We have a few simple balloon games that the kids love to play. They are great games to have up your sleeve if the weather is not conducive to outside play.
Balloon Tennis
We use the humble fly swat (you can buy them cheaply from $2 stores), balloon and string across the room to set up a game of balloon tennis.
Balloon Volleyball
Similar to Balloon Tennis, but without the fly swats and the net goes up higher. Balloon Volleyball works better if you have more than two kids who want to play.
Balloon Tap
Our preschooler loves the challenge of using only the fly swat and tapping the balloon the entire way around the house. (You can do a circuit of the main rooms in our house).
Keep It Up
I think most kids play this game. You have to tap the balloon up in the air and it isn’t allowed to touch the ground.
I always have a couple of balloons stashed in my everyday bag. They come in handy if you are delayed somewhere with not much for the kids to do. Balloons are one of those toys that even older kids like to have a play with every now and again.
What other balloon games can you add?
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Although I remember playing these when I was younger it has never occurred to me to stash a balloon in my bag for when entertainment is needed. Great idea. I will be keeping this one for when my boy is big enough. Thanks.
Balloons are always so handy kept in the bag.
A favourite when I was working as a therapist was for the adult to blow up the balloon, then let it loose to fly around in the air. Rude noise + quick movement + chance to try and catch it = happiness all around!
Kids do love that noise – forgot about that!
One idea that can cause quite a laugh (and can be quite a challenge for bigger kids) is just like ‘Keep it up” but you call out a body part (head, knee, foot, elbow, etc) between each ‘hit’ and the child/ren have to use that body part to hit the balloon back up again!
My kids would love this – thanks for the suggestion Christie.
Great idea! I’m going to use this to wear them out this afternoon – thank you for the post.
Pleasure, hope they had fun.
My preschooler loves to play with balloons. She has this fascination with them from her infancy. It is actually quite a simple, easy and entertaining activity for the kids.
It is often the most simplest things that give kids the most fun.
We love balloons in our house, love all the variations to balloon games mentioned. Thanks for sharing everyone.:-)