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.
Below you’ll find a breakdown of Marcus teaching a fun parachute lesson with some of his students, you can check out the full video or scroll down to see the individual activities.
Parachute Rules and Intro
To begin, have the students go and sit around the parachute that is spread out. Ask students to go and sit around the parachute but do not touch the parachute.
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.
Check out the full parachute lesson 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 as needed.
We just try to emphasize using teamwork and following the directions of the teacher for the Parachute to be successful.
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, 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.
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)
Igloo
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
Check out the links below to some other Parachute Activities from others:
- Tornado – Students move the parachute around in circle like a wave. Add a ball to get the tornado effect.
- Class Picture – Similar to the igloo, but students go down to their bellies and place the parachute around their heads. So only their head is under the parachute.
That’s a Wrap!
Remind students how important teamwork is and how we can not be successful with the parachute without cooperation from everyone.
If you’d like to download a printable PDF of the Parachute Lesson Plan you can click the button below:
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.