Movement Ideas with Music, #1: The Parachute

I finally got a parachute!  It has taken me way too many years to acquire one!  In fact, it's been a windfall year for parachutes--a 12' parachute was donated to me and a 6' parachute was finally found at a super affordable price that fit my budget.  I'm really glad it worked out that way, as I need the smaller one for my tiny groups, but the big one is great for my big groups and my big kids!

After check-in, I like to begin my groups with a fun movement activity.  This energizes the group, increasing their attention and motivation for the course of the session, and setting the stage for whatever work we will do later.  Sometimes it's just something fun, and other times it is directly related to other goals we will address later in the group.

This is a simple activity that is paired with a relatively recent pop song, so I find it appropriate to use with all ages of children.  Grab your parachute and a copy of "Shake It Off" by Taylor Swift, and get ready to "shake, shake, shake!"

As the song starts, we move the parachute up and down together as a team, timing our movements with the beats of the music to help us organize our efforts.  Then when the chorus kicks in, we start shaking the parachute, making little (and BIG) ripples all the way across.  When it moves back to the verse, we move back to the slower, coordinated movements.  A fun variation is to add a dozen or so mini koosh balls right before the chorus, and literally "shake it off!"  ;)

Possible goals:

• gross motor: bi- or unilateral lifting of arms
• fine motor: grasping handles of parachute
• motor planning
• teamwork
• following directions
• reward (if the parachute is a preferred item)