source: www.youthwork-practice.com | 2000 Games, Devotions, Themes, Ideas and more for Youth Work
only for private using

Balloon Games

What can you do with a few balloons? Here are a few examples for contests, relay races or funny games. Whether child, teenager or adult, balloon games are always loved and and are quickly organized for any occasion, like a birthday party or a fundraiser. There are a lot of creative ways to celebrate - you don't need to have vinyl banners and confetti to host a swingin' good time, but they certainly help create a lively and festive environment for your guests.

1. Balloon Football

   2 teams of 3 players each try to score in the opponents goal.

2. Balloon Handball

   2 teams of 3 players each try to score in the opponents goal. The balloon can not be carried, but always tapped in the air.

3. Balloon Football While Sitting

   2 teams of 3-4 players each try to score in the opponents goal. Players sit on pieces of carpet to slide across the floor. Standing up is not allowed.

4. Cooking Spoon Balloon

   A balloon is brought to the opponents goal using a cooking spoon or spoons.

5. With a Fork

   A balloon is passed through the row using 2 forks.

6. With The feet

   A balloon is held between the feet and passed to the next player without the balloon touching the floor.

7. With and Between the Legs

   A relay race is made with a balloon being passed between players legs.

8. Undressed

   A player must keep the balloon in the air by tapping it with his fingers (holding the balloon not allowed) while taking off his pullover. When done, the next player gets the balloon and does the same.

9. Team Game

   Two teams sit across from each other. 1-3 balloons must be hit over and behind the opponents row. Standing up is not allowed.

10. Floating On Air

    Which team can make a balloon float in the air the longest by only blowing air with their mouths to keep the balloon floating?

11. Balloon Relay Race

    The first player on each team runs through an obstacle course, grabs a balloon, blows it up, ties a knot in it, then runs back through the course to the goal, sits down on the balloon and makes it pop. Only then may the next player start, and so on.

12. Task Run

    The first player runs to point A, lights a candle and runs to point B with the lit candle. There he grabs a balloon, blows it up, puts a knot in it and then runs to point C with the lit candle and the balloon. There, he takes a straw and fills it with water. Then he runs with the straw and water in his mouth, the lit candle and the balloon to point D. There he pours the water from the straw into a cup and uses the candle to pop the balloon. Then the next player goes. Which team is the fastest? Which team has the most water in the cup?

13. Balloon Shaving

    A balloon is covered with shaving cream. With a razor or a sharp knife (Careful!) the balloon is shaved without breaking it. (Otherwise a big mess is made!)

14. Two Man Balloon Run

    A two man team must run through an obstacle course using only their stomachs or head to hold the balloon between them. Who holds the balloon in their hands or lets the balloon touch the ground must stop and go back to the start to begin again.

15. Balloon Stomp

    Tie a thread about 30cm long around a balloon and then tie it around the players ankle. All players must try to stomp on and break the other players balloons. A player whose balloon breaks is out. Teams can also be made using the same color balloon for each team.

16. Behind Your Back

    Instead of tying the balloon around the ankle, it is tied to the back (pants waist). Either all together, or 2 players against each other try to break the others balloon.

17. Crushed

    Inflate balloon, knot it, and with the belly of a second player crush the balloon. Then it’s the next group’s turn.

18. Cotton ball Blowing

    A cotton ball is blown over a course and to a goal (goal, plate, cup) with the help of a balloon. When all the air in the balloon has been used, then it must be “reloaded” and play continues.

19. Water Bomb Relay

    Water filled balloons are thrown relay style person to person. The players stand 3–4 meters apart. Who can throw the most unbroken balloons in the goal?

20. Throw it Far with a Water Balloon

    Every balloon is filled with about 0.33 to 0.5 Liter water. Then it is blown up a little. The water balloons are thrown as far as possible.

21. The Helmet Game

    Water filled balloons are hung up. Each player gets a helmet with a spike or thorn attached to it and must try to burst the balloons. This game can be played with one player sitting on another players shoulders, or a player can be blindfolded and directed by another player.

22. Juggling Balloons

    Who can keep the most balloons in the air the longest?

23. The Artist

    Who can hold the most balloons with one/both hands/feet/chin?

24. Hit the Ball or Throw the Ball

    A team takes position along the edges of the playing field, except for the captain who remains at the start. A balloon is hit from player to player until it reaches the captain who must then pop the balloon. After a few rounds, which team is the winner?

    Variation 1: A little water is placed in the balloon

    Variation 2: There is water in the balloon and it is hit with table-tennis paddles, tennis rackets, wood boards, swim fins, or a rolled up newspaper.

25. Risk

    This is similar to the game where the player who pops the balloon first is the winner, but with these variations:

    Variation 1: Eyes are blind-folded. The players can not see how big their balloons are. The risk and fun factor is raised…

    Variation 2: Either with or without the eyes being blind-folded, in each hand a balloon is held and (alternating?) blown up. A judge measures how big the balloons are at the end of the game.

26. Lung Capacity

    Who can blow up the largest balloon with only 5 breaths?

27. Blowing Up Balloons with a Handicap – Number 1

    Who can jump on one foot and blow up the largest balloon within 60 seconds?

28. Blowing Up Balloons with a Handicap – Number 2

    Who can blow up the largest balloon while riding a bicycle within 60 seconds?

29. Blowing Up Balloons with a Handicap – Number 3

    The players put their balloon part way in a bucket of water. Who can blow up their balloon the fastest and cause the water to overflow the bucket? Or, who can blow up their balloon until it pops the fastest (in this case the bucket must be big or the balloon small)?

30. Pass It On

    Everyone sits on chairs in a circle and tries to pass the balloon to the next player using only stretched out feet. It can be made more difficult by using more than one balloon and giving many direction changes.

31. The Trophy

    A water filled balloon is placed a top a cardboard roll (ex. toilet paper roll) and passed to the next player relay style.

32. Relay With Table Tennis Paddles

    Two players on each team must run at the same time. The balloon is hit back and forth during the entire run. Table tennis paddles, tennis rackets, swim fins or rolled up newspapers can be used to hit the balloon.

33. Relay With Hand Towels

    Two players run holding a towel on which a balloon is placed. The towel must be held taught so that the balloon stays on top and is not caught in the towel like a net. Variation: the balloon must be tossed from one towel and caught by the next towel, etc.

34. Contest

    2 players make up one team. A balloon is held between their foreheads. Either potatoes, painted stones or other items are strewn on the ground over the playing field or racing track. Each team must collect the items as fast as possible, of course without letting the balloon fall on the ground.

35. Dexterity Game

    Which team (2 players each) can turn in a circle without the balloon that was clamped between them falling on the ground?

36. Target Shooting

    On a branch, 3 inflated balloons of different sizes are hung. Each player gets 3 throws for each balloon. Chestnuts or small stones can be used. The hits are noted, where the hits on the smallest balloon receive the most points.

37. Musical Chairs – A Variation

    Musical chairs is popular at every children’s festival. This time it is played a little different: instead of the players rushing to get the empty chair, they must rush to the center of the circle when the music stops and grab a balloon. Because there is one balloon less than the amount of players, the player who doesn’t get a balloon is out.

38. Ring Throw Points

    Each team cuts out as many rings as possible out of a balloon. The rings are thrown from a distance of 1-2 meters (try it first) onto bottle necks. Which team has the most rings and also the most rings on the bottles?

39. The 3 Person Dream Team

    Three players make up a team and stand in a circle with their arms on each others shoulders. In the middle of each team is a balloon on the floor that must be nudged to come up over their heads without using any hands. Which team is the quickest?

40. Ball Within a Ball

    Warm up and stretch a balloon to put a table tennis ball inside it. Then blow up the balloon. Use this variation wherever desired.

41. The Unique Balloon – Unmistakable

    Balloons of different shapes and sizes are blown up and placed on the floor. Every player chooses a balloon and writes his or her name on it. He players eyes are blind folded and everyone must find their balloon using their hands.

42. Balloon Man

    Draw as many stick men as you can using a felt marker on your balloon. The difficulty: you must hold the blown up balloon in one hand (don’t put a knot in it) and draw the men with the other hand. Time allowed: 60 to 150 seconds.

43. Balloon Hockey

    Long balloons are used as hockey sticks and the round balloons are the “pucks”. You must hit the round balloon (or many) with the long balloons into the goal (ex. a box). Or you can play this as a hockey game with many players in the group room. Be sure to have enough long balloons on hand.

44. Sit on the Balloon

    One player sits on a chair with a balloon on his lap or between his knees. His partner must sit on the balloon so it pops. Which team is the fastest? This game is also good as a rely race game.

45. Group Lung Capacity

    Each group gets a balloon. Each member of that group is allowed to take only one deep breath to blow up the balloon. The winner is the group who blows up the biggest balloon without popping it. The difficulty is that the balloon is passed from player to player to be blown up without losing any air.

46. Worm 1

    Each member on the team gets a balloon which is placed back to belly between the teams players. At the signal the entire team must run together so that no balloons fall onto the floor. Using hands to hold the balloons is not allowed. For each balloon that passes the goal, 1 point is given.

47. Worm 2

    Like Worm 1, this game is played this time with 2 players who have the balloon between them either back to belly, back to back or belly to belly. They must run through a specified relay course.

48. Balloon Bash

    Two teams sit across each other and try to bash the balloon over the opponents line. Standing up is not allowed.

49. Balloons with Teeth

    An inflated balloon must be popped using the teeth. It must be remembered that a popped balloon can be somewhat painful to the player.

50. Balloons in the Pants

    Who can stuff the most balloons (midsize) in his pants? Winner is the team who can stuff the most balloons.

51. Balloon tap

    A balloon is moved along a “race track” by tapping it up in the air. At the end of the track there is a box which the balloon must be tapped into. Anyone who holds the balloon with their hands or leads it with their finger for more than 1 second, must start from the beginning again.

52. Balloon electricity

    Balloons are blown up from each member of the team and tied with a knot. All of the balloons are rubbed on the clothing or hair and is stuck to the wall/piece of cloth. How many balloons can each team hang up?

53. Airmail

    Different pieces of paper with tasks on them are stuck inside different balloons. The balloons are blown up and spread out throughout the room. Each member of the group catches a balloon, sits on it and performs the task inside it.

54. When a balloon loses it’s breath

    A balloon is blown up (no knot is tied) on the starting line and then let go. At the point where the balloon lands, it is blow up again and let go again. This procedure is carried on until the balloon flies over the finishing line.

55. The balloon symphony orchestra

    Each member of the group receives a blown up balloon. The group must try to make different pieces of music with the balloons.

56. Basket (air) balloon

    The task is for 3-4 players to try and encourage their own balloon (with the help of a spoon) into a basket (tub or bucket) for the other players. During the game, all players are allowed to hinder their opponents by using their spoon to hit the balloon away from the basket.

57. Water balloon catapult

    A group is made up of two teams. Each team is given a large towel which serves as a catapult and a catching sheet. A balloon filled with water is now catapulted from one team to the other over a volleyball net (rope). The receiving team tries to catch the balloon. How often can the teams catapult the balloon backwards and forwards in the given time? Instead of a balloon, you can also use a plastic ball.

58. Guess what belongs to whom

    Everyone writes 1-3 things about themselves on little pieces of paper and places them inside a balloon. The balloons are then blown up and spread around the room. Each player now catches a balloon, sits on it to burst it and then tries to find out who the description belongs to.

59. Shot put with a water balloon

    Approx. 0.33 to 0.5 litres of water is filled into each balloon and little air is blown into the balloons. The balloons are now thrown as far as possible.

[ © www.youthwork-practice.com | 2000 Games and Ideas for Youth Work ]