Parachutes

I have a small parachute that my kids love. It is great to pull out at parties or for family time. It only holds between 10 - 15 kids. Here are some games you can play with it:

Air Conditioning

This game is good for recuperating after an energetic game. Hold the parachute stretched out and have about a third of the players lie on the ground under it (best with heads near the middle). The rest mushroom the parachute up and quickly pull it down again repeatedly.

Air rushing in and out cools those underneath like a giant fan, and the sensation of watching the parachute rise up and then come down on top of you is very strange. (Players may like to cover their faces as the parachute descends or even lie on their stomachs).

Ball Slide

Grasp the edge of the parachute with an overhand grip. Place one ball on the parachute. Make the ball slide around the parachute by slowly raising the parachute up and down. Keep the ball rolling so that it does not go off the edge.

Ball Toss

Put a ball into the center of the parachute. Raise and lower the parachute to throw and catch the ball. When the players are skilled at this, try adding a second ball.

Big Turtle

Have the players get on their hands and knees under the large “turtle shell” formed by the parachute and try to make the turtle more in one direction. As a cooperative game, players have to work together to get the turtle to move. Variation: Have the turtle go over a hill or bench or through an obstacle course without losing the shell.

Birthday Exchange

Grasp the edge of the parachute with an overhand grip and raise the parachute overhead. The leader calls out a month of the year. Those players born in that month let go of the edge and exchange places by moving under the parachute to an empty spot. This game can also take place by giving everyone a number from 1 to 8 or by calling out a color that the players are wearing. Players need to be told to head for gaps, keep their eyes open and try to avoid bumping into one another. Make sure that the players who remain around the edge allow the parachute to fall rather than pulling it down hard.

The Canopy Players grasp the edge of the parachute with an overhand grip, and squat down so the parachute is flat on the ground. On the count of three, stand up and stretch arms above head creating a canopy.

Cat and Mouse

Players sit in a circle holding the parachute stretched out. One player becomes a mouse and goes underneath. Someone else becomes a cat and goes on top. The cat tries to catch the mouse, but with everyone billowing the parachute, it is impossible to see where it is.

Every now and then you can give the cat a clue by lowering the parachute to reveal the mouse, then raise it again to help the mouse get away. You can try the game with two or three mice and two or three cats.

Chute Crawl

Have half the players stretch the parachute while the other half crawls to a spot opposite where they are. The players holding the parachute can shake it or billow it up and down over the crawling players.

Elevator The parachute starts at feet and when leader says “elevator up” players lift the parachute. When the leader says “elevator down” players pull the parachute down. You can also play this like ‘Simon Says’ to add an element of challenge to the activity.

There are many more games to play, but this should get you started.

Ice Cream in a Bag

What you'll need:

• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 cup milk or half & half
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
• 6 tablespoons rock salt
• 1 pint-size plastic food storage bag (e.g., Ziploc)
• 1 gallon-size plastic food storage bag
• Ice cubes

How to make it:

1. Fill the large bag half full of ice, and add the rock salt. Seal the bag.
2. Put milk, vanilla, and sugar into the small bag, and seal it.
3. Place the small bag inside the large one, and seal it again carefully.
4. Shake until the mixture is ice cream, which takes about 5 minutes.
5. Wipe off the top of the small bag, then open it carefully. Enjoy!

Tips:

A 1/2 cup milk will make about 1 scoop of ice cream, so double the recipe if you want more. But don't increase the proportions more that that -- a large amount might be too big for kids to pick-up because the ice itself is heavy.

Making Butter

Well, this wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. This is what you will need:

baby food jar
heavy cream
salt
marble

Directions: Put the marble in the jar and fill the jar a little over half full. Pour in a little salt. Have the kids shake the baby food for for about 10 to 15 minutes. Or until the fat collects in a ball around the marble. This is butter

Pour out the liquid. This is buttermilk. If any of the the buttermilk is left in the butter, the butter will rot. So you need to rinse it out. Keep the butter in the jar and pour water into it. Shake the jar and dump it out again. Keep doing this until the water pours out clear. Once this happens you are done! Enjoy!

Traditional Play Dough

• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup warm water
• 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon oil
• 1/4 cup salt
• food coloring

Mix all ingredients, adding food coloring last. Stir over medium heat until smooth. Remove from pan and knead until blended smooth. Place in plastic bag or airtight container when cooled. Will last for a long time.

Timpanogos Cave

This is not the hardest hike I have been on, but I think it is the hardest hike I would take a three year old on. It can get a bit steep and has a lot of switch backs, but the trail is paved and that helps with the little kids. We just make sure to hold their hands (there are cliffs off to the side) and bring candy to bribe them up.

It takes about three hours to do the hike. Plus the drive time to get up American Fork Canyon. The price isn't bad. Here is the run down:

American Fork Canyon Fee
$6 - 3 Days
$12.00 - 7 Days
$45.00 - Annual

CAVE TOUR FEES
Adults (age 16 and older) - $7

Junior (age 6-15) - $5

Child (age 3-5) - $3

Infant (age 0-2) - Free!

Senior/Access (Golden Age/Access) pass holders - 1/2 price

You can make reservations a head of time, but they only pre-reserve (is that a word?) about 30 -40% of the total hike times. Last time we went up, it was without a reservation. We ended up waiting about a little over an hour to start the hike. We got there in the late morning, so we probably should have started a little sooner.

They also don't allow stollers on the trail so you have to carry or back pack very little kids up. I don't know if I would recommend this for the very, very old. Once you get up to the cave, you still have to go through the cave. The cave is cold and you have to bend over a lot to get around the formations. You are also not supposed to touch or lean against the walls in any way. You need to be strong and have a good sense of balance.

Flubber

Mixture 1: ¾ cup Warm Water

1 cup Elmers Glue

Food Coloring

Mixture 2: 2 tsp. Borax

½ cup Warm Water

Stir mixture 1 together in 1 bowl, mixture 2 in another bowl. Make sure both are mixed well. Pour mixture 1 into mixture 2. No need to stir, just reach in and pull out a glob of flubber! Work it well for 2 or 3 minutes. ENJOY the FUN!