The educational parachute is a round, multicolored piece of fabric used in outdoor play. Very useful in daycare centers, gymnastics classes, or children's parties, this toy has the great advantage of being versatile both in terms of the games it allows and the age groups it is suitable for.
If you haven't heard of the parachute yet, today you'll learn about this educational toy that makes learning more special for children and more practical for any educator.
Games to play with a parachute
Games involving the use of educational parachutes are a very fun way to entertain and amuse children. In addition, they provide moments of physical activity, exercise children's concentration, and help them develop teamwork and cooperation skills.
The Cat and the Mouse
Kneeling, the children position themselves at each end of the parachute, moving it vigorously. One child goes on top of the parachute (the cat), while the other positions themselves underneath (the mouse). The goal is for the cat to find the mouse. However, the task is made difficult by the rest of the group, who try to hide their classmate by moving the parachute.
Fruit salad
In this game, each participant is given the name of a fruit. Counting to three, the teacher/educator/monitor says the names of two of these fruits. Once they identify their names, the two participants must switch places with their partner, crawling quickly under a parachute.
Bouncing Ball
Place some lightweight plastic balls in the center of the parachute. The children should swing the parachute upwards and try to make the balls bounce as high as possible. They can count how many times they manage to bounce the balls before they fall.
Name Wheel
Ask the children to hold the parachute and stand around it. Each child holds a handle. Then, one of them in the center of the parachute spins around and says the name of another child. That child must run to the center of the parachute and switch places with their friend.
The children raise the parachute to waist height and swing it up and down, creating "waves." They may try to walk through the limited space between the parachute and the ground, as if they were surfing the waves.
Hide-and-seek
Scatter small objects, such as colored cones, over the parachute. Then, the children should shake the parachute up and down, causing the objects to bounce and hide in the surrounding environment. Next, the children should try to find and collect the objects while the parachute is in the air.
Have you used this very special toy with your children? If so, tell us what you thought in the comments.
You can check the parachute here.
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