Parachute play is a great way to promote teamwork and to get those large muscles moving.



The children gather around the parachute and hold on to one of the parachute handles.  There are more children then there are handles on the parachute so the children who are not holding a handle become the ball fetchers.


The balls are all placed in the center of the parachute and then the children begin to wave their arms up and down causing the balls to pop up and off of the parachute.  The balls are very light weight so they pop up very easily.




One game I like to play with the parachute is called the popcorn game. When all the balls are in the middle, the children say together, "Pop, Pop, Popcorn!" The children lift their arms up high whey they say word "popcorn" and then bring their arms back down. Repeat the activity again.




Circle games are also fun to play with the parachute. All the children hold onto the edges of the parachute and then play "Ring Around the Rosie."

When planning your lesson plans, don't forget to give your students plenty of Large Motor activities to master. Children who are in full time childcare really need teachers to spend the time helping them practice such skills as skipping, jumping, marching, balancing, running, stretching, and more.

Other resources you may like:

Parachute Play PDF
Benefits of Parachute Play
Music for Parachute Play
Good book for Parachute Play

Large motor skills in the preschool classroom

Getting large motor skills moving in the classroom is a very important aspect of developmental growth. Especially in the winter time, when children spend less time outdoors, you need to make sure you are investing time in planning activities that promote various types of large motor skills.


What kind of large motor activities are there?

• Circle games 
• Ring-around-the-rosie or duck-duck-goose are two examples of simple activities that get children moving, running, jumping, sitting, and standing.

• Relay races can be simple and fun and they really do not need to be a race as much as an activity that encourages different kinds of moving. 
• Roll the ball relay - the teacher rolls the ball to the first child in line, the child picks up the ball and runs it back across the room to the teacher then sit's down behind the teacher. Now the next child in line goes.
• Pushing and pulling relays - the child crawls/runs/hops/walks across the floor pushing or pulling an object across the room and back again
• Relay races don't have to make sense, just get children moving from one place to the next

• Action songs and rhymes
• There are many wonderful CD's out there that get children dancing and moving like songs from Greg and Steve or Hap Palmer's "Sammy" song. 
• If you don't have a CD - then make up action songs that get your students to stretch, bend, twist, march, and jump.
• Try action songs like musical chairs, the limbo, and the Conga.

•  Organized Sports
• Yes, preschoolers can play a simple game of basket ball, kickball, bowling, and dodge ball too. Change up the rules a bit, use soft bats and balls, take the basics of the sport and modify it to the age group you are teaching.

• Equipment
• Hula hoops, tape on the floor, balloons, balls, push toys/cars, laundry baskets, parachutes (blankets), balancing beams, and jump ropes are all examples for simple tools that can lead to wonderful indoor large motor activities 

• Free Play 
• And of course, free play should always be encouraged but don't rely on that alone. Take a few minutes of everyday and offer up something new - then let the children enjoy some unstructured time in large motor play.

There are many children who are involved in organized sports but for those who are not, the only time they may spend on specific large motor development and skills is while in your care.

Make sure you are assessing the skills of your preschoolers. Can they make a circle, take turns, cheer for their friends, and follow simple rules or instructions of a game or a song? Do your preschoolers stretch, hop, run, march, jump, and bend daily? Your role is to make sure they do...

See the Hokey Pokey in action!
Check out who's up and movin!

More activities to build those large motor skills!