SHARKS and LIFEGUARDS: K-12 Parachute Game (PE Class, Field Day)

Hey PE Teachers – get ready to discover SHARKS and LIFEGUARDS – seriously the most fun parachute game for students in kindergarten all the way through high school.

SHARKS & LIFEGUARDS - The Absolute MOST FUN K-12 Parachute PE Game

This K-12 physical education game is sure to make your next gym class absolutely unforgettable!

Sharks and Lifeguards – (How to Play)

Sharks and Lifeguards is a NO PREP game that requires only a large parachute and kids ready to have a total blast – No other Equipment needed!

Sharks and Lifeguards - K-12 Parachute Game

FULL *SHARKS & LIFEGUARDS LESSON PLAN PDF

Hi there, it’s so great to meet you! I’m Mrs. T. or you can call me Jen – a Michigan mom, wife, new grandma (aka “Jemma”) and K-12 PE teacher who is on a mission to MAKE SCHOOL FUN AGAIN!

I love teaching PE class because I get to spend time telling silly jokes and exercising while laughing with my sweet students.

If you’re ready to dive into some serious physical education fun as students practice teamwork, communication, cooperation, dramatic play, and movement skills – Let’s get to it!

Your students will love a chance to be “silly” as well as the thrill of trying to avoid the “sharks” while “lifeguards” save classmates, all under the colorful parachute!

SHARKS and LIFEGUARDS is so much fun. I just know you are going to love playing it with your kiddos just as much as I do.

READY! SET! LET’S PLAY!

“SHARKS and LIFEGUARDS” is the ultimate physical education resource for K-12 classrooms, perfect for combining movement, creativity, dramatic play, tons of fun, and big laughter!

Equipment

For this “Almost Zero Equipment” Parachute game you will only need two things including:

1 Large Parachute
Tons of KIDS Ready to Have a TOTAL BLAST!

Easy Game Set-Up

FIRST, spread the parachute out in a large open space.

NEXT, have each student spread out around the parachute, grab a handle and sit down with their legs out straight, underneath the parachute.

THEN, depending on your class size, choose 2-3 students to be the “SHARKS” and go under the parachute.

FINALLY, choose 1-2 students to be the lifeguards – they should stand up by the parachute.

How to Play: SHARKS and LIFEGUARDS

OBJECT OF THE GAME: The sharks try to pull the kids around the parachute under and into the shark waters.

When the game begins, students who are not sharks or lifeguards should use their hands to make waves with the parachute – this helps disguise where the sharks are under the parachute.

As the sharks try to grab the ankles of the students seated around the parachute, the lifeguards run around the parachute looking for kids that they can “rescue” by safely pulling them back before they get pulled under the parachute by a shark.

If a shark is successful and is able to pull a student under the parachute:

The student who got pulled under, now becomes a shark and the shark takes his/her place around the parachute.

Play for about 60-90 seconds, choose new sharks and lifeguards and play again.

Game Teaching Tips

TIP 1: I always play the “BABY SHARK” theme song when I play Sharks and Lifeguards with my students. It is about 90 seconds long which is perfect for a round of play (and so much fun, too).

TIP 2: It is very important to be strict and enforce the “switching roles” rule so that you only have 3 sharks under the parachute at one time. Otherwise, it can become a safety issue.

TIP 3: With my older students only (Third Grade and Up) I always end with a “SURVIVOR ROUND” where there are no lifeguards for the last round.

Choose 1-2 Master Sharks to begin the game. Then there is no switching – once you are a shark, you stay a shark and work as a team to pull the whole class under. Anybody who survives by the end of the song WINS! *Warning – this can get a little crazy – if you have a poorly behaved class, I would skip this. Lots of lost shoes but TONS OF FUN!

Class Dismissed

Sharks and Lifeguards is the perfect spatial awareness, classroom community game ideal for indoor or outdoor PE lessons, extra recess, whole class movement, brain breaks, field day, summer camps, fall festivals, or after school programs.

So, what do you say? Why not blast some “clean” and upbeat PE music , maybe tell a few funny sports jokes and bring the excitement of SHARKS and LIFEGUARDS to your gymnasium today!

Don’t forget – you can snag your very own copy of this easy, fun, NO PREP lesson plan RIGHT HERE.

Mrs. T’s K-5 PE GAMES GROWING BUNDLE

And if you want the absolute BIGGEST BANG FOR YOUR BUCK, “Sharks and Lifeguards” is also included in my “ALWAYS GROWING” K-5 PE Game GROWING BUNDLE too!