[Childcare] Parachute (paraballoon): Classic techniques and fun activities
A parachute is a game where all the children hold a large, circular, colorful cloth together and move it up and down or back and forth and side to side to create different shapes.
Because it’s dynamic and visually striking, many kindergartens and nursery schools incorporate it into their sports days.
Parachute routines, where everyone synchronizes their movements to create a single trick, are moving to watch because you can feel how hard the children are trying.
In this article, we’ll introduce popular parachute tricks.
Along with ideas perfect for events like sports days, we’re also sharing ways to use the parachute in everyday play, so please use these as a reference and have fun with the parachute together.
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Waza (1–10)
Sun
This move evokes an image of the sun shining brightly.
Everyone lifts the parachute up at once to fill it with air.
Then, crouch down quickly, and as the parachute billows, it forms a perfect round sun! If you turn outward, sit around it, and wave your hands, you can also express the sun’s rays.
To keep the air from escaping, it’s best to perform each motion with speed.
Despite its dynamic look, it fits easily between other moves, so be sure to give it a try.
morning glory
Why not try a technique that expresses the shape of the morning glory, a flower of summer? For this trick, choose one representative from either the teacher or the children.
The chosen representative stands in the center on top of the parachute (parachute cloth).
Those around the outside hold the parachute and lift it up with their arms fully extended.
This creates a dip in the center, forming the shape of a morning glory.
As a fun variation, the people around the outside can rotate while continuing to hold the parachute in this position.
To keep your morning glory from “wilting,” the key is for everyone around the outside to keep their arms fully extended while holding the parachute.
wave
Let’s shake the parachute and make some waves! If you wobble the parachute vertically while crouching, you’ll get small waves.
If you do the same motion while standing, big waves will form.
Also, if you shake the parachute side to side while staying crouched, you can make transverse waves.
When creating side-to-side waves, it’s more natural if everyone moves randomly rather than matching left-right movements.
These are easy to incorporate into any part of a routine, so try using each type of wave in different sections!
Play (1–10)
Catch together
In this game, everyone lets go of the firmly held parachute (parachute cloth) and tries to catch it again.
First, everyone stands and holds the parachute.
At the signal, they release it and spin around once on the spot.
If everyone manages to grab the parachute again afterward, it’s a success.
Because the parachute is light and flutters, it won’t stay in place for long.
Plus, with everyone spinning around it, it’s affected by the wind they create.
Even so—can you catch it firmly? Whether you succeed or not, it’s a fun parachute game for everyone.
To the tune of ‘Parent and Child on the Merry-Go-Round’
This game transforms the parachute into a super fun attraction.
You play this parachute game while singing the song “Parent and Child on a Merry-Go-Round.” First, have a few children sit in the center of the parachute.
Then, teachers or guardians hold the parachute and sway it while singing.
Near the end of the song, when the lyrics prompt everyone to spin, the teachers or guardians keep the children seated on the parachute and turn the parachute in circles.
Try this activity as a way to introduce children to what a parachute is and how it can be fun.
Exercise play using balloons
Let’s try playing with a variety of movements using a parachute (paraballoon)! For example, place crumpled newspaper or paper balls on top of the parachute and shake it to bounce them around—this move is called “popcorn.” You can also dash under the parachute while the teacher lifts it up, or crawl under it when it’s laid flat on the ground—those sound fun too.
Rather than deciding on a specific activity, start by freely touching and exploring the parachute.
For these kinds of games, a mini-sized parachute is recommended.
Eurhythmics
At sports festivals, performances with a parachute are usually done to music.
As an introduction, a great idea is to use the parachute in a eurhythmics activity.
Try moving the parachute freely to short songs like children’s tunes.
Songs that include sound effects or onomatopoeia make it easier to imagine different ways to move the parachute, so they’re recommended.
Unlike the set performance for the festival, letting the children move it freely together becomes a first step toward performing to music.
In conclusion
How was the experience with parachute tricks and games? It can be hard to synchronize everyone’s movements with a parachute, but when everything lines up perfectly, it looks impressive, doesn’t it? When performing at events like sports days, try using a whistle to cue the timing of each move, or insert a simple trick before a big one so the children can stay focused and engaged.