A roundup of fun games and recreational activities using balloons
Because balloons are softer and lighter than balls, they’re a safe tool to use for children’s play and for activities with older adults.
In this article, we’ll introduce games and recreational activities that use balloons! We’ve gathered a variety of games—from ones you can play with just a single balloon to those that use many balloons, and options suitable for both small and large groups.
Many can be played while seated in a chair, so they’re great for older adults as well.
Be sure to make use of them during everyday playtime and recreation sessions.
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Fun Balloon Games and Recreational Activities (1–10)
Bomb Game
The Bomb Game is played by sitting in a circle and passing around a balloon while answering prompts.
For example, if the prompt is “animal names,” players would answer with lion, elephant, rabbit, and so on.
The game has a time limit, and when time is up, the balloon “explodes,” and the person holding it loses.
Don’t worry, though—the balloon doesn’t actually explode.
You might feel pressured to pass it quickly, but be careful: if someone gives the same answer as someone else, the balloon will “explode” as well.
Balloon Rally
Let’s try a challenge to see how many rallies you can keep going by hitting a balloon with uchiwa fans! Split participants into two teams, face each other across a table, and launch the balloon on the start signal.
Work together to keep the rally going without letting it drop.
Older adults can sit, and children can stand.
If you don’t have a large table, form a circle in a spacious area and play there.
Returning the balloon to an easy-to-reach spot is the key to keeping the rally going longer!
Balloon target shooting
In the balloon target game, you hang balloons with strings on a wall as targets and play by throwing balls at them.
You can use store-bought balls, or you can make one by crumpling newspaper and securing it with tape.
Young children will have fun just throwing the ball, but if you want to increase the difficulty, try changing the size of the balloons.
You can also write numbers on the target balloons and award points based on the numbers hit, turning it into a points competition with others.
Be careful not to hit people around you with the ball while playing.
Fun Balloon Games and Recreational Activities (11–20)
Balloon lifting
Juggling helps you develop ball control.
But it can be pretty hard when you try it with a regular ball.
So why not practice juggling with a balloon instead? Because a balloon takes longer to fall, beginners can keep it going more easily.
That said, balloons are light, so if you kick too hard or hit the wrong part of your foot, they’ll fly away quickly.
The keys to keeping it going are: don’t stick your foot out until the balloon is coming down, and make contact with the ball of your foot (the base of your toes).
Balloon push-pump tower
Balloon Push-Pump Tower is a game where you use air pumps to blow air and push balloons out from a tower.
To set up, stand a long tube upright on a table and place air pumps beneath it.
Use about four pumps, arranging them so the pumping sections stick out from the outside of the tube.
Once you put inflated balloons inside the tube, you’re ready! At the start signal, everyone pumps air at the same time.
If you can push the balloons out of the tube, the challenge is a success! It gets harder as the balloons rise because the air is less likely to reach them, but don’t give up—keep pumping until the end.
balloon mat
You just can’t help wanting to climb on top of balloons, right? But balloons can pop easily even under a child’s weight, and the loud noise makes many parents say, “Don’t get on them.” So this time, we’re introducing a balloon mat that lets kids enjoy getting on balloons safely.
A balloon mat is made by packing balloons into a vacuum storage bag for bedding and then sucking out the air to create a mat.
It’s very easy to make, yet surprisingly durable—kids can even jump on it without popping the balloons! If you have a child who wants to get on balloons, this is definitely something you should make for them.
Balloon Pull
A balloon-pulling game using a tool with a ring attached to the end of a string.
Place the ring on the floor with the string extended, then set a balloon on top of the ring.
At the start signal, reel in the string.
If you pull too forcefully, the balloon will bounce and fall off the ring.
If the balloon falls off the ring, you lose, so pull the string slowly and carefully.
That said, the first to reach the goal wins, so going too slowly will cost you the game.
Be careful not to let the balloon fall while reeling in the string faster than your opponent.