5 Balloon Crafts for Children
Are you one of those people who spent your childhood summers inflating water balloons? Maybe you also asked your parents at fairs to get you one in the shape of your favorite characters. Well, we’ve prepared some balloon crafts for kids that your children will love.
Your whole family can enjoy them, either at the time of making them or later, playing with their own creations. Besides, all the ideas we’ll present to you are easy to make, and the best thing is that the balloons are easy to get.
However, before starting, we recommend you to stay close to the little ones at all times, to keep an eye on them and avoid accidents. Once everything is ready… Let’s get to work!
Don’t miss these cool balloon crafts for kids
Ballooning is the art of creating structures and crafts with all kinds of balloons. In fact, maybe you’ve asked a clown to make you a puppy, a sword, a swan, or a bear with this fantastic material. Well, that skill consists of the discipline we mentioned.
In any case, the truth is that making figures with balloons is an ideal pastime in order to relax, encourage patience, and acquire new knowledge. This is verified by an article published in 2015 by the Technical University of Machala, which describes balloon manipulation as a technique that supports creative and motivating learning in children aged 5 to 6 years.
Based on these data, we suggest you make some crafts that will fascinate little ones. Take note!
1. Make a bear with balloons
With all of the above in mind, what better way is there to liven up any party or decorate children’s rooms than with these bears made with balloons? To make them, you’ll need elongated balloons in the color of your choice to make the head, body, and decorate it.
First, the head of the animal:
- Make a row of 7 bubbles with one smaller that’s smaller and one that’s medium-sized, alternately.
- Assemble a wreath with five bubbles so that there are only two left over.
- Inflate a smaller white balloon and a smaller black balloon to form the snout. Then, attach them to the end of the wreath.
- Join the two ends of the balloons by twisting them together to form the ears.
- Inflate two small balloons for the eyes and insert them with a tie at the back of the head to cover the details. If this doesn’t work, don’t worry, you can also glue them over the snout.
Now go on with the body
- Make another row of 4 more balloons. This time, they should be larger to make the body of the animal.
- Join the ends of the cluster in the shape of a square and place a white balloon in the middle.
- When you have the body ready, glue it to the head and that’s it! You can decorate it as you like!
2. Flower bouquet
This artificial bouquet will look beautiful in rooms, windows, balconies, or terraces. In addition, they’re a perfect way for children to learn to find the beauty of Mother Nature in a craft that they’ll do together with you. You will only need orange, pink, green, and yellow colored balloons.
Step-by-step instructions
- Blow up a balloon and tie its ends to form a sort of oval. Then twist the balloon on the side opposite the knot so that there are two equal parts.
- Divide the same balloon again, but now into three equal parts (twist them together).
- Twist the balloon until you get the shape of an accordion. Join the two ends to divide them in two again and bring them to the center of the wreath itself.
- Join the folds to form a flower with six petals.
- Inflate an elongated green balloon and twist one of the ends to attach the flower with the six petals.
To finish the work, do the same process with 4 more flowers of the colors of your choice and tie the green balloons between them in half to form a bouquet.
We suggest you decorate it as you like and it will surely look beautiful in any corner.
3. A race car, one of the most fun balloon crafts for kids
If your little one is passionate about car racing and is a fan of Formula 1 or the movie Cars, this idea will fascinate them. The best part? The whole family can race together in the hallway with your own creations.
- Make a car out of cardboard or wood and put wheels on it.
- Glue a piece of a straw to the car you made previously.
- Then, attach a balloon to the end of the straw with a rubber band.
- Blow through the end of the straw until the balloon is inflated, keep the straw covered until the car rests on the ground, then let it go. Now, let the race begin!
4. Make a drum with balloons
As an article published in 2001 by the Universidad del Valle states, music moves children’s souls. Therefore, it’s important to know how to instill this hobby. And what better way to do it than with a family craft? Follow these steps to make a drum with balloons.
Materials
- A tin can.
- A stretchy balloon.
- A stick to beat the drum with
Step by step
- Stretch a balloon over the top of the empty can (keep in mind that the tighter it is, the more and better it will sound).
- Then, you will only have the play the drum with the stick you’re prepared and start creating music!
Undoubtedly, this is a perfect creation to instill the value of recycling, as you can take advantage of homemade materials that aren’t being used.
You might be interested in: 7 Sensory Activities and Crafts for Restless Children
5. Juggling balls with balloons
Finally, to be a real expert in balloons and entertainment, you can’t forget the creation of your own juggling balls at home. Let’s see who is the best in the family and manages to make the highest juggling record.
Materials
- Balloons
- Rice
- A plastic or paper funnel
Step by step
- Make a paper funnel.
- Place the funnel in a balloon and, little by little, fill it with rice.
- Knot the balloon and trim off some of the excess.
- Take another balloon and cut off its nozzle. Place the rice-filled balloon inside the new balloon and repeat this step up to 5 times to reinforce the ball.
Once you notice that the ball is hard, stretch the excess part tightly to make it smooth, just like a professional juggler!
Let the party begin with these 5 balloon crafts for kids
We hope you loved these fun balloon crafts to create with the family. Without a doubt, your little ones will enjoy learning new things and, perhaps, you’ll also be able to remember the good times you had yourself as a child.
Did you imagine that you could make so many different crafts with balloons? Well, you haven’t seen anything yet! Bring the circus home with the funniest clowns, the most original musicians, and the fastest drivers.
Remember never to leave your child alone while handling balloons, and in case of puncturing any of them, remove the remains from their reach. Accidental ingestion of these latex pieces could obstruct the airway and cause suffocation. With the necessary precautions, you can have a great time!
All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.
- Amaya. Como hacer una Pelota de Malabares [Internet]. Manualidadesinfantiles.org. 2012 [citado 17 de agosto de 2021]. Disponible en: https://www.manualidadesinfantiles.org/como-hacer-una-pelota-de-malabares
- Arias Álvarez MM, Elizalde Córdova EJ. Globoflexia en la acción creativa y motivadora de los aprendizajes en los niños y niñas. 2015 [citado 17 de agosto de 2021]; Disponible en: http://repositorio.utmachala.edu.ec/handle/48000/4283
- Casas MV. ¿Por qué los niños deben aprender música? Colomb Med. 2001;32(4):197-204.
- Folgado AC. Manualidades para niños con globos [Internet]. Guiainfantil.com. Guiainfantil.com; 2016 [citado 17 de agosto de 2021]. Disponible en: https://www.guiainfantil.com/articulos/ocio/manualidades/manualidades-para-ninos-con-globos/