Who knew a giant piece of colorful fabric could be more exciting than a new episode of your favorite show? I was reminded of this at my son’s soccer practice, where, after all the goal kicks and skinned knees from the gym floor, the real action began: the mighty parachute made its grand entrance. You’d think someone was handing out free ice cream the way every kid scrambled for a spot on the edge. As I watched the chaos unfold, memories of my own gym class days came rushing back—clearly, some things never go out of style.

The parachute was the crown jewel of P.E., the moment when even the shyest kid transformed into a daredevil. Games ranged from “try not to crash into your classmates while running underneath” (spoiler: we always crashed), to “launch the balls and duck for cover,” to the

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