So far I have focused on role play with dolls but today I want to look at something more suitable for active outdoor play.

My girls love their leaf baby dolls as they are so small they can sneak them in their pockets and take them anywhere. We used these dolls for this activity but you can use any small doll such as a lego person or peg doll.

The parachutes are very easy to make and it is good practice for tying knots – full instructions below!

The activity itself can be turned into a physics experiement – using different sized parachutes and different weight dolls and observing the effects. We didn’t do this – my two girls climbed on the picnic bench and watch them float down with glee again and again!

What you need

• A thin plastic or cornstarch bag (both work well)
• 4 pieces of 12″ yarn, string or thread
• A dolly

How to make

First of all you need a square piece of plastic to form the parachute – we used a 12″ (30cm) square piece.

In each corner tie a piece of yarn to form the parachute cords.

Pinch the corners together and knot the yarn at the other end – try to make sure all the pieces are the same length.

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Join your parachute to your doll!

Climb up high and drop your doll for her jump!