Parachute Pinball– Preschool Fitness Game

by Kelly Pfeiffer

Create fitness fun and promote problem-solving skills with Parachute Pinball, a great parachute game for preschoolers. If you don’t own a parachute, a bed sheet works to promote coordination skills and problem solving skills while preschoolers send the ball to the right person during each round. Parachute Pinball works indoors or out and provides fun and fitness for growing preschoolers.

What You Need

A Play Parachute (or a bedsheet)

A Medium Sized Ball

Parachute Pinball Preparation

1. Lay the parachute on the floor.

2. Have preschoolers sit around the outside of the parachute.

3. Teach Parachute Grip - Most parachutes don’t have enough handles for each preschooler. Show all preschoolers how to roll up the edge of the parachute and grip the parachute tightly with the fingers on top and thumbs underneath.

Teach Small Ripples

Show preschoolers how to shake the parachute up and down with small movements to create small ripples in the parachute.

How to Play Parachute Pinball

1. Place the ball in the middle and tell preschoolers to shake the parachute to make small ripples.

2. After a minute, call stop.

3. Tell preschoolers that you will call out the name of a preschooler in the circle. The group must decide what to do to get the ball to roll to the preschooler whose name was called. Ask preschoolers what ideas they have to get the ball to roll to the preschooler without touching the ball with their hands. Allow the group to try different ideas to see which one works. Allow preschoolers to try ideas that you don’t think will work. Preschoolers learn from experimenting and trying out ideas.

4. After preschoolers have moved the ball to the correct preschooler, tell preschoolers to make small ripples again so that the ball moves around the parachute.

5. After a minute, call stop and call out the name of a different preschooler.

6. Alternate between making small ripples with the ball on the parachute and calling out names until all preschoolers have had their name called.

More Ways to Play Parachute Pinball

Color Parachute Pinball - Call out a color. Preschoolers roll the ball to the person wearing that color shirt.

Number Parachute Pinball - Tape or pin different numbers to the shirts of preschoolers. Call out a number. Preschoolers roll the ball to the person wearing the number.

Shapes Parachute Pinball - Tape or pin different shapes to the shirts of preschoolers. Call out a shape. Preschoolers roll the ball to the person wearing the shape.

Letter Parachute Pinball - Tape or pin different letters to the shirts of preschoolers. Call out a letter. Preschoolers roll the ball to the person wearing the letter.