{"alias":"blogEntry","byline":"Nicola Hilliard, Creative Content Producer","standfirst":"We\u0027ve put together 17 of the most exciting, easy and entertaining parachute games for you to test your teamwork. So, gather your friends, hold on tight to your parachute, and get ready to soar to new heights!","content":{"layouts":[{"type":"singleColumn","areas":[{"items":[{"gridType":"gridImageBlock","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","image":"/media/20285/lots-of-cubs-and-beaver-are-smiling-and-running-under-a-parachute-min.png","width":7360,"height":4912,"altText":"A smiling Beaver in a blue uniform and yellow necker runs under a colourful parachute held up by other Beavers","caption":"","link":null},{"gridType":"accordion","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","showExpand":false,"items":[{"gridType":"accordionItem","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003EPlace a variety of \u2018treasures\u2019, such as tokens or pretend money, into a \u2018treasure box\u2019.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EPlace the treasure box under the parachute in the middle of the space. Everyone should hold the parachute at about waist height.\u00A0\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAsk everyone to make waves by lifting the parachute up and down between their waist to above their head. It should look like waves in a sea storm.\u00A0\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen you\u2019ve started your storm and everyone\u2019s in a steady rhythm, call out names and send these people under the parachute as \u2018divers\u2019 to grab items one by one from the box.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETo make it harder, you could ask people to grab a specific item, play in teams, give a time limit, or challenge them not to touch the parachute.\u003C/p\u003E","label":"Treasure under the sea"},{"gridType":"accordionItem","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003EEveryone should hold the parachute at about waist height.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EPlace a few soft and lightweight items, such as beanbags, small plastic balls or ping pong balls, in the middle of the parachute.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThen, when you give the signal, everyone should wave the parachute as fast and hard as they can to make the items \u2018pop\u2019, just like popcorn.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe aim is to pop all the items out of the parachute. Some variations have the young people sitting in a circle with their legs underneath the parachute before \u2018popping\u2019 begins.\u00A0\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETo make it more competitive:\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYou could play it as a race between two teams. Place an even amount of two colours of balls on the parachute. For example, you could use ten soft, red balls and ten soft, blue balls.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESplit everyone into two teams, such as red and blue, and make sure both team\u2019s members are equally distributed around the parachute.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe red team wants to shake the parachute with the aim to keep the red balls on and pop the blue balls off. The blue team tries for the opposite.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhoever gets all their opponent\u2019s balls off the parachute first, wins.\u003C/p\u003E","label":"Popcorn"},{"gridType":"accordionItem","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003EEveryone should hold the parachute at about waist height.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EPlace a few soft handled skipping ropes or soft ropes in the middle of the parachute. They\u2019ll be the snakes in this game.\u00A0\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe aim for the people stood around the parachute is to make sure the ropes don\u2019t touch you.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EEveryone should shake the parachute up and down for a set length of time.\u00A0\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETry your best to keep the snakes from touching you.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf anyone gets touched by a snake, they need to let go of the parachute and step back.\u00A0\u003C/p\u003E","label":"Snakes"},{"gridType":"accordionItem","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003EEveryone holds the parachute at about waist height.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESplit everyone into two teams, such as a red team and a blue team.\u00A0\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EPlace a ball in the middle of the parachute.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn this game, one team is aiming to try to keep the ball on the parachute, while the other team is trying to knock it off.\u00A0\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHowever, no one can touch the ball with their hands \u2013 they can only move the parachute.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESet a time limit, such as two minutes, and wherever the ball is at the end of the time limit shows which team has won.\u003C/p\u003E","label":"Parachute volleyball"},{"gridType":"accordionItem","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003EDivide everyone into small teams and give each team a fruit, such as oranges or pineapples.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMake sure each team is equally spread out around the parachute. No two people from the same team should be stood next to each other.\u00A0\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EEveryone should hold parachute at about waist height and start to make waves, lifting the parachute up and down between their waist to above the head.\u00A0It should look like waves in a sea storm.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYou should have the parachute move up and down slowly, so when it\u2019s lifted, people can run to the other side before it falls on them.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhile the parachute is in motion, the person leading the game gives a direction by calling out a fruit. For example, they could call out \u2018Oranges, switch!\u2019\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnyone on the \u2018oranges\u2019 team should switch places with each other by running under the parachute. They should try to get across before the parachute comes down.\u00A0\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf the volunteer shouts \u2018Fruit salad\u2019, everyone should change seats with someone else.\u00A0\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETo make it easier: \u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EInstead of swapping places, people could run to the other side of the parachute, rather than to another space. They\u2019d then go back to their spot, having made it safely across.\u003C/p\u003E","label":"Fruit salad"},{"gridType":"accordionItem","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003EIt\u2019s time to make a big circus top from the parachute. Everyone holds the parachute at about waist height, then lifts it high in the air.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EEveryone needs to quickly bring the parachute to the floor and sit on the inside of it, as this should trap the air inside it.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYou could then take it in turns to dance, sing songs, or tell some stories.\u003C/p\u003E","label":"Circus tent"},{"gridType":"accordionItem","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003EPair up all young people and ask them to sit on opposite sides of the parachute.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EGive each pair a team name, such as a number, a fruit, a colour or an animal. You may want to write them down.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EEveryone should hold the parachute at about waist height and start to gently wave it.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe person leading the activity should call out a team\u2019s name. The group should try to get the parachute as high in the air as possible.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe chosen pair will then need to run under the parachute, high-five each other and make their way back to their spaces, without being tagged by the parachute.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETo play this game as an icebreaker:\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis is also good as an icebreaker game. Make sure everyone holds one handle using both hands, as the handles will be used to mark spaces.\u00A0\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EEveryone should hold the parachute at about waist height. An adult or young leader calls out a statement and then everyone lifts the parachute as high in the air as possible.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf the statement applies to them, then the players need to run under the parachute to switch places with someone else before the parachute falls.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESome examples include topics, such as birthday months, favourite books or films, if you\u2019re wearing a specific colour, if you have a sibling or pet, and if you like to do a specific activity.\u003C/p\u003E","label":"Parachute partners"},{"gridType":"accordionItem","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003EFor shoe shuffle, you\u2019ll need at least two adults supporting this game and holding the outside of the parachute.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAsk everyone to take off one shoe and place it in the middle of the circle, which\u2019ll be directly under the middle of the parachute.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EEveryone should hold the parachute at about waist height.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOn the count of 3, everyone should lift the parachute as high as they can, then move to the middle to find their shoe and get back to their handle or space.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThey need to try to do it before the parachute comes down and \u2018tags\u2019 them.\u00A0\u003C/p\u003E","label":"Shoe shuffle"},{"gridType":"accordionItem","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003EEveryone should hold the parachute at about waist height.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EChoose one person to be the cat and one person to be the mouse. The cat should take a blindfold.\u00A0\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe cat should be on top of the parachute and the mouse should get below or underneath the parachute.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen you\u2019re ready, ask the cat to put on a blindfold. Both players can be blindfolded to make the game harder.\u00A0\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe remaining players are the wave makers and they should gently flap the parachute.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe cat must find the mouse below the parachute, but the cat will be blindfolded, so will have to listen for clues.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EGive the players a time limit, such as two minutes, and see if the cat can catch the mouse.\u003C/p\u003E","label":"Cat and mouse"},{"gridType":"accordionItem","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003EEveryone should hold the parachute at about waist height, then lift it high in the air.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EEveryone needs to quickly bring the parachute to the floor and hold it down against the floor to quickly keep the air inside. It should look like a mountain.\u00A0\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe person leading the activity should call out someone\u2019s name.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis person will be the explorer and needs to \u2018climb\u2019 the mountain.\u00A0\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThey should start crawling across the parachute before it deflates.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ECan they make it to the middle?\u00A0\u003C/p\u003E","label":"Climb the mountain"},{"gridType":"accordionItem","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003EChoose some people to be sharks. The number of sharks will depend on your group size. The sharks will go underneath the parachutes.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ERemind the \u2018sharks\u2019 to be gentle.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ERemind everyone else to watch their heads and not to kick.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EChoose some people to be lifeguards. Again, the amount will depend on your group size. The lifeguards should then stand up behind the seated players.\u00A0\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EEveryone else should sit on the floor with their legs straight out in front of them, going underneath the parachute.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe sitting players should hold the parachute and make gentle waves with it, while hoping not to get attacked by the shark.\u00A0\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe sharks should move around underneath the parachute and try to gently pull the seated players underneath the parachute. The players can call out, \u2018Lifeguard save me!\u2019\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe lifeguards have to try to save the people being attacked by shark. The lifeguard walks around the parachute and can \u2018save\u2019 someone by pulling them out before they\u2019re fully pulled underneath the parachute.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf someone ends up under the parachute, they become a shark, too. When most of the players are now \u2018sharks\u2019, switch around the roles and start the game again.\u003C/p\u003E","label":"Shark attack"},{"gridType":"accordionItem","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003EDivide the players into teams of two.\u0026nbsp;\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EEveryone should hold the parachute at about waist height.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EPlace several soft foam balls on the top of the parachute, in the centre.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOne team is aiming to throw the fleas (balls) off the parachute, while the other team is trying not to let the fleas out.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EGive the group a few minutes and see which team gets the most points.\u003C/p\u003E","label":"Parachute fleas"},{"gridType":"accordionItem","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003EEveryone should hold the parachute at about waist height.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe person leading the activity should count to \u20183\u2019, or give a signal, and ask everyone to lift the parachute high over their heads.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen the parachute is in the air, the person leading the activity should quickly call one person\u2019s name.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe chosen person should then try to run underneath and to the other side of the parachute before the parachute comes down and \u2018tags\u2019 them.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOnce their turn is over, they return to their spot and you can play again.\u00A0\u003C/p\u003E","label":"Parachute tag"},{"gridType":"accordionItem","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003EEveryone should hold the parachute at about waist height.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs the below song is sung, everyone raises the parachute above their heads.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen someone\u2019s name is called, they run under the parachute.\u00A0\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe parachute is slowly lowered to try and gently \u2018trap\u2019 the player.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EPlay until all the players (who\u2019d like to) have had a turn.\u00A0\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe song is sung to the tune of Row Row Row your Boat and goes like this:\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EUp, up, up it goes\u003C/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cem\u003EDown, down, down it comes\u003C/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cem\u003EIf your name is \u2014\u2014- (put in someone\u2019s name)\u003C/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cem\u003ENow\u2019s your turn to run\u003C/em\u003E\u003C/p\u003E","label":"Name game"},{"gridType":"accordionItem","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003EEveryone should hold the parachute at about waist height.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EPut one large soft ball on the parachute. All the players need to work together as a team to roll the ball around the outside edge of the parachute, but without it falling off.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYou should see how many times you can get the ball to roll around the parachute edge without it falling off.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETo make it competitive, divide everyone into two teams by drawing an imaginary line down the middle of the parachute.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EEveryone on one side is on one team, and everyone on the other is on the opposing team.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAgain, holding the parachute at waist height, one team is now trying to get the large soft ball to travel off the parachute on their opponent\u2019s side.\u00A0\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe other team is trying to stop them, and get the ball to fly off the parachute on the other side.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhenever the ball flies off on either side, the opposite team scores a point. You could play that the first team to five points is the winner. It\u2019s a game of rolling and bouncing!\u003C/p\u003E","label":"Roll the ball"},{"gridType":"accordionItem","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003EEveryone should hold the parachute at about waist height.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor younger groups, you can match the parachute movements to common nursery rhymes.\u00A0\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHere\u2019s an example using \u201CThe Wheels on the Bus\u2019:\u00A0\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe wheels on the bus go round and round \u003Cem\u003E(walk around in a circle while holding onto the parachute)\u003C/em\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe door on the bus goes open and shut \u003Cem\u003E(take a few steps forward and back)\u003C/em\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe horn on the bus goes beep, beep, beep\u003Cem\u003E (jump and lift the parachute up and down three times, once on each beep)\u003C/em\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe windows on the bus go open and shut\u00A0\u003Cem\u003E(raise the chute above head for \u2018open\u0027 and then lower parachute down to toes on \u2018shut\u2019)\u003C/em\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe wipers on the bus go swish, swish, swish \u003Cem\u003E(hold parachute with two hands and move arms from side to side)\u003C/em\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe babies on the bus go waa, waa, waa \u003Cem\u003E(pretend to wipe eyes using the parachute like a tissue)\u003C/em\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOther good nursery rhymes could be such as \u2018Ring Around the Rosie\u2019 or \u0027London Bridge is Falling Down\u2019.\u003C/p\u003E","label":"Nursery rhyme time"},{"gridType":"accordionItem","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003EEveryone should hold the parachute at about waist height. You can incorporate music for additional fun.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHave everyone turn sideways on to the parachute, holding a handle with their left hand.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThey should walk around in a circle to create a \u2018merry-go-round\u2019.\u00A0\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYou can change the actions and have people skip, hop, or march around in a circle.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf you play music, you can also pause it, telling the players to switch directions.\u003C/p\u003E","label":"Create a carousel"}]},{"type":"Promo","cta":"","body":"\u003Cul\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EIf you don\u2019t have a parachute, a large bed sheet can also work just as well.\u00A0\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EFor games that involve switching spaces, you may want to put flat markers on the floor, such as floor spots or chalk crosses, to show where people are.\u00A0\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003ECheck your parachute has no hole in the centre, or only has a hole as big as a tennis ball.\u00A0\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EIf there is a hole in the centre of the parachute, always remind everyone to avoid putting body parts, such as heads, through it.\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EAlways be mindful of people under the parachute.\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EWatch for flying bean bags and balls.\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EIf pulling people under the parachute, make sure people are mindful of hurting themselves or others.\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003C/ul\u003E","link":null,"colour":"#f1f1f1","title":"Top tips for parachute games","image":null,"imageFocus":"","imageId":0,"imageKey":"00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000","imageCrop":"","gridType":"card","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"gridImageBlock","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","image":"/media/21145/squirrel-running-under-parachute.jpg","width":7000,"height":4667,"altText":"Squirrel in red jumper running underneath a parachute while other Squirrels and leaders hold the edges.","caption":"","link":null},{"type":"Promo","cta":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003EAll Scout activities must be safely managed.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYou need to complete a \u003Ca rel=\u0022noopener\u0022 href=\u0022https://www.scouts.org.uk/volunteers/staying-safe-and-safeguarding/risk-assessments/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 title=\u0022Risk assessments\u0022\u003Erisk assessment\u003C/a\u003E and take appropriate steps to reduce risk.\u00A0Take a look at our guidance to help you carry out your\u00A0\u003Ca href=\u0022https://www.scouts.org.uk/volunteers/staying-safe-and-safeguarding/risk-assessments/\u0022\u003Erisk assessment.\u003C/a\u003E You can use the \u003Ca rel=\u0022noopener\u0022 href=\u0022https://www.scouts.org.uk/volunteers/staying-safe-and-safeguarding/safe-scouting-cards/staying-safe-safety-checklist/staying-safe-leaders/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 title=\u0022Staying Safe - Leaders\u0022\u003Esafety checklist\u003C/a\u003E to help you plan and risk assess your activity.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAlways get\u00A0\u003Ca href=\u0022/volunteers/running-your-section/programme-guidance/information-for-volunteers/general-activity-guidance-a-z/approving-activities-guidance-for-lead-volunteers/\u0022 title=\u0022Approving Activities - Guidance for Commissioners\u0022\u003Eapproval for the activity\u003C/a\u003E, have suitable \u003Ca rel=\u0022noopener\u0022 href=\u0022https://www.scouts.org.uk/volunteers/staying-safe-and-safeguarding/safety/planning-and-assessing-risk/guidance-for-supervision-of-activities/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 title=\u0022Guidance for supervision of activities\u0022\u003Esupervision\u003C/a\u003E\u00A0and an \u003Ca rel=\u0022noopener\u0022 href=\u0022https://www.scouts.org.uk/volunteers/running-your-section/intouch/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 title=\u0022InTouch\u0022\u003EInTouch\u003C/a\u003E\u00A0process.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMake sure you\u2019ll have enough adult helpers. You may need some parents and carers to help if you\u2019re short on helpers. Everyone should understand what contact is acceptable, and monitor contact throughout the activity, too.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMake sure all young people and adults involved in the activity know how to take part safely. You should explain the rules of the game clearly and have a clear way to communicate that the game must stop when needed.\u00A0\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe game area around the parachute and players should be free of hazards, such as shoes or chairs.\u00A0\u003C/p\u003E","link":{"name":"Running active and wide games","id":null,"url":"/volunteers/staying-safe-and-safeguarding/safety/planning-and-assessing-risk/running-active-and-wide-games/","newWindow":false,"target":null},"colour":"#ffe627","title":"Staying safe","image":null,"imageFocus":"","imageId":0,"imageKey":"00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000","imageCrop":"","gridType":"card","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Ch3\u003EMaking the games accessible\u003C/h3\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"accordion","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","showExpand":false,"items":[{"gridType":"accordionItem","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003EMake sure there\u2019s a way to include everyone in this game or activity. If anyone doesn\u2019t feel comfortable playing the game or taking part in the activity, give them the opportunity to take on another role instead. Some examples are timing the games, scorekeeping, playing or stopping music, or refereeing.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThe games or roles, such as the detective in wink murder, could be played in pairs if people don\u2019t want to take part alone. People could run in pairs in games, such as Circle Tag, too.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ERemember, people who struggle with making choices could find all the options a bit overwhelming, so they might need extra support or to work with a young leader/volunteer to be able to choose something.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E","label":"Creating roles for everyone"},{"gridType":"accordionItem","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003EFor anyone who may not be able to hear the activities, consider printing them a version on paper that they can read at the same time. You could also provide written instructions electronically to allow use of magnification software. Try to use size 12 font and either \u2018Arial\u2019 or \u2018Nunito Sans\u2019, as this is easier for lots of people to read.\u003C/p\u003E","label":"Printed instructions and written communication"},{"gridType":"accordionItem","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003ETake time and have patience while telling everyone what to do. Give short instructions clearly and concisely. If you need to, pause, then repeat the same instruction using the same words.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ERemember to keep instructions short and precise and be prepared to repeat these. It\u2019s best to break information up into smaller \u0027chunks\u0027, so the person doesn\u2019t feel overwhelmed. You can check for understanding by asking questions, such as \u2018What do you need to do first?\u2019.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYou could have a practice round of the game to make sure everyone knows what they\u2019re doing. Let young people help explain to each other what to do, too.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ERemember when giving instructions, some people may not look at you or make eye contact. This doesn\u2019t mean they\u0027re not listening. Eye contact can be painful for some people and shouldn\u0027t be forced.\u003C/p\u003E","label":"Giving instructions"},{"gridType":"accordionItem","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003EIf a player has difficulties communicating verbally, you could explore doing this activity without speaking. Remember not to speak for a young person but help them to develop their communication. For example, a closed choice can be easier to make than an open question.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf a young person mis-says a sentence, you could repeat it after them in the correct form - this will help them learn for next time and is much more useful than saying what they said is wrong or \u2018correcting\u2019 them.\u003C/p\u003E","label":"Verbal communication during a game"},{"gridType":"accordionItem","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003ETo select someone, the game leader doesn\u2019t have to tap people on the shoulder to name them, so make sure they know if anyone doesn\u2019t like to be touched.\u003C/p\u003E","label":"Choosing a player"},{"gridType":"accordionItem","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003EPeople can move at their own pace, so you don\u2019t need to make it competitive unless it works for everyone. You could adapt the competitive element so everyone can be involved and without needing to run.\u003C/p\u003E","label":"Making it competitive"},{"gridType":"accordionItem","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003EAvoid shouting or using whistles. Some people may not understand why you\u0027re shouting and could find this distressing, particularly if they\u0027re hypersensitive to noise.\u00A0\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDuring games, make sure individuals who need to can clearly see the person speaking, as they may find it helpful to read lips or body language.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf it\u2019s too noisy and anyone doesn\u2019t like the noise, the person leading the activity can remind everyone to be quieter. You could provide ear defenders for the person to wear. You could also have a noise level warning system to let everyone know when it gets too loud, allow people to take noise breaks, and shut external doors and windows to help reduce noise.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETo take part in a noisy activity, a young person with a hearing impairment might find it more comfortable to turn their hearing aid off. If this is their regular practice, you\u0027ll need to make sure that it\u0027s turned on again afterwards.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYou could play some games in a quiet environment by removing any noises. For example, in Rhythm Master, actions need only be facial movements, or moving/waving arms or leg movements. In Broken Telephone, you could pass a sequence of movements down a line, rather than a spoken message.\u003C/p\u003E","label":"Managing noise sensitivity and hearing loss"},{"gridType":"accordionItem","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003EMake sure any actions are things everyone can do. If anyone needs support in throwing the balls or beanbags, let them work closely with someone else to help them achieve this.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf anyone struggles with fine motor skills, they could use larger materials. You could swap out the items, such as beanbags, for something easier to handle, such as foam footballs.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EA lot of these games can be played sitting or standing, either on the floor or on chairs. Make sure to adapt to whichever way works best for everyone and make sure any actions are things everyone can do.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EChoose an area that\u2019s suitable for all members of your group. You could visit the area early and remove any large or obvious obstacles. Think about the space you\u2019ll be in and the equipment you\u2019re using in advance to make sure it\u2019s accessible to everyone in the group, including wheelchair users.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe equipment and circle should be laid out in a way that\u2019s accessible to everyone, so making sure there\u2019s access for everyone to move round the outside of a circle.\u003C/p\u003E","label":"Accessible actions and equipment"}]}]}],"config":null}]},"searchDescription":null,"pageType":null,"location":null,"versionDate":"08 November 2023","reviewDate":null,"furtherReading":[],"relatedLinks":[],"id":77679,"nodeName":"17 quick and easy parachute games to play","title":"17 quick and easy parachute games to play ","type":"blogEntry","image":{"url":"/media/19668/beaver-with-parachute.jpg?width=800\u0026height=450\u0026v=1daf3a99ab310a0","caption":"Beaver running under parachute","type":"jpg","size":191137,"width":1280,"height":720,"altText":"A Beaver in a blue uniform and yellow necker lifts their hands up running under a parachute."},"assets":null,"headerOptions":{"headerTitle":"17 quick and easy parachute games to play ","headerSubTitle":null,"headerCta":null,"headerCtaText":null,"headerCtaLink":null,"headerBackgroundColour":null,"showSEOImage":false,"headerBackgroundImage":null,"quickLinks":null},"subHeader":"We\u0027ve put together 17 of the most exciting and entertaining parachute games for you to explore.","browserTitle":null,"silktide":"eyJjbXMiOiJVbWJyYWNvIiwiZWRpdG9yVXJsIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9wcm9kLWNtcy5zY291dHMub3JnLnVrLy91bWJyYWNvIy9jb250ZW50L2NvbnRlbnQvZWRpdC83NzY3OSJ9","canonicalUrl":"https://www.scouts.org.uk/news/2023/november/17-quick-and-easy-parachute-games-to-play/"}