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Title:  Parachute 
by M. Wilkinson
Objective:  Locomotor skills
Age: 5-7 year olds; early childhood

Procedure:

Using an old parachute, have the children spread around the chute placing their thumbs under the chute and their fingers on top.

Warm-up: Making waves. Have the children use only their wrists in a up/down motion.(baby/little) Move up to using the elbow.(middle) Move further up to using the shoulders.(big)

Activities:

Merry-go-round. Using the right hand have all children move in one direction. Have word cues the children are familiar with: jog, walk, gallop, jump, skip. (Note: the younger children may not skip yet, they will substitute another movement on their own accord!). When the right hand has practiced several movements, then switch to the left hand.

Cat and Mouse. Model a tag touch using two fingers with a neighbor, then have the children practice the same skill. Several children go under the chute to be the mice. A couple of children stay on top of the chute to be the cats. EVERYONE ON OR UNDER THE CHUTE CRAWLS! The children left around the outside of the chute hide the mice by creating shoulder (big) waves. The cats tap the mice and then the mice must climb out and create waves. Once all of the mice are caught choose from the children that helped hide the mice by making waves.

Cool down:

Peek. Children lift the parachute above their heads and peek across at their opposite neighbor. They gently allow the chute to float down.

Under the Mountain. Children lift the chute to peek, on cue they put the chute behind their backs and sit down inside the chute until it floats to the floor.

Assessment:

Fundamental Motor Skills

M=Mature    I=Intermediate   B=Beginning

Name          Jumping  Hopping  Galloping  Skipping  Jogging     
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