Looking for a great outdoor summer activity for kids? Balloons can be an inexpensive way to entertain kids of various ages, and provide a little experimentation with science at the same time. Pick up an inexpensive package of balloons and let your imagination guide you in providing an afternoon of play and science for one child or a group…
Everyone knows how fun and messy water balloons can be—but you can fill balloons with other materials and have all sorts of playful activity. Consider foodstuffs from your kitchen—flour, rice, cornmeal, small beans—as balloon fillers. Stretch the opening on a balloon and you can drop or funnel in one of these items and it completely changes the child’s experience with the balloon (don’t forget to blow up the balloon too if needed). Children can play catch or toss around the balloons just as they would if they were filled with water (also consider sand—this is really easy for children to get into a balloon.) Kids can compare weight and how the balloons sound and feel or try to guess what it is each balloon if they weren’t the one to fill them.
This is really an activity best done outside, so when the balloon pops, you are not left with having to clean up the rice or flour from your living room rug. Using your creativity, you can probably come up with some fun party games using balloons filled with all sorts of things and this activity can be adjusted or expanded depending on the age of the children involved. Remember that small children can choke on pieces of balloon or large beans, so keep safety in mind. Also, animals will eat chunks of balloon if they are left around, thinking it to be food. So, make sure all the broken pieces get cleaned up after the activity is over.
See Also: Fun With Balloons and Squirt Guns