You’d be hard-pressed to find a Gen Xer or Millennial who doesn’t have fond memories of making giant mushroom caps, rolling and bouncing beach balls, or chasing classmates while holding onto a multi-colored parachute. Part of its timeless magic was because, unlike traditional sports or merciless dodgeball, parachute play encouraged play for play’s sake, not establishing winners and losers.

But how exactly did this game become such a staple of the ‘80s and ‘90s? Well, that's a story every bit as colorful as the parachute itself.

As explained by popular “research party” host Phil Edwards, the first mention of parachute play dates all the way back to the ‘60s, largely thanks to a physical education teacher named Betty Henrie, who wrote the first parachute play guidebook. In it, she described parachute play as a “quite vigorous” and “very stimulating” method for all children to reap the benefits of exercise, including those with disabilities.

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The inclusive nature of parachute play would eventually catch the attention of the founders of the “Whole Earth” movement (an "outgrowth of the hippy movement,” as Edwards put it) in the ‘70s. As a direct response to the Vietnam War, the Whole Earth movement sought to invent and popularize games that strayed away from competitiveness and promoted getting along through a manual called The New Games Book.

Naturally, parachute games fit the bill and made it into the book. And ever since, educators have been recognizing its benefits. One guide from 1981 hailed it as “ideal for introducing movements to children with severe multiple impairments. Children who might have a hard time gripping a ball or holding a bat could more easily hold a parachute.”

Parachutes are still being used in schools to help kids hone motor and social skills. The simplest, most common games include:

One “cat” is placed on top of the parachute, and up to three “mice” under the parachute. The cat tries to tag the mice as the other kids shake the parachute to hide the mice.

Two groups move in a circle, one moving clockwise and the other moving counterclockwise with the parachute, to create a spinning motion that mimics the circular movement of a merry-go-round.

This one’s pretty self-explanatory. Make big waves, small waves, ripples, tidal waves with the parachute…so simple yet so fun.

Other games might incorporate nursery rhymes or songs, balls, seasonal items, etc. They might even be used as a way to wind down after more active games. Parachute play is nothing if not versatile.

It goes to show that even though kids are inundated with trendy new tech, some classic methods remain superior, due in no small part to the intentions involved in making them. As Edwards concluded in his video:

"It's not this super random and fun thing; it's actually the contribution of dedicated and creative teachers and those who wanted to include new people in play for better vibes or better accessibility, and we all got to benefit and experience something that feels a lot like magic."

Ribal Zebian, a student from the city of London in Ontario, Canada, already made headlines last year when he built an electric car out of wood and earned a $120,000 scholarship from it. Now, he's in the news again for something a little different. Concerned with homelessness in his hometown, Zebian got to work creating a different kind of affordable housing made from fiberglass material. In fact, he’s so confident in his idea that the 18-year-old plans on living in it for a year to test it out himself.

Currently an engineering student at Western University, Zebian was concerned by both the rising population of the unhoused in his community and the rising cost of housing overall. With that in mind, he conjured up a blueprint for a modular home that would help address both problems.

Zebian’s version of a modular home would be made of fiberglass panels and thermoplastic polyethylene terephthalate (PET) foam. He chose those materials because he believes they can make a sturdy dwelling in a short amount of time—specifically in just a single day.

“With fiberglass you can make extravagant molds, and you can replicate those,” Zebian told CTV News. “It can be duplicated. And for our roofing system, we’re not using the traditional truss method. We’re using actually an insulated core PET foam that supports the structure and structural integrity of the roof.”

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Zebian also believes these homes don’t have to be purely utilitarian—they can also offer attractive design and customizable features to make them personal and appealing.

“Essentially, what I’m trying to do is bring a home to the public that could be built in one day, is affordable, and still carries some architecturally striking features,” he said to the London Free Press. “We don’t want to be bringing a house to Canadians that is just boxy and that not much thought was put into it.”

Beginning in May 2026, Zebian is putting his modular home prototype to the test by living inside of a unit for a full year with the hope of working out any and all kinks before approaching manufacturers.

“We want to see if we can make it through all four seasons- summer, winter, spring, and fall,” said Zebian. “But that’s not the only thing. When you live in something that long and use it, you can notice every single mistake and error, and you can optimize for the best experience.”

While Zebian knows that his modular homes aren't a long-term solution to either the homeless or housing crisis, he believes they could provide an inexpensive option to help people get the shelter they need until certain policies are reformed so the unhoused can find affordable permanent dwellings.

What to buy for the homeless at the grocery store. 🛒 Most people get it wrong. After being there myself, these are the survival items that actually matter 💯 The 2nd to last one is about more than survival—it’s about DIGNITY. We are all one circumstance away from the same shoes 🙏 SAVE this for your next grocery run. 📌 IG@hardknockgospel Substack@ Outsiders_Anonymous #homelessness #helpingothers #kindness #payitforward #learnontiktok

Zebian’s proposal and experiment definitely inspires others to try to help, too. If you wish to lend a hand to the unhoused community in your area in the United States, but don’t know where to look, you can find a homeless shelter or charity near you through here. Whether it’s through volunteering or through a donation, you can help make a difference.

New slang can sometimes sound like an entirely new language. In that case, having a translator can be helpful. Content creator Blue Franklin has bravely........

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