What’s Up Friends!
The parachute is one of those iconic things about PE Class that almost everyone remembers. It provides a cool factor that will give your kids a sense of awe as they watch the different things they can do together as they work together to accomplish different parachute challenges.
Focusing on Teamwork and Cooperation
Using the Parachute is a fun way to practice lots of cool activities and provides tons of teachable moments related to teamwork and cooperation.
I usually like to hit on the Three C’s of Teamwork during a parachute lesson (Communication, Cooperation and Collaboration)
Below you’ll find a breakdown of some teaching examples that you can incorporate into your next parachute lesson. We’ve included a full lesson example video or you can also scroll down to see individual activities.
What Size Parachute Should I Get?
We’d recommend if you have smaller classes (like 20 students or under) you get a 24′ Parachute, if you have anything larger than that a 30′ or larger will be more fun.
Here’s an example of a 30′ Parachute from Champion Sports
To help your chute last longer, we’d also recommend having kids roll up the sides and hold it from the actual parachute fabric instead of using the “handles” that are on the parachute, since they will many times break or rip off and damage the parachute.
Parachute Fitness Warmup
Our favorite warmup activity for a parachute lesson is Parachute Fitness!
You can check out the video below to see how it works, if you’d like the slideshow and activity guide, check out the Parachute Resource Pack links at the bottom of this post.
Parachute Rules and Intro
To begin, have the students go and sit around the parachute that is spread out in the middle of the teaching space. Have each student sit around the parachute at one of the colors but instruct them not to touch the parachute.
If you have large numbers you might have 2 students at a color, modify based on your needs.
The rules we use for safety with students using the parachute:
- Do not touch the parachute without permission.
- Never grab the “handles” , only grab the edge of the parachute.
- Do not pull on the parachute.
- Freeze when you hear the signal.
- (Optional) have different signals for what level you want the kids to hold the parachute at (Abs, Quads, Bellybutton, Knees, Toes etc)
Check out a full parachute lesson example from Marcus below:
Individual Parachute Activities
If you don’t want to watch the full lesson, you can check out some of the individual activities we do with students in the videos below.
You can change the name to whatever you want and modify and adjust or mix and match as needed.
We just try to emphasize using teamwork and following the directions of the teacher for the Parachute to be successful.
Experiment and have fun, there are so many great teachable moments when using the parachute.
Little Waves
Practice with small movements of the hands up and down to make little waves with the parachute. Discuss how we all have to work together.
Big Waves
Moving hands from head to waist, make big waves with the parachute. Practice the rest position so when students hear the word “freeze” they know to place the parachute in the rest position at their waist.
Travel with the Parachute
Holding on to the edge of the parachute with one hand, have students move all in the same direction. Reverse and go in the other direction by changing directions and changing the hand that is holding the parachute.
Change directions a few times to give students a chance to practice working together.
Tidal Wave
You can make a HUGE Tidal Wave by designating half of the class to be still while the other half goes up and down all together to send a huge wave over to the other side. Switch sides after a couple of waves to give all students a chance to send and receive a wave
Circus Tent
Start with the parachute at your waist, on the go signal, raise the parachute above your head making sure to extend your arms high in the air.
If done correctly students should be able to see each other under the parachute.
NASCAR
Same as circus tent but now on the teachers signal, students move around the parachute like NASCAR and try to make it back to their original spot before the parachute falls down.
Mountain
Starting with the parachute at their waist they will raise their hands up in the air on the “Up” signal.
When the teacher says down, they will quickly bring their hands down to the ground and place their knees on the parachute.
If done correctly, they will trap the air under the parachute and not be able to see friends on the other side.
BONUS: Students can climb on their hands and knees to the mountain top (center of the parachute) as a bonus activity. Just be aware this is more dangerous since students who might be smaller or lighter, could possibly climbing up high onto the parachute while it’s inflated. (Example Here)
The Igloo or The Tent
Same beginning action as the mountain, but instead of bringing the parachute down and placing on knees, students will take a step in and place the parachute behind them and sit on the edge.
If done correctly, they will trap the air and students will be able to sit inside like a tent.
“The Tent” is a great place to have some conversations with your kids or even to close your lesson while in the tent and discuss how all of the activities you did today required the class to use teamwork and cooperation (Example Below)
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Color Center
Same procedure as circus tent, but when the parachute is up in the air, students will switch to different parts of the parachute but the same color.
While the parachute is up the teacher will call out a color.
When they hear the color, they will let go of the parachute, race under the parachute, and find a new part of the parachute but the same color.
SAFETY: Make sure to remind students to look where they are going so they don’t run into each other
Modification – they can return to their same part of the parachute after racing to the center.
You can see Ben’s variation of this which he calls “Jellyfish” and “Color Switch” below:
Portrait Mode
This is similar to The Tent or Igloo, but instead of going all the way under the parachute, have students lay down on their bellies and hold the parachute at their shoulders so only their heads are inside and practice making funny faces at each other on the teachers signal. (example below)
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Popcorn Machine
Place a bunch of hand-size balls in the center of the parachute. Students will make small or big waves to get the hand-size balls to bounce up and down in the parachute.
You can make the activity goal to keep the balls in the parachute or try to get them out.
*Pro Tip from a Friend: After dumping all the balls onto the parachute, play Taylor Swift: Shake it Off and see how long it takes you to get all the balls off the chute (or how many you can shake off in a certain time limit)
Launch It
Place an object in the center of the parachute. Try to get the object to launch from the center of the parachute and hit the ceiling.
To do this, students must whip their hands up and quickly bring their hands down to pop the parachute and launch the ball in the air.
BONUS: Try and hit the ceiling and catch it back in the parachute
The Wow Challenge of the Day
You can see how Ben uses “Launch it” as a “Daily Wow Challenge” below. You can use any item from a rubber frog to a large beach ball and challenge your students to launch it as high as they can and catch it back in the parachute
With my older students, I like to stop the group after a few minutes and ask for volunteers to give feedback to the group and give a few students the opportunity to lead the class in the signals to see if they can figure out how to launch it up to the ceiling on their own. Sometimes they’re able to figure it out on their own, but if not I jump in and give them an assist 😉 Example Below
Floating Cloud
Students raise the parachute up like a mountain then release it when the teachers say “Let it go”.
If the parachute goes toward them, they move out of the way. If it goes away from them, they stay where they are. When the parachute touches the ground, they sit down.
Closing the Lesson with a Teacher Prank 🤣
This is a fun way to end class with your K-2nd Kids.
I saw Barb Borden post this idea and had to try it out, it was definitely a hit!
Wait until the homeroom teacher is walking the down the hall and have the kids make a tent and hide in the parachute. When the teacher walks in act like you don’t know where the class and tell them that you lost them somehow. Then signal the kids to jump out and surprise their teacher 😂
My favorite is how the Kindy kiddos can’t stop laughing when they’re “hiding” 👌🏻🤣
Closure is one of the most important parts of any parachute lesson, don’t forget to take a few minutes to help kids reflect on what they’ve learned and accomplished together as a group during the lesson.
Remind students how important teamwork is and how we can not be successful with the parachute without cooperation from everyone.
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Free Parachute Activities Resource
If you’d like to download a printable PDF of the Parachute Activities we went over in this post you can click the button below:
The Parachute Resource Pack
If you’re looking for some more awesome Parachute games and activities check out The Parachute Resource Pack at the link below.
We’ve spent a lot of time on this resource and included more activities, sample lesson plans, more video links, and the slideshow for our favorite Warm Up Activity when doing Parachute – Parachute Fitness!
We’ve also included some of our favorite ways to use “Partner Parachutes” (You can also use a sheet or tarp) for cooperative and competitive team building activities
BONUS: We’ve also included our “Teamwork Makes the Dreamwork Poster” in this pack as well
You can get the Resource Pack on TPT or in the Resource Library of The PE Specialist Membership
That’s a Wrap!
Check out the links below to some other Parachute Activities from others:
- Parachute Activities from Dynamic PE
- More Fun Parachute Activities
- Parachute Activities from Flaghouse
Hope you enjoy teaching your kiddos some fun parachute challenges!
If you’ve got a good Parachute Activity that we didn’t mention, leave it in the comment section.
