Balloons have always fascinated children and can make an interesting mini project or part of a larger topic about materials, celebrations or flight.
Throughout the project be careful not to leave children alone with deflated balloons.
Adult-led activities
Flying high
Use the book The Blue Balloon as a starting point for the project.
Key learning intentions
Investigate objects and materials by using all of their senses as appropriate
Use language to imagine roles and experiences
Use their imagination in stories
Adult:child ratio 1:up to 6
Resources
The Blue Balloon by Mick Inkpen (Hodder Children's Books, 5.99) ,a blue helium-filled balloon ,speech bubbles ,assorted graphical media
Preparation
* Share the story with the children as part of a group.
* Buy a helium-filled blue balloon (and a spare) and secure it to a table.
Activity content
* Revisit The Blue Balloon. Look at and feel the real balloon and talk about its qualities. Encourage the children to think of words to describe it and to write these in the speech bubbles.
* Re-read the part of the story in which the balloon takes the child flying. Encourage the children to imagine where their balloon might take them, if it were a magic balloon too. Support the children as they draw pictures of their journeys and write about them in speech bubbles (act as a scribe where necessary).
* Create a group book which begins 'We found a huge blue balloon, it was...' (insert children's speech bubbles describing the balloon). 'One day the balloon took us on a journey, we saw....'
Extending learning
Key vocabulary
Balloon, stretchy, small, huge, inflate, deflate, shiny, squeaky, squeeze, tight, squashy, indestructible, soggy, hiss, light, heavy, float, burst, helium, gas, air.
Questions to ask
* What do you think the balloon is filled with? Why does it float in the air? What will happen if the string breaks?
* Where do you think a magic balloon might take you? What would you see from high in the sky?
* How can we stop the air getting out of the balloon? What would happen if we didn't fasten the balloon and just let it go?
Extension activities
* Read A Balloon for Grandad (see box) and discuss the balloon's journey.
* Investigate the properties of balloons further. For example, draw a face on a partially-inflated balloon, then inflate it some more. What happens to the face?
* Explore what happens when the balloon is filled with water.
* Plan a balloon release for the children. Use a reputable helium balloon supplier (see box). Each balloon has a label asking the finder to tell the setting when and where the balloon ends up and the balloons are labelled and released at the same time. The winner is the person whose balloon travels the furthest.
Outdoors
Head outdoors for a messy activity.
Key learning intentions
Investigate objects and materials by using all of their senses as appropriate
Use increasing control over an object by throwing it
Respond in a variety of ways to what they hear
Adult:child ratio 1:up to 8
Resources
Assorted balloons, partially filled with paint ,lining paper ,CD player and some loud, exciting music.
Preparation
* This is a very messy activity, but great fun. You might want to cover the ground with plastic dustsheets. Of course, if paint does get on to some surfaces, a whole new activity can be planned for the children to wash away the paint with hoses, buckets and brooms.
* Cover a large area of wall or fence with the strips of lining paper.
* Fill the balloons with runny paint, which matches the colour of the balloon. Tie the balloons tightly and store in large plastic containers.
Activity content
* Talk to the children about what they have already found out about balloons. Look at the filled balloons and discuss what will happen if they are thrown hard against the wall.
* Let the children take it in turns to choose a balloon and an empty space on the paper to aim their balloon at.
* As the balloons burst against the wall, discuss the patterns they make, and how the paint mixes together and drips towards the ground.
Extending learning
Key vocabulary
Throw, toss, launch, target, full, empty, splatter, hit, miss, drip, mix, pattern, runny, thick, soak, colour names.
Questions to ask
* What do you think is in the balloons? What do you think will happen when the balloons hit the wall?
* We have used blue and yellow paint, so why is there a green colour on the paper? What other colours do you think we could make?
* Why is the paint running down the paper? What could we do to stop it?
Extension ideas
* Provide jugs of paint and funnels and encourage the children to fill the balloons.
* Use the finished sheets of wallpaper as the background for a display about balloons. The display could be outdoors under a covered area, or on a display board indoors.
* Plan opportunities for children to practise throwing water-filled balloons at targets chalked on to a wall or the floor.
* Give the children opportunities to experiment with other painting activities outdoors, such as squirty bottles of paint.
* Spend lots of time experimenting outdoors with balloons filled with air and a small amount of sand. Try patting, throwing and hitting them.
Child-initiated learning
Maths corner
Additional resources
Winnie the Pooh Match a Balloon game (see box), or a simple home-made game with balloons, coloured counters and a colour dice
Possible learning experiences
* Turn taking and sharing.
* Working as part of a group.
* Using small equipment.
* Developing autonomy and independence.
* Matching and naming colours.
The practitioner role
* Ensure the children know how to play the game.
* Introduce and reinforce the use of colour names.
* Support children's conversations, encouraging them to discuss what they are doing.
Water area
Additional resources
Balloons filled with coloured water in two primary colours
Possible learning experiences
* Making connections with events in their own lives.
* Discussing the properties of materials.
* Investigating changes.
* Predicting what will happen next and then testing to find out.
* Discussing what will happen when the different colours mix.
The practitioner role
* Encourage the children to observe the balloons.
* Ask questions: why do the balloons float? What could make them sink?
* Encourage the children to investigate how to burst the balloons.
* Ensure all the remnants of the burst balloons are removed.
* Extend children's use of vocabulary.
Judith Stevens is an early years adviser for Lewisham Education
Resources
* www.ukpartyshop.co.uk/ has everything you need for a balloon race, from 110 for 200 balloons, gas and labels
* Winnie the Pooh Match a Balloon game - a simple colour matching game (Ravensburger, 5.99)
* The Blue Balloon by Mick Inkpen (Hodder Children's Books, 5.99)
* A Balloon for Grandad by Nigel Grey (Orchard Books, 4.99)
* Balloon by Jez Alborough (Collins, 4.99)
* My Balloon by Kay Davies and Wendy Oldfield (A&C Black, 3.99)