Published: Friday 20 January 2023

If you're a parent you will more than likely have been along to a class or party where a beautifully bright and colourful parachute was used to interact with and entertain children. Parachutes have become very popular in children's classes over the past few years for a number of reasons, not least because they are attractive and fun! We include parachute ideas and songs in our Music and Movement instructor course and they can also be used in baby yoga, toddler yoga and Calmer Stories sessions. Some people also use it as a sensory section in baby massage and baby and toddler reflexology.

There are many benefits of parachute play including:

• Builds social interaction
• Develops a sense of rhythm
• Builds language skills
• Encourages turn-taking
• Encourages team work
• Enables children to see things from a different perspective
• Strengthens the upper torso

Kids love playing with recreational play parachutes and we are dedicated to promoting this fun, healthy activity. Not only are play parachutes great fun, they also teach teamwork and co-operation. By engaging in parachute play, the children will develop
their strength, agility, co-ordination and endurance.

So what sort of parachute games could you include in either your Music and Movement classes, or other events? Here's a few to inspire you; we include these and more in our Music and Movement Instructor course.

Popcorn: Place a number of beanbags, small balls, little teddies or cotton balls onto the parachute. Shake to make them pop up like popcorn.

Ball roll: Have the children try to roll the balls into the hole in the middle of the parachute. (Or have children try to keep the balls from going into the hole in the centre.)

Making waves: Children can make small, medium, or large movements to make various types of "waves." You can incorporate a story about a ship on the sea, weather etc.

Mushroom: Standing, lift the parachute to waist height. Count to three - with "one" and "two" being small practice lifts. On "three", all lift the parachute overhead and crouch down pulling the parachute edges down as well. This creates what looks like a mushroom.

Beach ball fun: Use a beach ball, moving it with waves, around on the parachute.

We'd encourage you to use a parachute however you can in any child-based classes you might be running or thinking about starting as the benefits are numerous and it's always lots of fun!

If you'd like to explore our Music and Movement Instructor course in more depth you can find our course information here.

« Previous   Next »   |   News archive »