Parachute games develop many different skills in pre-schoolers. They are one of the best group activities you can try, great for team-building, cooperation, and all sorts of physical skills.
If you combine these parachute games with music and songs, then you have a perfect formula – a great way of stimulating listening, attention and interest in many different areas of the curriculum.
What are some of the best parachute songs for pre-schoolers?
The short answer is:
- Zoom Zoom Zoom
- Say The Number
- Farmers In His Den
- Here We Go Round The Mulberry Bush
- 5 Cheeky Monkeys Jumping On The Bed
- Roly-Poly
- If You’re Happy And You Know It
- The Grand Old Duke Of York
- Incy Wincy Spider
- Row Row Row Your Boat
- The Waves On The Sea
- What Shape Is It Today?
- 5 Little Ducks
- Ring-A-Ring-A-Roses
To find out the lyrics for these songs, how to use the parachute to sing them, and some top tips for getting the best out of them, then read on!
This article is one in my series of parachute blogs that includes:
- Parachute Maths Games – 14 Fantastic Ideas
- Parachute Phonics Games – 10 Brilliant Ideas
- Parachute Animal Games – 15 Super Ideas
- The 40 Greatest Parachute Games For Kids
1. Zoom, Zoom, Zoom!
This is probably the most exciting counting backwards song!
How to play it – Basically, what you do is all hold the parachute and beat gently up and down to the music, whilst you sing:
Zoom zoom zoom
We’re going to the moon!
Zoom zoom zoom
We’ll be there very soon
(If you’re not sure of the tune, then maybe check it out on youtube)
Then you all shake the parachute for each number as you go:
10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1,0!
When you get to zero, everyone crouches down. Then all shout ‘blast off’ together, stand quickly up and throw the parachute upwards and let go. If you all let go at the same time the parachute will billow up into the air and might even stick to the ceiling.
If you want to check out some other fantastic maths games using parachutes, then have a look at 14 Fantastic Parachute Maths Games.
2. Numbers Game
This is a fun number recognition song.
How to play it – Put some numbers down on the floor around the outside of the parachute. The children hold the parachute and walk around in a circle, singing (to the tune of Twinkle Twinkle)…
Walk around the chute all-day
Which number will I say?
When you get to the end of the song you freeze and say the number that you are nearest.
Top tip – you can say the number in a different voice, such as a T-Rex voice, or like a ghost.
3. Farmers In His Den
This is a classic circle game, and great for playing with a parachute.
How to play – Everyone sits around the parachute, holding it. One child is nominated as the ‘farmer’. They go and stand on the parachute.
Everyone shakes the chute to the beat and sings:
The farmer’s in the den,
The farmer’s in the den,
E-i-addio,
The farmer in the den.
Then choose another child to join the farmer and hold hands and everyone sings:
The farmer wants a wife
The farmer wants a wife
E-i-addio
The farmer wants a wife
One by one other children join them as you sing:
The wife wants a child…
The child wants a nurse…
The nurse wants a cow…
The cow wants a dog…
The dog wants a cat…
The cat wants a mouse…
The mouse wants some cheese.
Music and parachutes go hand in hand brilliantly. If you are interested in other parachute music games, then why not have a look at 11 Wonderful Music Parachute Games.
4. Here We Go Round The Mulberry Bush
Another classic circle song is brilliant as a parachute game.
How to play it – Very simply, all walk or skip round the circle singing:
Here we go round the mulberry bush
The mulberry bush, the mulberry bush
Here we go round the mulberry bush
On a cold and frosty morning.
Then do different actions as you sing…
This is the way we shake the sheets
Shake the sheets…etc (Shake the parachute)
This is the way we saw the wood…(Go back and forth)
This is the way we hammer nails…(Go up and down)
5. 5 Cheeky Monkeys Jumping On The Bed
It is good if you have some kind of props for this. If you have five toy monkeys then amazing!
Otherwise you could use something like beanbags to be the five monkeys. This is one of the all-time classic counting songs.
How to play – Put the five ‘monkeys’ on the parachute. Everyone cooperates to bounce them up and down as you sing:
Five little monkeys jumping on the bed
One fell off and bumped his head
Mummy called the doctor and the doctor said,
‘No more monkeys jumping on the bed!’
Take one monkey off the chute and count how many there are.
Then continue with:
‘Four little monkeys jumping on the bed…etc
Continue until all the monkeys are off.
This game is fantastic for practising 1 to 1 correspondence, and also rote counting. To find out more about rote counting check out my essential guide.
Top tip – Use lots of mathematical language like ‘one less than’, and ‘fewer’. Exposure to these words through counting songs really helps the children to get to grips with these concepts.
6. Roly-Poly
This is more of a chant than a song, but you could definitely think up a tune if you like!
How to play it – Everyone holds the parachute and chants:
Roly poly, roly poly
Up up up (Lift the parachute up)
Roly poly, roly poly
Down down down (Parachute down)
Repeat a couple of times.
Other verses you can do include:
Roly poly, roly poly
In in in (Go in)
Roly poly, roly poly
Out out out (Go back out)
Roly poly, roly poly
Fast fast fast (Shake it fast)
Roly poly, roly poly
Slow slow slow (Shake it slow)
This is a great game for early phonics, and linking words to actions. If you are interested in other early phonics parachute games, then take a look at 10 Brilliant Parachute Phonics Games.
7. If You’re Happy And You Know
Everyone knows and loves the Happy And You Know It song, and this parachute game uses this song and tune, but just tinkers around with the lyrics a bit.
How to play – Stand round the parachute holding it, and sing the following:
If you’re happy and you know it shake the chute (Shake, shake)
If you’re happy and you know it shake the chute (Shake, shake)
If you’re happy and you know it
And you really want to show it
If you’re happy and you know it shake the chute (Shake, shake)
There are all sorts of verses you could do for this, so be creative! Some other ideas include:
If you’re happy and you know it go up up up
….go down down down
…shake it slow
…shake it fast
…go round and round
8. Grand Old Duke Of York
This is an action song that is just crying out to be turned into a parachute game.
How to play – You sing the song and carry out the actions:
Oh, the grand
old Duke of York
He had ten thousand men
He marched them up to the top of the hill (Lift the parachute
up)
And he marched them down again (Bring it low down)
And when they
were up they where up (Up)
And when they were down, they were down (Down)
And when they were only half-way up (Half-way up)
They were neither up nor down (Up then down!)
9. Incy Wincy Spider
This one is similar to the Grand Old Duke of York in that the lyrics are really movement based and there is lots of going up and down in the song.
How to play – Same again you sing the song and bring it life with movement of the parachute:
Incy wincy spider climbed up the water spout (Go up)
Down came the rain and washed the spider out (Go
down)
Out came the sun and dried up all the rain (Walk round in a circle)
Now Incy Wincy spider went up the spout again! (Go back up and finish
high)
10. Row Row Row The Boat
All children love this song!
How to play – The parachute becomes like the oars of the boat in this one. It is best played sat down. The adult will need to orchestrate the to and fro motion of the parachute as one side pull and the other moves forward, and then vice versa.
Row, row, row your boat
Gently down the stream
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily
Life is but a dream
Row, row, row your boat
Gently up the creek
If you see a little mouse
Don’t forget to squeak! (Do lots of squeaking!)
Row, row, row your boat
Gently down the stream
If you see a crocodile
Don’t forget to scream! (Scream!)
Row, row, row your boat
Gently to the shore
If you see a lion
Don’t forget to roar! (Roar!)
Top tip – If you have any kind of puppet or toy that can go with this (e.g. a mouse or a lion), then great! This will bring it to life even more.
11. The Waves on the Sea
This is an adaptation of a classic song – The Wheels on the Bus
Waves and parachutes go brilliantly together, and children really enjoy creating waves. It is really multisensory, as they experience the air rushing off the chute and also the billowing noise that it makes.
How to play – Make waves in different ways as you sing:
The Waves on the Sea go up and down
Up and down, up and down
The waves on the sea go up and down
All day long
The waves on the sea go splish, splash, splosh
Splish, splash, splosh
Splish, splash, splosh
The waves on the sea go splish, splash, splosh
All day long
The waves on the sea are very small…
The waves on the sea are very big…
The storm on the sea goes crash, crash, crash…
12. What Shape Is It Today?
This game is adapted from the song The Farmer’s In His Den.
How to play – Put some shapes under the parachute, e.g. a triangle, square and circle. Pick one child to go first.
Then all shake the chute to the beat as you sing (to the tune of The Farmer’s In His Den):
What Shape is it today?
What shape is it today?
E-i-addio,
What shape is it today?
Then everyone goes ‘1,2,3, Lift!’ Lift up the parachute and the adult shouts a shape, e.g. ‘Circle!’
The nominated child dives under and grabs the shape and brings it out.
Then pick another child and repeat the game.
Top tip – This can be played with numbers under the parachute and just a slight change to the lyrics. You could also use 3D shapes.
This activity is one of the many that have made the cut for my largest parachute article by far – The 40 Greatest Parachute Games For Kids
13. 5 Little Ducks Went Swimming One Day
This is another all-time classic counting song.
How to play – If you have five plastic or rubber ducks, then that’s great. Put them on the parachute. Alternatively, you can use something to be the ducks, such as sponge balls.
Then you all sing the song, whilst gently rippling the parachute (like water on the pong):
Five little ducks went swimming one day
Over the hill and far away
Mother duck said, “Quack quack quack quack”
And only four little ducks came back!
Take one off, and continue…
Four little ducks went swimming one day
Over the hill and far away
Mother duck said, “Quack quack quack quack”
And only three little ducks came back!
Top tip – Pause in the last line when you all say ‘And only….’ This gives a bit of thinking time for the children to work out how many ducks there will be.
14. Ring a Ring a Roses
A nice simple one to finish. This classic song has lots of going up and down, which is always great for a parachute game.
How to play – Walk round in a circle with the parachute, and sing the following with actions:
Ring a ring o’ roses
A pocketful of posies
a-tishoo, a-tishoo
We all fall down. (All fall down)
Fish are in the water (Pretend to be fish swimming on the floor)
Fish are in the sea
We all jump up
With a one, two, three! (Grab the parachute and jump back up)
Conclusion
Good luck with these parachute games! There really are a multitude of skills going on throughout all of these, and they are activities that hopefully children will ask for again and again.
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