A parachute is a colorful and creative tool for teaching with movement and games. Here are some suggestions for incorporating a parachute in specific Bible story lessons as well as games that can be adapted to a variety of lessons.
Post your suggestions below!
Bible Parachute Games
A Center Church Rotation Game Workshop Activities Resource
The Holy Spirit
It says in Genesis 1 that the spirit of God moved over the face of the waters prior to creation. Ask the children to lift the chute high over their heads and slowly down again. Talk about the soft sounds and breezes that are created.
In the Beginning
To imitate the dark and windy sea that existed before creation have the children start the game with the chute flat on the ground. Teacher begins the game by lifting her section of the chute and letting it down again. The child next to her raises and lowers his and so on, creating a wave like in a baseball game. Slowly increase the size and tempo of the wave until the effort collapses (the chaos that precedes creation).
The Creation of Animals
God created animals the way humans were created - out of clay. Have a student lie flat under the center of the chute while the rest observe the student slowly rise up under the chute and take on the characteristics of an animal God created. Sound effects OK. The children have to guess the animal. After each student guesses correctly students can lift the chute quickly and high! Behold! And it was good!
Take turns.
Baptism
All students raise the parachute high, take two steps in to create a mushroom shape. The teacher calls a student’s name (like in baptism) and that student stands under the chute and lets the chute descend upon her like the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus.
Cathedral
Everyone lowers the chute and then on a count of three raise their arms high. Once the chute is quite high everyone takes three or four giant steps toward the center and pulls the chute behind them and sits down with their bottoms on the edge of the chute. Everybody looks up like they’re staring at the ceiling of a cathedral.
Peter Walking on Water
With the parachute on the ground children make ripples while a student walks around on the chute. The ripples grow larger and disorienting and eventually the student has more difficulty standing. Finally the student realizes that she is sinking and might even sit down.
Ezekiel’s Wheels
Ezekiel the prophet had a vision of wheels that had eyes along the rim of the wheels. In this game the colored panels of the chute are the spokes of a wheel and the children are the eyes. Have each child hold the chute with one hand, extending the opposite arm outward for balance. Run in one direction then, on a signal, run in the other direction. Do this until everyone gets dizzy and has visions of their own!
