A birthday party without balloons is not really a birthday party. And those party-favorites can also be used for much more than just for simple decoration. Throw a dozen of balloons in a room full of kids and they probably will be happy for the next half hour. Ask them to throw as many balloons high up in the air as they can manage. The catch is to not let any of the balloons touch the floor.
Dancing With Balloons Build Balancing Skills
Next instruct the children to team up. Each two players get one balloon, which they have to balance between their heads, bellies, and bottoms. No hands are allowed! Who can hold up the balloon for the longest period of time? A great game to practice balancing skills.
Another way to dance with balloons is to tie them with a string around one leg of each player. Goal is to pop the balloons of the other players while keeping their own balloon safe. For outside balloons can get filled with water.
Concentration Game Teaches About Water Cycle
For a concentration game, just fill in some little droplets of water. Then blow up the balloons and tie them. Use a permanent marker to draw a labyrinth on the balloon. Kids can try to move the balloon slowly to let the water droplet move along the lines of the labyrinth. Younger kids also like to draw a house with different rooms or other kinds of living-habitats for the water droplet. They could draw a symbolic water cycle and let their water drop wander from ocean to cloud.
Races for Active Children
For a more active indoor game, children can be equipped with a balloon and a rolled up newspaper. Parents or caretakers stake out a “racetrack”. Goal is to move the balloons by fanning the air with the newspaper. Smaller kids can also touch the balloon with the paper. But careful, if the balloon gets hit to hard, it will fly away.
Ready for some laughs? Ask the children blow up their balloons, but not to tie them. Then let them line up behind a mark. On command, each child lets his or her balloon loose. Which balloons made it furthest? Of course, you can also create some fun noise by letting the air out of the balloon very slowly.
Another fun balloon race is the kangaroo jump. Players have to stick their balloons between their knees and jump from start to finish line. But careful, whoever lets his or her balloon loose has to start from the beginning.
Easy to Set Up Jumping Contest
The balloon jump requires some preparation. Hang the balloons up from a clothes line or tape them on the ceiling. Use a different length string for every balloon. Hang each balloon a little higher. Then line children up. Can everybody touch the lowest balloon? Who can jump highest and even reach the balloon, which hangs way up above the childrens heads.
Of course you can also let the children come up with their own ideas for even more balloon fun. Just never forget to bring a handful balloons to your next outing and, of course store a packet of balloons in your kitchen-drawer for fun on rainy days.
Here you can find more ideas for more Outdoor and Party Games.
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