Parachute Beach Ball Fun

National, State, or District Standard to be addressed:

Preschool Foundations Vol. 2

3.0 Manipulative Skills

3.1 Begin to show gross motor manipulative skills by using arms, hands, and feet, such as
rolling a ball underhand, tossing underhand, bouncing, catching, striking, throwing
overhand, and kicking.
PerceptualMotorSkillsandMovementConcepts2.0SpatialAwareness
2.1 Use own body as reference point when locating or relating to other people or objects
in space.

3.0DirectionalAwareness

3.1 Distinguish movements that are up and down and to the side of the body (for
example, understands use that side, now the other side).

3.2 Move forward and backward or up and down easily.

ActivePhysicalPlay1.0ActiveParticipation
1.1Initiateorengageinsimplephysicalactivitiesforashorttomoderateperiod
oftime.

Background Information: Children must have some sort of gross motor manipulative skills,
such as using their arms and hands in an upward and downward motion. Children should also be
familiar with spatial awareness, and be able to engage in simple physical activity for a short to
moderate period of time.

Group: 5-8 children; ages 2-3 years old.

Objective: The children will develop skills in cooperation, listening skills, coordination,
moving at various levels, and teamwork. The children will also increase their strength of large
muscle groups.

Materials: One medium sized beach ball.

Medium sized parachute.

Procedure:
Review Students will be provided with information about the materials and how to
properly use them. As well as, how to hold the parachute and use their hands and arms to
move it. This will include going over the words up, down, slow, and fast.
 Overview Students will be provided with a modeled expectation of the parachute
activity. This modeled demonstration will include expected use of words, such as, good
job, keep, going, you can do it, up, down, slow, fast, etc. The modeled activity will also
show the proper way to handle equipment and expected behavior.
Presentation Have the children line up in a circle in the studio. Do some practicing
including: hand motions of up and down, and proper space between peers. They will also
have the time to touch and pass the beach ball that we are going to use in a circle.
Next bring out the parachute and have the childrenone at a time, grab a handle on the
parachute until all children are ready. Once children are in a circle holding a handle we
will then begin to ask them together make the parachute go up and down in a slow
motion. Once the children have understood this concept they then will be asked to move
the parachute up and down in a fast motion together as a team. Once that is learned we
will then add the beach ball. Asking them to do the above, with the addition of the ball.

Discussion Questions: What are other ways we can move the parachute? What do you think
will happen if one of our friends did not move their hands as a team? What are other activities
we can do as a team? Is it easy to keep the ball on the parachute when we move fast?

Evidence of Learning: After completing this activity a few times children will learn how to
cooperate and work as a team. Have strengthened listening skills, as they will learn the activity
works only when everyone is listening and doing the correct movements. Learning the meaning
of the words up, down, fast, and slow. Lastly, they will develop coordination and strengthen their
large muscles.

Next Steps:
If the students did show evidence of meeting the objective for this activity the activity
would be advanced by adding different motions to move the parachute and to if needed at
another ball.
If the students did not show evidence of meeting the objective, the activity can be altered
and the needed skills can be worked on one at a time before progressing to the full
activity.
 References

Pangrazi, R. P., & Beighle, A. (2016). Dynamic physical education for elementary school

children. San Francisco, CA: Pearson.