This week in the gym the Excavators were overjoyed to revisit a favorite material: the parachute! As teachers, we love utilizing the parachute to explore games like “Red Light, Yellow Light, Green Light” that help the children develop impulse control, turn-taking skills, and gross-motor coordination. The children love the parachute because it’s so much fun!
We use the parachute in small groups…
or as a whole class!
In “Red Light, Yellow Light, Green Light,” the children shake the parachute slowly when they hear “yellow light,” fast when they hear “green light,” and freeze when they hear “red light.” As they move and laugh, the children work on maintaining their attention as they listen for the next cue and reacting promptly.
The children also gain experience working cooperatively towards a common goal as each plays a role in keeping the parachute afloat.
The children also love to play a game that we like to call “Up, up up!” wherein the whole group lifts the parachute as high as they can while one child gets a turn to dance underneath. It is lovely to watch the children give each friend a turn to have a special joyful moment under the parachute.
You can play these games at home too with a towel, large blanket, or bed sheet and watch the smiles abound! If music and dancing are more your speed, Freeze Dance is another great game that works on these same skills that requires no equipment, just tunes. Have you played games like these at home with your kiddo?
