Who doesn’t remember how much fun it was to run under the big yellow parachute? Well Teresa Walls has decided to revive that same feeling of excitement to the children attending her toddler storytime. Envision a huge yellow parachute pulled tight by many pairs of small hands – a few large ones too. Moving the parachute fast, slow, up, down and around and round, chanting in unison. This activity helps make them aware of basic movements. The parachute can serve as a cavern of learning, as children are invited under it to play games and listen to stories. Shelley Frost suggests using stories about the ocean or wind so children can mimic the movements using the parachute.
It might be that I myself was facinated with parachute games as a child, but I believe this activity serves as a teaching tool that can generate excitement for children. I would love to hear other suggestions on how a parachute can be used during story time. Has anyone used it for older children and how? I would be interested in the opinions of those who have incorporated this activity as part of their programming offerings.
We sing the abc’s..
We do a color game of whoever is wearing a particular color goes under the parachute and they can stay under until we count to 13..
we do a counting game-our counting numbers have gotten higher and higher!
LOTS OF FUN!