Balloons
Move around the gym with music and try these patterns of tapping your balloon into the air with various body parts.
- Foot – Hand – Finger – Elbow
- Knee – Head – Shoulder – Thumb
Pattern A
- Hand – Foot – Foot
- Shoulder – Hand – Hand
- Head – Thumb – Thumb – Knee – Finger -Finger
Pattern B
- Hand – Foot – Foot
- Shoulder – Hand – Hand
- Head – Thumb – Thumb
- Knee – Finger – Finger
Pattern C
- Head – Shoulder – Hand
- Hand – Knee – Foot
- Thumb – Elbow – Foot
- Finger – Knee – Foot
Patterns Right/Left
- Hand – Hand
- Foot – Foot
- Fingers – Fingers
- Knee – Knee
Balloon Finger Balance
- Try balancing a balloon on the end of your finger.
- Have a competition to see who can do it for the longest.
- The balloon must not be held, only balanced, and it must not be tapped.
- The finger must be in direct contact with the balloon at all times.
Balloon Juggle
- Each team (6-8 per team) is given one balloon each with two additional ones.
- They are to try and keep all of the balloons in the air.
- Even more balloons may be added to increase the challenge.
Balloon Juggle Memory Game
- Each team (6-8 per team) decide on the order by calling out the name of someone in their group (it’s best if it is not passed to the person next to them)
- Balloons may be added to increase the challenge.
Balloon Partner Volleyball
- Inflate to medium or medium-low pressure, so the balloon “floats” only a bit but not too much.
- Stand facing a partner across a line on the floor of the gym.
- One person serves the balloon by throwing the balloon in the air and hitting it with an open hand across the line. Try to use volleyball techniques, such as the pass, set, kill, or serve to hit the balloon back and forth across the line
- If someone allows the balloon to touch the floor on their side, the person on the other side of the net scores a point.
- Play first person to 5 points, and then start again.
- You are allowed to touch the balloon more than once on your side.
Balloon Tennis Skills (Use foam paddles or badminton rackets)
- Each person in class has a paddle or racket and a balloon. Start at your individual gym home space.
- Can you?
- Starting with the balloon in front of you, can you tap the balloon with an underhand motion without moving your feet. How many taps.
- Now put the balloon above your head and try tapping the balloon straight up.
- Forehand, backhand,
Balloon Tennis Game
- Stand facing a partner across a line on the floor of the gym.
- One person serves the balloon by throwing the balloon in the air and tapping it with the racket. Try to use tennis techniques, such as the forehand, backhand, and serve.
- If someone allows the balloon to touch the floor on their side, the person on the other side of the net scores a point.
- Play first person to 5 points, and then start again.
- You are allowed to touch the balloon more than once on your side.
Balloon Over/Under Relay
- The object of this game is to get your team to the opposite end of the gym by passing a balloon.
- Teams line up in relay team formation.
- The balloon is passed overhead to the person in back of them.
- That person now passes the balloon through their legs to the next person who leans down and picks it up then passes it overhead to the person standing in back of them.
- When the last pass is made that person runs to the front of the line and passes the balloon overhead and the pattern continues.
- The team will eventually move their whole team to the opposite end of the gym.
Balloon Tap Race
- Equipment : Balloon for each team,
- Six teams lined up in shuttle relay style. Half of each team is lined up at one end of the gym and the other half at the the starting line at the opposite end of the gym.
- Each half of each team decides on an order so everyone touches the balloon when tapping the ballon in the air, so everyone has an equal turn.
Partner Balloon Tap Race
- Equipment : Balloon for each team
- Six teams lined up in shuttle relay style. First two people on each team line up facing each other with one balloon between them. You may want to require the slide step while doing this.
- Tap the balloon back and forth between each other until your feet cross the center line reach the center line. Then return back to your line by passing.
- Pass the balloon to the next two people in line and the relay continues until everyone has had at least one turn. You could also set a limit of two to five minutes and see how many turns they can get.