Parachute games encourage cooperative, non-competitive play and reinforce turn-taking and sharing.

Fun CircleToss
submitted by penny willett on March 18, 2006

Size of Group: 6-8 (lower funtioning resident)

Equipment: parachute or large circle divided into sections, bean bags, various actions on cards

Objective: self esteem, memory recall

Description:

1) Place residents in a circle
2) place parachute with simple actions in each section (say a nursery rhyme, yell a cheer, yell your name 3x's)in the centre.
3) take turns tossing the bean bag and either the person does the action or we all do it together Hint; put actions on both sides of cards to make it more interesting

Ripples and Waves

Simply have everyone start shaking the parachute up and down... start gently. Gradually increase the intensity. Yell, "FREEZE" to stop the action!

All Change

Call out birthday months, numbers, colours.Participants swap places under the chute before it falls to earth. Make sure that the those who remain around the edge allow the canopy to fall rather than pulling it down hard.

Cat and Mouse

Everyone holds the chute stretched out at about waist height. Someone becomes a mouse and goes underneath. Someone else becomes a cat and goes on top. The rest of the group try to hide the mouse by moving the chute up and down. (Note: this activity can be hard on the knees... a nice soft grassing ground is the best place to play this very active. Also make sure the cat is crawling on all fours and not running upright).

Mushroom

On the count of three participants raise their arms, lifting the chute over their heads, pulling the chute behind them sitting down with their bottoms on the edge of the chute. It's good to practice this so that the group can learn to work effectively as a team and get the chute really high. It won't work without co-operation. This is a nice quiet activity.

Variations on Mushroom
Once the basic mushroom is mastered try experimenting.
1) Everyone mushrooms and then runs to the center, still holding the chute.
2) Everyone mushrooms, then lets go, especially outdoors on a windy day!
3) Everyone lets go at exactly the same time. If there isn't any wind, the chute will retain its perfect mushroom shape and rise straight up in the air. Indoors it may go up to the ceiling. To get this right it's best for someone to shout "One.. Two.. Three.. Go!", or similar, immediately after the "Mushroom!" instruction. For everyone to let go at exactly the right instant will take practice and concentration.

Popcorn

Place a number of beanbags (or other objects) on the chute. Everyone shake the chute to make them rise like popcorn.

See-Saw Pull

From a sitting position, have the group pull the chute back and forth in a see-sawing motion.