20 Awesome Balloon Activities for Toddlers
Looking for engaging activities to keep your little ones entertained? Look no further than these 20 awesome balloon activities for toddlers! Balloons are a fantastic tool for playtime, providing hours of fun for both younger and older kids alike.
With games that promote coordination, imagination, and teamwork, there’s no limit to the endless possibilities balloons can offer. Blow up a balloon and set up a range of fun games for kids, from balloon games that keep it in the air to making balloon sculptures. For indoor play, create a balloon circle or balloon split game to challenge your child’s coordination skills. Give each child a balloon and see who can burst it the quickest without dropping it.
But balloons aren’t just for games – they can also be used for educational purposes. Try simple science experiments with your child such as exploring static electricity or creating a floating balloon experiment. With so many fun games and activities to choose from, balloons are sure to provide a ton of entertainment for your little ones, indoors or out!
Balloon in the Air
The Balloon in the Air activity is a fun and easy game for toddlers, kids, and adults! All the players have to make sure their balloon stays in the air. The game goes on until the last player stands, at which point the winner is announced. This is a great way for toddlers to get some exercise!
Learn more about this activity at Paper Scissors Craft.
Water Balloon Yo-Yo’s
Water Balloon Yo-Yos are perfect for toddlers! Fill a balloon with water and tie a stretchy string to it so that toddlers can play with it like a yo-yo.
Visit Inner Child Fun to learn how to make Water Balloon Yo-Yos.
Playing Hot Potato
Hot Potato is a fun party game that will get kids to participate. To play the game, players must ensure that the balloon does not drift away from their tiny hands. This activity enhances their gross motor skills and teaches them about self-control.
Start your Hot Potato game with a twist over at Empowered Parents.
Balloon Toss
Balloon Toss is quite similar to the Balloon on the Air activity, but this time, to enhance the challenge, the kids can use a paddle to keep the balloon in the air. Toddlers will have fun making sure the balloons stay in the air by tossing them with their arms – another great physical exercise for kids!
More details are available at Paper Scissors Craft.
Pass the Parcel
The popular pass-the-parcel game can also be played using balloons. Kids will pass the balloon with their elbows to the player. Whoever holds the balloon as the music stops gets eliminated.
Check out Empowered Parents for more ways to enjoy this activity.
Balloon Volleyball
Who says volleyball is just for adults? Toddlers, too, can play this fun sport using a balloon! Use a string to serve as your volleyball net and group the kids into two volleyball-playing teams.
Set up your Balloon Volleyball court with this guide at Paper Scissors Craft.
One at a Time
To do this activity, group the toddlers into groups of two to four. Each group will be given one balloon that they need to keep in the air by batting it upwards.
The goal is still to maintain the balloon in the air and prevent it from touching the ground, but now children must hit the balloon up in turn-order succession. They each have a turn to hit it, after which they must shift to make room for the next person to hit it, and so on, maintaining the proper sequence of the kids.
The game is over if the incorrect player touches the balloon or if someone touches it twice.
More details on this activity when you visit Empowered Parents.
Balloon Relays
Balloon Relays is a fun alternative to introduce teamwork and camaraderie to toddlers. Kids will have to form a straight line and pass the balloon to the kid next to them as fast as they can.
Click here for a quick guide on this activity: Paper Scissors Craft.
Water Balloon Fight
Water Balloon Fight is a super fun outdoor activity for toddlers! Make the kids dressed in swimming costumes and have the balloons filled with water for kids to throw at each other.
Learn more on this activity here: Empowered Parents
Balloon Rockets
Make kids learn a little science with Balloon Rockets. To make this balloon rocket, place a balloon on a straw, insert a piece of string through the straw’s hole, and zip it across the room! This will surely keep your toddlers busy for a few hours so you can attend to your other chores.
Learn more about this craft from Paper Scissors Craft.
Balloon Tennis
Balloon Tennis is a challenging activity for kids. To play this game, kids will have to hit the balloon back and forth toward its partner using a tennis racket or any soft racket. This is fun, especially since it is easier for kids to pass around a balloon than a regular tennis ball. Plus, your kid can still play this game when alone, simply by bouncing the balloon up and down on a tennis racket. An excellent way for your child to spend energy on!
Click here for a quick guide on this activity: Empowered Parents.
DIY Balloon Elephant Card
This DIY Balloon Elephant Card is a fun way to give away greeting cards. All you need are some balloons, glue dots, cardstock papers, craft scissors, glue sticks, and wiggle eyes. You can also add some stickers to make the elephant card extra cute. Also, don’t forget to assist the kids in making these.
Click here for the complete steps: Glued to my Crafts Blog.
Balloon Painting
If you’re in for a mess, Paint Balloon is indeed a fun activity to do! Put liquid paint into the balloons and have some paintball fun!
More details on this activity when you visit Empowered Parents
Balloon Snowman
The Balloon Snowman is a fun alternative in case toddlers want you to build a snowman, but the weather does not permit it. All you need are some white balloons and a marker to make this cute balloon snowman. You can also add other craft materials to make it more festive, like a paper scarf, buttons, etc.
Learn more about this craft from And Next Comes L.
Sticky Balloons
Here’s another balloon activity that injects a little science for our toddlers to learn from! Using static electricity, kids will have to rub a balloon on their clothes to produce a little heat that will make the balloon stick. The challenge is to stick as many balloons on the wall as possible.
Learn more about this activity at Empowered Parents.
Balloon Drums
The Balloon Drums is a 3-in-1 DIY instrument made of tin cans and balloons. Toddlers will surely have fun playing with these as it serves as a bongo, rice shaker, and guiro.
Click on this link for the steps in making this DIY balloon drum instrument: Mini Eco.
Basket Balloon
Just like playing Basketball, have the toddlers shoot the balloons into a low-hanging basket net. It’s a safer alternative for toddlers if they find actual basketballs too heavy to carry just yet.
Have fun playing this activity from Empowered Parents.
DIY Balloon Musical Instruments
Did you know that you can make many DIY musical instruments using balloons? With the help of materials already available in your house, plus some balloons, you can make fun music and sounds. Just place different items inside a balloon before inflating it, and the items would create a different kind of sound each time. Place buttons, paper clips, rubber bands, and anything you have around the house, and enjoy creating music with your little ones. Shake this DIY project and dance or cheer along!
More balloon instrument ideas when you visit Teaching Ideas.
Balloon Fishing
Prepare magnets, strings, rods, clips, and lots of balloons for this fishing game. Fill up a large box with water and spread the balloons with paper clips into the pool. Then, using a rod with a string and a magnet, start fishing for some balloons!
Learn how to fish as many balloons from Empowered Parents.
Balloon Print Bees
Make this Balloon Bee craft of balloon prints for another creative balloon activity for toddlers. All you need is some card paper, balloons (of course!), yellow paint, paper plates, a marker, googly eyes wax paper, glue and a pair of scissors.
Visit I Heart Craft Things for the complete steps in making this balloon craft.
I hope you had a great time exploring these 20 exciting balloon activities for toddlers. Balloon play can be a classic and tons of fun. Whether you choose to attach a balloon to your little one’s leg, play a shape and eye-hand coordination game, or use balloons as a toy during outdoor activities, there are endless creative ways to play and learn. Sure, things might get a bit messy, but who cares?
Coordination games like balloon tennis or volleyball can help improve motor skills such as reaction time and hand-eye coordination. To add more excitement, put on some music and watch as your toddler tries to keep the balloon in the air. From using balloons as a propeller to having balloon races, these activities will keep your little ones engaged for hours. So go ahead and have some balloon-filled adventures with your preschoolers!
