PARACHUTE ACTIVITES
BALL FLICK
(A parachute, one football or volleyball)
Arrange the participants around the outside of the parachute. Instruct them to grip the edge using both hands and hold it at knee height. A football or volleyball is placed in the centre of the parachute. Call out 'one, two, three, up'. On the 'up' command, the participants lift the parachute quickly by raising their arms. When their arms are above their head the parachute should rise upwards. When the parachute gets near its maximum height, participants should pull it down as fast as they can. This should flick the ball into the air. They should have five to six attempts, seeing how high the ball can be flicked into the air.
- This game can only be played inside a sport hall with a high roof or outdoors.
- Advise participants to work together to get the timing of the upward and downward pulls right. This should send the ball further into the air.
VARIATION: Separate the participants into two teams. The teams should be standing around opposite sides of the parachute. Place the ball in the centre of the parachute and instruct the participants to try to shake the parachute so that the ball is thrown off their opponents' side. A point is scored each time the ball is shaken off the opponent's side. Play again until one team wins the game by scoring a set number of points, such as five.
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CAROUSEL
(Parachute)
Arrange the participants around the outside of the parachute. Instruct them to grip the edge using both hands and hold it at waist height. Participants begin walking around the circle clockwise, turning the parachute as they go. Change speeds by telling them to move faster or slower. Call out a number of different commands for the participants to carry out. These include:
- Change: Participants move in the opposite direction (e.g., from clockwise to anti-clockwise);
- Low: Participants move with the parachute held low;
- High: Participants move with the parachute held high;
- Middle: Participants move with the parachute held at waist height;
- Up and down: Participants althernate between holding the parachute high and low;
- In: Participants move toward the centre of the parachute so that the circle contracts;
- Out: Participants stretch the parachute out again.
- Make sure participants do not stand too close to the person next to them to avoid tripping over each other.
- This activity should not be carried out if there are too many participants around the outside of the parachute, as they are likely to trip over each other.
- When calling "in", ensure the participants do not move too close to the centre, otherwise they may trip on the parachute if it is trailing along the floor.
- Constantly, change the commands to keep participants motivated.
- This can be used as part of a progressive warm-up. Start with slow movements, graduatlly increasing the intensity.
- EASIER/HARDER: Make up some of your own commands.
- HARDER: Participants must carry out the opposite action to what has been called.
- HARDER: As the participants are moving, call out one of the colours found on the parachute. Participants holding on to that colour have to move under the parachute to a new position as quickly as possible.
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CAT AND MOUSE
(A parachute)
This is a tag-type of game that participants really enjoy playing. Arrange approximately two-thirds of the participants around the outside of the parachute. Instruct them to grip the edge of the edge using both hands. Those holding the parachute should be kneeling. The remaining third become "mice" and go under the parachute, except two who become 'cats' and go on top of the parachute. Both the cats and mice should position themselves on their hands and knees. Instruct the participants around the edge to start flapping the parachute by moving it approximately 15 cm upwards and downwards.
After they have been flapping for a few seconds, start the game by shouting "go". The cats crawl around on top of the parachute and try to tag the mice. If a mouse is tagged he or she must move out from underneath the parachute and help to flap. The game continues until all mice have been tagged, or for a set time (e.g., 1 to 2 minutes). Change the cats and mice with participants from the outside, then start the fun again.
- Warm mice to be careful of collisions.
- Ensure cats do not tag too hard.
- Ensure cats stay on their hands and knees.
- Encourage honesty so that mice move straight out when they have been tagged.
- Tell the cats to work together to trap the mice if they are not tagging many.
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COLOURS
(A parachute)
Arrange the participants around the outside of the parachute. Instruct them to grip the edge using both hands, and keep both hands on one colour of the parachute. Call out "3,2,1, up" and participants lift up the parachute above their heads. Then call out one of the colours. All those holding on to that colour should run under the parachute, aiming to appear through a space left by one of the other runners at the opposite side. After a few seconds call out 'Down'. Those still holding the parachute lower the parachute to the floor as quickly as possible. The runners try to get through the other side and out before the parachute is lowered to the ground, otherwise they will be trapped underneath. Allow the runners out from under the parachute, then start again. Continue until all the colours have been called out two to five times.
- Warn the runners to be careful of collisions when moving under the parachute.
- Runners should be ready to crouch when the parachute is lowered to the floor.
- This should not be carried out if there are too many participants on each colour, as there will be too many runners going underneath at the same time.
- Vary the amount of time you allow runners to get across to the othe side. Sometimes let them all across, other times trap them all.
VARIATION: Instead of participants lifting the parachute up and holding it above their heads, they could shake the parachute. Shout out the colour and those holding that colour crawl underneath the parachute to the other side.
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DOME
(A parachute)
This is an activity that requires the group to work together to form a dome using themselves and the parachute. Arrange the participants around the outside of the parachute. Instruct them to grip the edge using both hands and hold it at waist height. Call out "3,2,1, up" and participants lift the parachute above their heads. Then call out "Dome", at this point, participants should all step under the parachute, then bring the edge they are holding back over their heads and sit on the edge. This should make a dome shape.
- Ensure participants all move quickly underneath when making the dome shape to avoid trapping participants' bodies with the parachute.
- Practice lifting the parachute in a few times before trying to sit inside.
- Ask the participants to sit on the material quickly to trap the air inside the parachute. The dome will stay up for approximately 30 seconds depending on the size of the parachute and whether the air can escape easily.
VARIATION: Ask a pair of participants from opposite sides of the parachute to change places once the dome is made.
VARIATION: Once the dome is made, instruct the participants to shuffle in towards the centre of the dome. This will cause the parachute to rise, much to the excitement of the children. Once everyone is near the middle, you can shake the parachute. This is always guaranteed to get a scream from all the participants, especially the younger ones.
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KITES
(A parachute)
Arrange the participants around the outside of the parachute. Instruct them to grip the edge using both hands and hold it at waist height. Call out "3,2,1, up" and participants lift the parachute above their heads. As soon as the participants have their arms stretched out above their heads, call out "let go", at this point, participants release the parachute, trying to launch it high into the air, like a kite.
- Only perform this activity outdoors or in high-roofed sport halls, where the parachute will not get caught in the roof.
- Do not play this game when the wind is blowing strongly, it just won't lift or the parachute will blow away.
- It is easy to spot participants who deliberately hold onto the parachute as it falls on their heads!
VARIATIONS: Separate the participants into two teams. Each team takes a few turns to perform the activity, with the winning team being the one that gets the parachute to fly furthest into the air.
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THE COOLER
(A parachute)
This activity is best played on a sunny day or at the end of a hard session. Arrange half of the participants around the outside of the parachute. Instruct them to grop the edge using both hands and hold it at waist height. The remaining participants should be down on their backs underneath the parachute. Those on the outside, start flapping the parachute by moving it approximately 30 cm upwards and downwards. this causes a current of air to blow over those lying under it, thus cooling them. To finish, those on the outside shake the parachute over the faces of those under it. After approximately 1 minute, swap positions and start the fun again.
- This game should not be carried out on cold days, especially if participants are wet as it can get quite chilly lying under the parachute.
- Advise the participants under the parachute not to sit up and to lie close together underneath the parachute.
Taken from the book, Fun And Games: 100 Sport-Related Activities for Ages 5-16 (Anthony Dowson, Keith Morris)
