling the first student they are a mouse, the next they are a cat, the next they are a mouse, etc. until you have about three cats and three mice. Mice crawl under the parachute and hide. Cats crawl carefully on hands and knees on top of the parachute with their eyes closed. When whistle blows (or music starts), students still holding parachute make big waves. Mice crawl around underneath and try to avoid being tagged through the parachute by the cats. Cats open their eyes and crawl around the parachute, trying to tag as many mice as possible. IMPORTANT--when their turn is up, they must go back to the same spot that they originated so you don't skip anyone's turn.

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Around the World

First, we are going to a rain forest in South America. Raise the chute up and leave it up until it comes down. While it is up, have 1's, 2's, etc. walk under the chute to a new spot. Next, take them to Antarctica. They must cross the ocean, so have them make waves. It was so cold down there we had to get inside an igloo. Have students raise the chute and sit inside of it. Next we went to Africa for some cave exploring. Have the students raise the chute, come down, and poke only their head inside. From there, we went to Europe to the Eiffel Tower. Have students raise the chute and take three huge steps toward the middle so the chute goes up very high. From there, we crossed the mountains into Asia. Have students raise the chute and put it under their knees on the ground. Call 1's, 2's, etc., and have them crawl to a different place while the chute is up. Next is Australia--known for sharks. (Follow plans above for Crocodile, Shark, etc.). Finally, we headed back home to good old North America and Wichita, Kansas. Kansas is knows for--TORNADOES. Have students shake the chute rapidly.

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Popcorn

Throw out small foam balls and have the students shake the chute, popping them up in the air.

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Advanced Popcorn

Still using small foam balls or fleece balls, have students pop the popcorn through the hold in the middle of your parachute (if it is not covered)

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Parachute Volleyball

Divide the class in half down the middle of the parachute. With foam balls on the parachute, have them try to flip the balls on to the other team's side.

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Washing Machine

Have one student sit in the middle of the parachute with legs crossed. The rest of the students walk around him or her while holding the parachute. On your signal, students pull out on the parachute and it spins the person in the middle.

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Cooperative Parachute

Put a small ball--that will fit through the center hole of the chute-on the chute. Class challenges: 1. See if you can get the ball to roll around the chute "_" number of times without it falling off-or falling through. 2. See if you can get the ball through the center hole.

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Birthday Celebration

We use if for a birthday celebration by putting the birthday child in the middle of the parachute and everyone is holding the chute with one hand and walks around until the chute gets smaller and then they pull the chute with both hands and the birthday child spins in the middle. We call out the months of the year for the birthdays and when it is your month you have to run across to the other side while the chute is lifted in the air.

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Class Picture

Class picture-Hold parachute with hands separated on chute. Kids lift up chute, take 3 steps in to middle and place the parachute behind their necks. They then carefully lower themselves to lie on their stomachs while bringing their hands together (with the chute of course) under their chins. If done properly, all you will see are little faces under the chute. Smile!

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Space Ship

Lift up chute. Pull down together to the top of shoes. On "Go", everyone should let go of the chute together. If done properly, the chute will hover off the ground like a space ship.

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Number Chase

Number off students by five or whatever works for your size class. Students grip the parachute with their R hands and walk in a CW direction listening for their numbers to be called. Everyone with the number called will let go of the parachute and run forward around the chute until they get back to their original spots. The students holding the parachute continue to walk while the others run around. After all the numbers are called, switch to gripping the chute with the L hands and walk in a CCW direction. For a variation change the way to travel around the parachute.

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Jaws

Choose two players to be the sharks, who position themselves under the middle of the parachute. On signal, standing players shake the parachute gently to create waves while the sharks move under the chute trying to gently touch/tag the leg of a standing player, at that point the two players change roles and the game continues on.

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Parachute Fun

Have students evenly spaced around edge of chute. They roll the edge 2-3 rolls to make a "handle" and hold chute with knuckles up, palms down grip. Establish how players will take turns by color of stripe or mark at their place. Review signals. Ready Players touch parachute to their knees or waist Up Players straighten legs and lift chute overhead with elbows straight. Down Players bring chute back to knees or waist on signal. Slam the Door. Players bring chute to ground and hold air inside by sealing edge with hands or knees.

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Merry-go-round

Players holding chute raise it up and down while some players run around on top of shaking chute for 15-20 seconds. Variation: Inside players roll around.

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Soccer

3-6 players are on the chute with an earth ball or nerf balls. They attempt to kick ball off chute while players holding the chute block by raising the chute. Switch center players after 20 sec.

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Climb the mountain

Players follow commands, Ready, Up, Down and seal the edge with their knees. Several players run up the mountain of air to the hole, turn around and run back down without falling down. Variations: Several players exchange places across the mountain. Cross the mountain--Several players exchange places across the mountain. Groundhog--Several players go under the mountain and one by one crawl out the hole and run back to their places. Trolls--Players secure edge of inflated chute with their hands. All extend their feet back, place tummy on ground, put head under and make faces. Hideout--As players are bringing chute down they take 1 step toward center, bring chute down behind them and sit on edge. Aquarium--Before inflating chute teacher chooses some players to be aquatic animals (fish, sea horse, crabs, etc.) As players inflate chute aquatic creatures go into aquarium. On "down" remaining players kneel and seal the edge. Creatures "swim" until chute deflates. Lift chute and peek into aquarium. May use other imagery like rain forest, desert, and arctic.

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Worms

Several players go under the chute in their places and crawl on the grass toward the center. One by one they come our through the hole and crawl back to their places.

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Crab Soccer

Players keep several balls moving across chute by kicking while seated or with bottoms lifted off the ground. When a ball gets stuck in front of a player he crab walks to ball and kicks. Variation: 4-5 players are "active" and crab walk on parachute attempting to kick balls off. Outside players catch or trap balls. Rotate active players after 20 sec.

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Marbles

A target ball is placed in the center. Balls are distributed to several outside players. Object is to hit the target ball and knock it to the outside. Players must keep their knees on the edge of chute. Time group with stopwatch so they can beat their time each round.

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Candy Wrapper

Several players sit in the center of the chute. On signal others walk in 1 direction. Players inside get "wrapped up" like a Hershey kiss. When chute is as high as their shoulders outside players back up quickly. Chute unwinds and gives center players a spin.

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Tug of war

Chute Flat in the Air. Players hold the rolled edge of chute waist high with enough tension to keep it flat. Group adjacent players into teams. On signal "Go" all players pull chute and attempt to move it in their direction.

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Big Wheel

Chute Flat in the Air. Players hold the rolled edge of chute waist high with enough tension to keep it flat. All players hold chute with 1 hand and walk, run or stop on command. To stop they turn towards center, hold chute with both hands and bend knees. One player (or teacher) gives commands with this chant: Big wheel, big wheel, go so slow players walk Big wheel, big wheel, go so fast players jog Big wheel, big wheel, step on the gas (players run) or step on the brake (players stop)

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Rhythms

Chute Flat in the Air. Players hold the rolled edge of chute waist high with enough tension to keep it flat. To music or chant players side slide, skip, walk, and change directions. Alternate traveling with inflating chute and moving in 3 steps and back to places. To inflate chute start with chute touching bent knees. As players raise arms overhead they walk 3 steps toward center and look up at canopy. When chute deflates or on command they back up 4 steps.

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Overtake

Chute Flat in the Air. Players hold the rolled edge of chute waist high with enough tension to keep it flat. On signal "Go" every other or every 4th player runs counter clockwise around the chute. Each player attempts to pass the player in front before arriving back to his place. Players pass on the outside.

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Pass the Parachute

Chute Flat in the Air. Players hold the rolled edge of chute waist high with enough tension to keep it flat. Players stand in their places and cooperate to keep the parachute moving around in the designated direction by reaching out with one hand and pulling chute towards them. Experienced class can change directions on signal.

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Elevator

Chute Flat in the Air. Players hold the rolled edge of chute waist high with enough tension to keep it flat. Players stand in their places and hold chute with straight arms. One player gives commands: 1st floor players squat 2nd floor players half squat 3rd floor players stand on feet 4th floor players stand on balls of feet. Commands may be given in any order. Players cooperate to support each other so no one loses their balance.

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Basket

Chute Flat in the Air. Players hold the rolled edge of chute waist high with enough tension to keep it flat. Get ball into center hole. Players may discover that raising and lowering chute is more effective than shaking. Challenge class to make a basket in less time each attempt.

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Colors Ahead

Chute Flat in the Air. Players hold the rolled edge of chute waist high with enough tension to keep it flat. All players hold chute with one hand and walk forward. When teacher calls "Reds Ahead!" all players holding red spot leave their place and jog to the next red place. Meanwhile other players continue walking.

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Under the umbrella

As players lift chute overhead they walk in 3 steps. Several players are chosen to let go and move under the chute. Remaining players bring edge of chute to ground to "hide" the animals or put birds in a "cage." On signal they lift chute to let the creatures escape. Take turns.

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Exchange

As players lift chute overhead a color group is called to exchange places under chute. Leader counts down "5 4 3 2 1 Knees!" or "Slam the Door!"

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Scat in & out & all about

Players inflate chute. One color group is invited to run in & out all the windows. When chute deflates that group runs out and around chute to return to their places. When all are out, players holding chute bring edge down to their waist.

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Ghosts

Before inflating chute, teacher chooses several players to be ghosts. As players inflate chute the ghosts go under. Other players back up 5 steps away from edge and kneel. Ghosts jump, shriek, moan, howl, and flap arms under chute.

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Jingle Bells

Music: Jingle Bells One large parachute for the whole class. Jingle Bells...Shake the parachute Dashing through the snow...walk, skip, and gallop around the parachute, whatever way the teacher chooses. You can modify this for different grade levels. It's easy and the kids love it. Move the way the music makes you feel. The song is also OK for those students that do not celebrate Christmas. I have also used those wiffle balls with bells in them and they shake them and make them jingle or pop up.

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Solid, Liquid, and Gas

Procedure: 4-6 kids sitting in the middle. They are the solid. The remainder of the kids is the energy. 1. The energy walks around the solid molecules, and the parachute is twisting around the solid (safety, make certain the parachute stays low on their bottoms) 2. The energy pulls back on the parachute turning the solid into liquid. 3. The energy shakes the parachute and the liquid molecules turn to gas molecules and the gas molecules run around on the shaking parachute (such and ripples and waves)

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Parachute Gymnastics

During our gymnastics unit, we put all of our available mats in a rectangle or square and then pull out the parachute. After lifting the parachute up nice and high, we take turns doing a roll in towards the center and a roll out towards the edge. It is one of our favorite parachute activities. It is possible to do a 2 person or 3-person balance as well - creating a mini-pyramid.

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Hot Potato

Make a mountain- turn and sit down with back to the mountain and pass a ball around the chute- when the center part hits the floor or a certain amount of time blow whistle and whoever has a ball gets a point against themselves. Usually start with 3 - 5 balls. The object is to see who has the least amount of points.

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Igloo

My kids like to sit under the parachute (Igloo) and sings songs. We also like to put just our heads under and see if we can all take turns saying our names, favorite hobby, favorite food, etc. before the center of the parachute touches the floor.

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Merry-go-round

By color or number have about one quarter of the children go on the parachute while it is on the floor and sit or lie down. The rest of the children walk around the parachute and gradually go faster. Take turns. Trap-make an umbrella, call a color or number and have those few children run across under the umbrella while the rest bring the parachute down to the floor and attempt to trap them inside. Practice how to hold down the chute and remind them not to hit anyone on the head.

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Shark Attack1/4 of the students are the sharks and go under the sea, 1/4 of the students are the lifeguards and stand up on the beach (around the outside of the chute) and the remaining 1/2 of the students are the swimmers. When the game begins, the swimmers shake the chute to create the ocean waves, the sharks grasp swimmers by the ankles and attempt to pull them in, and the lifeguards grasp the swimmers by the hands and pull them back onto the shore before they go under. If a swimmer goes under, he/she becomes a shark. Time limit is one minute and I challenge the lifeguards to have some swimmers survive the shark attack.

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Basket of Heads

Begin with parachute on the ground. 1-2-3 up and inflate chute on signal, go down onto knees lie down tuck only head under chute (hands hold onto chute as if a scarf is tied around head) let the chuckles begin!

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Ghostbusters

The old popping popcorn. I took mini white pillow cases (homemade) magic marker ghost eyes on them fill with balloon of soft ball (7" size) tie with rubber band play "Ghostbusters" music and pop the ghosts on the parachute

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Volcano

Begin with parachute on ground. Several (4-5) gator balls (or ghosts) on chute. 1-2-3 up and inflate chute. Just before chute is inflated, quickly say "down" and students bring chute down watch the balls flip and fly to the ceiling

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Hair dryer

# off students 1-5 around the chute. Call one number, those students enter the chute underneath as it is raised and sit down in the center of the chute. As the chute lowers, the outside students make waves. Try to keep chute tight over their heads. On signal, raise the chute and watch the students who are sitting under the chute hair rise. It is hilarious. Don't try this if we have had any reports of head mites.

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Giant tent

Kids lift up, step forward, then sit down on their edge of the parachute...very popular.

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Chicken Soup

Heads under the parachute lie on belly.

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Eskimo Exchange

Sitting under parachute, switch with a fellow Eskimo.

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Have You Seen My Legs?

Legs under, lift and create a bubble of air, wiggle feet until the parachute touches your legs

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Mushroom

Lift and catch air, then hold to the ground

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Squeeze the Lemon

Start as Mushroom, and then slowly walk on knees into almost the center (safety).

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Washing Machine/Clothes Dryer

Clothing items are popped up and down. I get clothes from my lost and found and put them in the center and ask the kids (K - 2) to shake the parachute so that the clothes will "dry.'" I integrate science concept of air movement by talking about how will the clothes get dry - someone usually says, "air". Then I ask how to get more air to the clothes. Of course this means they must shake the chute more vigorously - thus using more upper body. After a few moments I stop them and go "check" to see if the clothes are "dry" yet. Depending on my remaining time and activities, I will say yes or no.

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Weave & Retrieve

Place objects under the chute. On command a group goes under the chute to get these objects when it is lifted

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Magic Carpet

On count 1-2-3 all students lift and let go of parachute, it should float

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Ten Out of Bed

Read the book "Ten Out of Bed" while performing it with the parachute.

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Candy cane

Equipment: 2 parachutes, 2 small wands or batons for candy canes. Students are divided up into 2 groups. One group on each parachute. Each student is given a separate number (for example 1-12 on each shoot). If there is an extra person, have one person have 2 numbers. The teacher is standing between the two groups. On the starting signal, each parachute works together to try to get the person with the number called to the candy cane first. The first person to get to the candy cane wins a point. Rules: No points if someone lets go of the parachute or if someone falls down or loses their balance.

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Shoot the cannon

Try to work together to get a ball to touch the ceiling of the gym. Try a variety of balls to see what works best.

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Sit Ups

Everyone sits with legs under parachute, knees bent, grab parachute and lean back and up

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Calf Stretch

Turn the opposite way, grab parachute behind you, put one foot in front of the other.

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Cageball/Beachball Blastoff

Put ball in middle of parachute. 1,2,3 lift parachute over head, immediately 1,2,3-pull parachute down to floor. The snap of the parachute shoots the ball into air. SAFETY: be careful with some cageballs, could shoot off parachute and land on someone, use 36" or 48" beachball instead.

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Knockoff

Similar to popcorn. Place 40-50 nerf tennis balls on parachute. Time how long it takes class to shake all of them off parachute.

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Cloud

Everyone holds the parachute at their waist (I tell them to hold it at their belly button). On the signal "go," everyone raises the parachute without letting go of it. When I say "release," everyone lets go of the parachute. If everyone lets go at the same time and at the same level, the parachute floats straight down like a cloud. It is somewhat difficult to do. This is a great thing to teach teamwork. The kids really have to work together on this one. If one person doesn't do it, it won't work. Second graders can do this once in a while. Third grade and higher usually is more successful.

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Cat and Rat

I play this inside on a carpeted floor. All students sit around the parachute on the floor. Assign one student to be the rat and crawl underneath the parachute, another student is a cat and they crawl on top of the parachute. For safety I have them both crawl in a clockwise direction. 10 to 15 seconds and if the cat doesn't touch the rat I change cats and rats. If the cat catches the rat I still pick a new cat and rat. I try to make sure everyone has a turn.

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The Tent

Everyone makes a big bubble and pulls the parachute over their heads, behind their back and sits on the parachute, inside and under the chute. Makes a great tent. We then turn out most of the lights and tell camping stories or play" I hear" a bear, cougar, crickets, owl, etc and the students make the noises. Can leave one child outside that pretends to be the bear and scratches on the outside of the chute! The Kids love it! Someone can be the brave camper and peek out the lookout tower (hole in the center of the chute) and see if the bear is gone!

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Shark and Lifeguards

3-4 students are sharks and travel under the chute, 3-4 are lifeguards and try to save the others. The remaining students are the swimmers and sit with legs under the chute. Sharks try to pull them into the chute if successful they also become sharks. The lifeguards try to rescue them by grabbing one of their arms and pull them away. If a shark is pulled out from the chute they must let go. Play till you feel it is time to call new sharks and lifeguards.

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Ideas submitted by the following individuals (THANKS!):

Please inform pelinks4u if there are any address errors or name clarifications.