Parachute play is fun any day of the week
Written: Dec 30 '03
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Pros: suitable for inside and outside, group or therapeutic play
Cons: not sure yet if there are any
The Bottom Line: There are many uses for the parachute that brings loads of excitement and a level of calmness to kids of all ages
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| bonniesayers's Full Review: Pacific Play Tents Funchute 6' Parachute |
The first time I saw a parachute was when my now seven-year old was in an Early Intervention program that took place on the campus of Cal State University in Los Angeles. Then during the three years the same child attended a preschool special education class at the local Elementary School I was happy to see they had one in the classroom as well.
This reminds me of a similar product from my childhood in gym class back in New Jersey in the early 1970s. I was lucky to snag the Pacific Play Tents Funchute 6' Parachute through a eBay seller for almost twenty dollars. This comes inside a yellow drawstring bag with an easy process of folding it up and fitting snugly inside. The folding up process is nothing remotely like the Playhut tunnels and houses that are a chore to place back and end up beneath the beds and couches at my house.
Chances are that if you have a child in a preschool class and/or one who receives occupational therapy at a clinic or school based, there is a parachute available for children to utilize and take comfort in. Both my sons have autism and sensory integration dysfunction with my youngest needing more deep pressure and proprioceptive input than my other son.
Taking my children to the park is not an easy task due to the dangers with water nearby, their fear of dogs and the swings, as my son runs around close to them without really knowing the risk involved by not being aware of danger. I have developed areas within my home, which make it a park like experience without the sand and other issues. We have a trampoline, ball pit inside a Jump-O-Lene, a play table that is filled to the brim with pinto beans, the rollercoaster bead toy, a marble run, a peanut ball and a Bally exercise ball along with numerous stuffed animals and the large Darby dog.
By purchasing the Pacific Play Tents Funchute 6' Parachute our homemade clinic is almost complete, minus a swing. The parachute has enough handles for several kids to hold one and toss items inside to have them bounce around and the kids can move around instead of standing in place so they are going in a circle, similar to a merry-go-round. There are many suggested games for the parachute, such as the ocean, tag, popcorn, chute lift and rollerball. They can also move in and out to form different sizes and shapes of the Pacific Play Tents Funchute 6' Parachute.
One of the calming effects this has on my non-verbal son is when the Pacific Play Tents Funchute 6' Parachute is wrapped around his body. Prior to this purchase my son loved to be wound up in a Martha Stewart blanket we have and then sit on the couch with stuffed animals placed on top of him. He was getting the deep pressure he craves through this method. This is a cheaper method than buying a weighted blanket or deep pressure vest.
While my son was attending preschool he wore a weighted vest a few times a day. This was sold over the summer on eBay, plus he spent last school year sitting on a swish disc. These items are used for autistic and other special needs kids to help them stay seated and focused on the task at hand, but these should only be utilized for twenty minutes at a time periodically throughout the day. Some children have these items and other tasks they need to perform written into their IEP as part of their sensory diet. A consultation with the Occupational therapist would be the first step in obtaining such items for the classroom to benefit children who have sensory integration dysfunction.
The Pacific Play Tents Funchute 6' Parachute is made of durable nylon with a small mesh at the middle. This is for children over the age of three and not for use in a crib or playpen. The storage sack should be kept out of reach of children since it has a string. The handles on our Pacific Play Tents Funchute 6' Parachute are orange with the colors within the parachute consisting of yellow, green, purple, orange, blue and pink. This reminds me of the colors a clown would be wearing and similar to those funny hats circus performers wear.
Since we need to move furniture in order to fully reap the benefits of the Pacific Play Tents Funchute 6' Parachute neither of my children have sat inside the parachute for physical play. This would be suitable when other adults are available to hold the handles and carry a child around inside the material. Most clinics have tumble forms and mats on the ground, so you need to go either barefoot or with socks only. That is the perfect environment to utilize the Pacific Play Tents Funchute 6' Parachute plus outdoors like the playground for moving activities.
When utilizing the Pacific Play Tents Funchute 6' Parachute children are working on motor development and building muscle tone. My youngest son likes to stand with the parachute over his head and laughs the entire time. He loves the sensation he gets from feeling this on him and then the surprise of opening and closing it on him brings squeals of delight. For group play you can have children hold more than one handle and shake it all around while listening to music and work on coordinating along with the beat.
This would also be suitable for the beach and when travelling since it comes with its own tote bag. It is machine washable and made of durable nylon. I have not washed our Pacific Play Tents Funchute 6' Parachute but figure once the weather becomes warmer we will experiment on the front lawn and use caution to make sure no grass or dirt gets on or inside.
One of the group activities the Pacific Play Tents Funchute 6' Parachute is have all the children lift up the parachute and then run inside and see who makes it in before it falls down on everyone. When birthday parties are in full swing this will add to the excitement.
My children like the rainbow of colors on the Pacific Play Tents Funchute 6' Parachute and the feel of the nylon is not distracting plus the sound of the shute is pleasing to the senses. I had considered purchasing a body sox for my children since it promotes spacial awareness, but I felt it was too confining and I would need two of them, so with one Pacific Play Tents Funchute 6' Parachute they are both content. The Body Sox is made of Lycra in a pillow-like enclosure where the child can move about with their body encases in the fabric.
For more suggestions and ideas on what to do for your child with sensory integration dysfunction I suggest reading The Out of Sync child and the Out of Sync Child has fun. Abilitations is a company that sells items for kids with special needs and issues. Beyond Play sells the parachutes in large and small from $19.95 to $29.95. Tinkertots.com sells the parachutes and lists the games on their website. Some of the signs a child may have sensory issues include the following:
Loves to spin, swing or jump
Picky eaters
High or low activity level
Over or under sensitivity to sights, sounds and/or smells
High pain tolerance
Irritated by tags in clothing (who doesn’t hate those annoying tags!)
Walks on toes to avoid sensory input from the bottom of the feet - This can also be a sign of cerebral palsy if the child is unable to bring their feet down flat when asked or trying.
Can only wear a certain type or kind of sock
These are reviews on some of the items I mentioned earlier that are used in my home:
Sand and water table converted for beans
Jump-O-Lene
Darby Dog
Rollercoaster bead toy
Bally Exercise Ball
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 19.95
Type of Toy: Other
Age Range of Child: Kids to Teens
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bonniesayers
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Location: Los Angeles, CA
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