9 Foot Scarf Canopy and Play Parachutes for Kids
A Finnish composer named Esa-Pekka Salonen once said, “Music has just as much to do with movement and body as it does soul and intellect.” He is right. When we hear music, it’s only natural to want to dance and move to each note and melody. And what better way to have movement with music than using a music prop made just for that?
Bear Paw Creek's nine foot scarf canopy and the new play parachute for kids will be sure to encourage creative movement play.
Nine Foot Chiffon Scarf Canopy
Our Nine Foot Canopy Scarves are perfect for movement, and they are fun! Recently we’ve found out that our canopies are being used in place of the music therapy prop called parachutes. The lightweight canopy allows children to grab hold and move it up, down, or sideways to the music playing.
Unlike the parachute, our canopy is see-through which allows the children to see each other the whole time, not only strengthening sensory senses but also allowing them to interact with each other through smiles and laughs as they move the scarf to the music.
Like the parachute, you can also play fun games with our canopies! Such as Peek-A-Boo, and even games where the children lay under the canopy and look up through the “water” as if they are watching waves.
You can also place objects on the canopy (i.e. egg shakers, balls, bells, etc) which the children can roll them back and forth across the canopy, which not only teaches them to work together, but can also teach them how to balance objects without them falling off.
Check out Bear Paw Creek's Nine Foot Scarf Canopy and their NEW Six Foot Play Parachute Share on X
Music For Kiddos, Stephanie Leavell says that she loves our scarves because they “provide a level of safety and comfort for most kids to be able to put something on their head and “hide” with it when they can also see through it.” She also talks about how they are easy to use and are even washable which helps kill any germs while providing you with a clean scarf! Our scarves also come in six different colors and are very easy to store. Children can work as a team to fold the scarves up after use, which is an awesome way to incorporate teamwork and motor skills!
Using scarves as music props is beneficial in many ways, but they are also a lot of fun for children and even adults. Music already opens so many doors to creativity, but having the perfect prop to go with it makes it even better.
Six Foot Play Parachute for Kids
Nana Carol reached out to me awhile ago with a request for a smaller play parachute for kids that she could use with her granddaughter Maddie. Her vision was to have one that would be about the size of a hula hoop with four handles on it. The first try was made with backpack cloth and was too thick to flow nicely. Then we tried the ripstop nylon and it was perfect! Here is her response on try two:
I am so excited about the parachute. Over the years I have used parachutes with children from 18 months (with their mommy/caretaker) and in my preschool and Kindergarten classrooms. I think the hole in the middle was great for the older preschoolers+ as we would try to get the ball to either go out the hole or sometimes not go out of the hole. They had to be very focused and cooperative either way. But for young toddlers I think they would be better off without a hole. They will have fun bouncing the balls, etc. and won't be trying to put their head into the hole (like some of my preschoolers did.)
Her favorite song she has used with all ages is: "Popcorn Pop" from Rosenshontz.
The new parachute will be found on our shop soon!
