Gopher Exclusive Product
SteadyCatch Set
Turn parachute play into a focused, skill-building challenge that keeps students engaged and moving. Designed for small group activities, this set helps students develop coordination and teamwork through fun, competitive gameplay.
Interactive Catch and Control Gameplay
Students work in small teams to toss and catch balls using square parachutes, aiming to land each catch in the center target. Teams can increase the challenge by stepping farther apart after successful catches or resetting if the ball is dropped. Additional activities, like balancing the ball while racing, keep gameplay fresh and exciting.
Adjustable Grip for Skill Progression
Each parachute includes four 28"L black nylon straps with 4" loops, allowing students to choose their level of challenge. Holding the loop increases difficulty, while gripping closer to the parachute provides more control. This flexible design makes the set inclusive for all skill levels.
Durable Design with Visual Targets
Six polyester parachutes feature black nylon edging and a 12"L x 12"W center square target to guide accurate catches. Bright Rainbow colors support color-coded activities and easy organization. The included tacky vinyl balls and cotton beanbags (6 ea) offer activity options, while the set stores easily in the included VersaBag mesh bag. Activity instructions are also included.
Key Specs and Benefits
- Construction: Compact parachutes improve coordination skills and encourage teamwork through cooperative catch-and-throw games
- Material: Durable polyester parachutes are built for daily use
- Sizing: Parachutes are 14"L x 14"W, vinyl balls have 7" dia, and cotton beanbags are 6" sq
- Handles: Four 28" nylon straps with 4" loops allow students to choose level of challenge
- Compliance: N/A
- Storage: Included VersaBag makes transport and cleanup easy
Bring new energy to your small group activities with a fun, skill-focused game set. Add the SteadyCatch Set to your program today and keep every student actively engaged.
There are endless activity options for your program! You can easily integrate parachute games into warm-ups, cooperative units, or movement exploration lessons. The following activities develop coordination, helping to teach locomotor, non-locomotor, manipulative, and body control skills in both small and large group settings. Let the games begin!
- Popcorn Pandemonium: Place small, lightweight balls on top of the parachute. Students work together to shake the parachute and pop the balls into the air, erupting like a volcano to teach arm strength, timing, and coordination. Have students use waves to push objects to the other side or attempt to catch them as skills progress.
- Wave Maker: Students create waves of different sizes or follow rhythm-based cues together, helping develop timing, cooperation, and upper-body coordination. Assign weather types (ex: Thunder = Hard Shaking, Rain = Slow Up & Down, Sun = Standing Still) to keep students engaged.
- Exploration Stations: Call out colors, numbers, categories or more and have students run or crawl under the parachute to switch spots before it falls. This will teach students listening skills, quick decision-making, and agility—and is easy to adjust for varying skill levels!
- Umbrellas, Mountains, and Igloos, Oh My! Students lift the parachute high to make a mushroom shape, then bring it down to trap air to create different variations; create a mountain by sitting with knees around the edge of the parachute, an umbrella by stepping underneath the dome, and then an igloo by sitting around the inside edge. This will help develop timing, cooperation, and spatial awareness skills!
- Cat & Mouse Chase: Students move around or underneath the parachute playing tag games. A "mouse" moves underneath while a "cat" tries to find them with guidance from the group, teaching locomotor skills, reaction time, and strategic movement. Need more direction? This blog has a demonstration!
- Skill-Building Bulls-Eye: Incorporating this versatile parachute will allow students to turn cooperative movement into precision-based games. Develop control and endurance or catching/tossing skills using specific color zones to create cross-curricular lessons!
Looking for ideas for older students? Team Critter Quest is a great lesson plan from PE Teacher Tim Mueller, who details how to play here, or join us on PE Universe to connect with other PE teachers to find new ideas!