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Parachute Games

Acquiring a parachute is well worth the effort. With little effort you can play great games with the entire group. The best thing about a parachute is that up to 25-30 kids can be kept busy and that there are no actual winners and losers in the games. New forms of the games and figures are often created during the games or new variations of movements. Finding a parachute is well worth it. A parachute can also sometimes be hired (Kindergarten, schools, mobile play schemes, youth work…). Old (heavy) parachutes from the army are not quite so suitable. The shape of the parachutes is not ideal and some of the games are restricted.

1. Ocean waves

   Players hold the parachute all around the edge securely. Small and big waves are made.

2. Air bubbles

   Players kneel and hold the parachute on the ground. At the signal, they all stand up and hold the parachute over their heads. As the parachute falls down to the ground, the players bring their arms down so that the parachute sinks all the way down on the ground.

   Variation: as the parachute sinks, players take 1-2 steps forwards.

   Variation: the arms are brought behind the players backs and brought down as the players sit down.

   Variation: as the parachute sinks, the players place their heads on the ground in the direction of the parachute middle.

3. Circles under the parachute

   As the mushroom (parachute balloons out) is made, all the players take one step forwards and by sinking of the parachute, they take one step backwards at the same time. Variation: a few players run under the parachute to the other side.

4. Cat and mouse

   Make waves. A hunter (cat) on the parachute tries to catch a (mouse) who is under the parachute. Players must crawl.

5. Roundabout

   Players try to “pass” the parachute around in one direction without crossing their hands.

6. Take a break

   Players hold the parachute tight and all lean backwards.

7. Exchange game

   Players hold the parachute tight as they sit on the ground. The players on one side lean backwards to make the players on the other side rise.

8. Carousel

   Players hold the parachute tight and walk, run, or hop on one leg backwards or forwards, or do somersaults in a circular direction.

9. Tides

   A wave is sent from one side to the other.

10. Lift

    Lift ‘em High: One player lays in the middle of the parachute and is carefully held up and put back down. The players holding the parachute must really “reel in” the parachute or else it will rip.

11. Goal

    A ball is laid o the parachute and players try to “shoot” it off the opposing side.

12. Parachute golf

    If the parachute has a hole in it, you can have the players “putt” a table tennis ball or a tennis ball through the hole.

13. The hare and the fox

    2 different balls are laid on the parachute. One team tries to catch the other teams ball.

14. Rollerball

    A ball is laid on the parachute and players try to get the ball to roll in a circle.

15. Release ball

    One player is under the parachute and must shoot a ball out from under the parachute. The player standing where the ball comes out is next to go under the parachute.

16. Place change

    The parachute is swung upwards and a few or all players must exchange places.

17. Direction change

    Players run with the parachute in a circle – at the signal, the direction is changed.

18. Catch the player underneath

    One player crawls under the parachute. A second player is on top of the parachute and must try to catch the player underneath. Players holding the parachute make waves, flutter it and hold it so that the player under the parachute is made invisible.

19. The crocodile snaps

    Everyone sits on the ground and holds the parachute on the edge. The feet are stretched out underneath the parachute. One player plays the role of the crocodile. The crocodile pulls on one person’s feet and then the two of them go on the hunt together (an entry/contribution from Switzerland).

    Additional option: A Baywatch team tries to rescue the screaming person before his/her head disappears under the parachute.

20. The catapult

    A ball lying on a parachute is catapulted as high as possible.

21. The flying parachute

    The parachute is swung upwards and let go. Try to keep the parachute floating as long as possible.

22. Who is that?

    Everyone except 1 or 2 persons sit underneath the parachute. The 1-2 people must find out who is who by feeling their way around.

23. What (who) is looking out?

    Everyone except 1 or 2 persons lie underneath the parachute and only stretch out their feet. Can the volunteers guess whose feet are whose?

24. Rolling the parachute

    The players are split into 2 groups. The parachute is rolled up from two opposite sides. Which group will be first to roll up the most?

25. Sleep well ,teddy

    A box (teddy’s bed) and a small soft toy (the teddy) are placed on the parachute. Waves are made to try and put teddy into bed. (By Roxy from Austria).

26. Changing the colours

    If the parachute is divided into lots of coloured triangles, a place change game can be organised by calling out the colours. Each player holds the edge of the parachute at a certain colour. The parachute is pulled taut outwards. The game leader calls out: red! All players who are holding the parachute on a red edge change places under the parachute. Several colours can also be called out at once. It becomes very amusing when all colours are called out at once because the parachute is let go and sinks on top of all players. (By Roman B from Luxemburg)

27. Sea storms

    One player lies in the middle of the cloth. The other players make a light wind which gathers into a storm and slowly goes away again. Then it is the next player’s turn. (By Michaela H)

28. Calm & storm

    As above but no one lies on the parachute; everyone holds the parachute very still so that it doesn’t move and even. The wind then slowly turns into a storm and then into a hurricane.

29. Fruit salad

    Each player is given the name of a fruit (apple, cherry, pear or strawberry). When the game leader calls out the name of a fruit, everyone with this fruit must swap places by running under the parachute. When fruit salad is called out, everyone must swap places with the players on the other side (a contribution from the UK).

30. Acquaintance game

    Everyone swings the cloth up and down. The group leader now says that everyone wearing a red t-shirt has to swap places. All of the children with a red t-shirt now run beneath the parachute and look for a new place. Instead of a t-shirt: everyone who is born in August, is between 140cm and 150cm tall or whose name begins with an A. Obviously, you can simply call out two names who have to swap places.

31. Fleas

    Several small balls (plastic balls, tennis balls, table tennis balls) are placed on a parachute and the players try to get the fleas to jump higher and higher. The fleas are gotten rid of at the end of the game and land outside of the parachute.

32. Championship fever – the Mexican wave

    The Mexican wave is started off by the players lifting and sinking their hands under the parachute.

33. Folding the parachute

    At the end of the parachute games, the parachute has to be folded up again. One half of the group starts and folds the parachute in half by running through to the other side. This part of the parachute is taken over from the players waiting on the other side. Then it is the other player’s turn until the whole parachute has been folded up. The respective “runners” are out of the game after each run.

34. Rolling the parachute

    The smaller the diameter of the parachute is, the higher objects can be catapulted into the air but the more difficult it is to catch them again. This can be made into a game. A ball is placed in the middle and is catapulted up into the air to be caught with the parachute again. After each round, the parachute is rolled up a little by each player (gathered). How far can the parachute be gathered up, how high can the ball be catapulted and still be caught? So many questions – just try it out. Option: it is even more difficult when the parachute is gathered up while the object is in the air and there are no breaks.

35. Come and run with the cloth

    Apart from one child, all of the other children hold the cloth in their hands. There is one or more objects (e.g. a ball) on the cloth. The children must swing the cloth so that none of the objects can fall off (e.g. roll it from one person to the next). In order to make everything even more difficult, the well-known game “tag” can be played as well. (An entry from Andrea Stephan).

36. Bucket ball

    A light plastic bucket and a ball are placed in the middle of the cloth and everyone tries to get the ball into the bucket. Options: select different size/weight balls or try to get a tennis ball into a yoghurt pot. (An entry from Axel B.)

37. Hairdresser

    The children hold onto the parachute and one child sits beneath it. On the signal, the children pull back and forth on the parachute. (We are washing our hair.) The child’s hair beneath the parachute becomes statically charged due to the rubbing. On the signal, we swing the parachute up so his/her hair flies up and stays up due to the static charge. The more often the hair is “washed”, the more beautiful the head of hair becomes. (An entry from Gabi Steidl, Salzburg)

38. Snake nest

    Many skipping ropes are placed on the parachute like snakes. By swinging the sheet the snakes jump and wriggle. Be careful that no one is bitten! Any snakes that fall off the sheet have to be thrown back on again.
    Sent in by Margarete Thörner

39. Wrapping

    One person is wrapped in the sheet from one end to the other. The team, who manages to wrap their candidate most tightly, wins.

More games with parachute: Vivaldis Four Seasons or Parachute Cloth Olympics

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