How to Play the Game Cat & Mouse With Kids Using a Parachute

Parachute games allow kids to get active in a controlled environment, where fun activities help them build team play and problem-solving skills. In a game of Cat and Mouse, two players experience all the thrills of a Tom and Jerry chase, while the rest of the group works together to give the "mouse" a fighting chance.

Pick one child to be the "cat" and one to be the "mouse." Space the rest of the group evenly around the parachute, making sure that they are all holding onto the edge with both hands. Have them walk backwards to stretch the parachute out evenly and then tell them to sit or kneel on the ground.

Make sure the cat is facing away from the parachute so he or she can't see where the mouse initially hides. Tell the mouse to crawl under the parachute and get the other players to start waving it gently up and down to hide the location of the mouse.

Release the cat to crawl around on the parachute in an attempt to locate and tag the mouse. The mouse tries to evade capture with the help of the other players who continue to move the parachute up and down to conceal her movements. Set a time limit for each game; two or three minutes is ideal. If a timepiece isn't available or desired, you could instead set a rule that the mouse must do a circuit of the parachute. The cat wins if he or she catches the mouse before the game is done; the mouse wins if the cat doesn't catch him or her in time.

Have the original cat and mouse join the group around the parachute at the end of the game and choose two other players to take on the chase. Continue the game until every child has had a turn at being the cat and/or the mouse.