Play Parachute

What's so special about parachute games?!

The parachute is a useful way of involving a large group of children in an activity and because of its novelty even those who would normally opt out, tend to get involved.The majority of games are co-operative rather than competitive and so good for generating a group spirit and togetherness.

Available as an extra with Castle or Soft Play Hire.

GETTING STARTED

Drop the parachute from the bag and instruct everyone to take hold of an edge with both hands. Once everyone is hanging on, move them around the perimeter until they are evenly spaced out. Holding the canopy with knuckles on top works best.. Get everyone to hold the parachute taut and still at waist level. Get everyone moving together by raising the parachute and allowing it to fall. Don't pull it down but allow it to fall naturally so that it billows up. This is best done to a steady count. On the third lift try to get the canopy as high as possible so that it billows up. The development of this is to take one or more steps in towards the middle still holding the parachute creating a mushroom shape. As the parachute collapses, move back out. Practice this basic co-ordination until everyone is happy.

W A R N I N G!

Parachute material is usually highly inflammable. Use with care and keep away from barbecues, fire, cigarettes etc.

GAMES

A number of games which can be used with the play canopy are listed below. This is, by no means, an exhaustive list and almost any 'circle' game can be adapted. However, these work well...

Para-swap

Number the children around the circle, say one to six. Lift the chute and on the third go shout a number, these children then have to swap places under the canopy before it falls to earth. They need to be told to head for gaps, keep their eyes open and try to avoid bumping into one another. Make sure that those who remain around the edge allow the canopy to fall rather than pulling it down hard.

Para-shuffle

Simply passing the chute round in a circle rather like hauling in a rope. This can be quite a feat for small hands, watch out for friction burns, too.

Para-ball

Place a light-weight football on the chute surface and experiment with moving it. What happens when you shake the parachute, can you flip the ball off over people's heads? Can you develop a wave technique that will cause the ball to move in a circle? Using a small ball (tennis ball) can you drop the ball through the hole in the middle, can you stop the ball disappearing? These demand fairly sophisticated co-ordination skills, but in short spells can be fun.



Para-sight

After lofting the chute several times everyone steps inside, bringing the fabric taut behind their body, either to shoulder height or to ground level with each person sitting on the edge of the chute, thus creating a sort of tent with everybody under the canopy. Once practised this is a useful technique for getting everybody's attention, storytelling, instruction giving etc.

Para-circle

Simply an adaptation of any circle game, fishes in the sea, 1 sent a letter etc. using the chute to maintain the circle form. These sort of games consist of one or more people racing around the circle and back to their space, or any free space.

Shoe Shuffle

Number around the circle 1 or 6 as before. All of one number remove a shoe and throw it under the canopy. On a count of 3 the canopy is lifted, mushroomed up on the third lift and all those missing a shoe go into the middle, retrieve their shoe and get back to their place.

Round The Plughole

If your canopy has a hole in the centre place 3 or 4 light small balls (tennis balls) on the surface and keep them moving around the canopy avoiding dropping them through the holes.
Bouncing Balls
The canopy is held taut at chest height with 2 or 3 foam footballs on the surface. 3 or 4 children underneath the canopy have to try to knock the balls off whilst those around the canopy try to keep them on.

Jaws (SHARK!!)

Everyone sits on the ground With their legs stretched out under the canopy and the canopy held at chest height. One person crawls around under the canopy and is the 'shark'. He quietly grabs the legs of anyone around the perimeter (with many blood-curdling screams) pulls them under the canopy. They, too, then become a shark. (This is quite a scary game and should be avoided for those of a nervous disposition)

Cat and Mouse

Stand holding the canopy at shoulder height making sure there is a space between each child around the perimeter. Place an empty can - the cheese - in the centre of the circle under the canopy. Choose one child to be the cat and one to be the mouse. The cat starts off under the canopy guarding the cheese - the mouse starts off outside the canopy and has to get to the cheese running in between the children holding the canopy. The mouse has 20 seconds to get the cheese, the cat has 20 seconds to catch the mouse. Once the game starts, count to 20 (everyone else counts) score one point to the cat if the mouse is caught or one point to the mouse if the cheese is eaten. Score no points if 20 is reached before either the cheese is eaten or the mouse is caught.

Football.

This works best if the canopy is marked in segments or halves; i.e. 2,4 or 6 teams. Stand around the canopy holding the canopy in both hands at waist level. It can be rippled up and down whilst holding it. Roll a football under the canopy. The canopy must be held tight at all times and the ball kicked under the canopy, a goal being scored when it comes out on any side.



And to Finish.....

When you have finished quickly grasp the canopy at the centre, twist it slightly into a rope, wind it round your arm and stow it in the bag. This can be done very quickly and very cleanly even on damp ground. Or ... (indoors), tell everyone that on 3 they are to let the canopy go and STAND STILL. Mushroom it to a count of three, let go when it is fullest so that it soars to the ceiling. You should be able to step into the middle, catch the centre and deftly stow it before anyone moves!