Activity 1
Under the Big Top
Equipment Required
Purpose
The purpose of this lesson is for children to be active. Preschool children should
accumulate at least 60 minutes of structured physical activity and 60 minutes of
unstructured physical activity every day.
Overview
In this activity children will learn about circus animals and play cooperatively
with a parachute.
How to play
Talk to the children about how to raise the parachute up high. Teach them to start by
bending over, with the parachute near their ankles. Count to three together, and on
the count of three raise the parachute up high and hold it there.
Instruct children to take turns moving under the parachute while it is raised up
high. Caution the children to watch for each others while moving. Call the names of
the children who will be moving under the ’chute before raising the parachute. Call
out only one or two children at a time. This is an opportunity for the children to
explore and move freely.
Give the children a second turn to move under the parachute. Talk about the circus –
the big tents, the animals, the clowns, and other acts you might see. “Now our
parachute is going to be a circus tent. When it is your turn, move under the
parachute like your favorite circus animal or clown.”
TIP: If children don’t know what a circus is, use pictures or story
books to show them what characters are involved in a circus.
