Balloons are not only ideal as decoration for children’s birthday parties – you can also play many great balloon games with them.
Balloons are easy to transport, inexpensive and infinitely versatile when it comes to their use as toys. Whether you play classic ball games with them or balloon games that are only possible with balloons – there are no limits to your creativity.
As inspiration for the next children’s birthday party, we have collected 25 balloon games that invite children to romp around, practise their dexterity, be creative or even puzzle.
The 25 Best Balloon Games for Kids
The easiest way to invent balloon games is simply to play well-known ball games with balloons, i.e. soccer with balloons, handball with balloons, volleyball with balloons…. But the games only become really original when you add a few extra rules or handicaps.
1. Balloon Relay
Two teams of equal size are formed, each of which must complete an obstacle course of the same type. The first child must take a balloon at one point and inflate it to a specified size. For example, the balloon must be bigger than an object or balloon that has already been inflated.
From this point on, the player has to carry the balloon with him, always tapping it lightly with his finger and thus keeping it in the air. The obstacle course leads him to the next player on his team, who must take the balloon out of the air. If the balloon touches the ground, that player has to go back to his starting line. The team that finishes first is the winner.
2. Balloon Relay Race – Variation 2
Another variation is for each child to hold the inflated balloon wedged between their legs while they run or hop the obstacle course. If the balloon floats to the ground, the player must return to the starting line. If the balloon bursts due to too much pressure with the legs, a new balloon must be inflated immediately.
3. Balloon Task Run
The children form two teams and race against each other with tasks. The first player in each team runs and grabs a candle at station 1, which he lights. At station 2, he has to blow up a balloon and tie it in a knot.
With the candle and balloon lit, he runs on to station 3, where he has to take water into his mouth with a straw. Now he has to go to station 4, where he lets the water through the straw (which he still has in his mouth) into a measuring cup and bursts the balloon with the candle.
Only then does he run back to the starting line and high-five the next player of his team, who now has to complete the same run. The team that finishes faster wins. Or a fixed time is given and the team that gets the measuring cup fuller in this time is the winner.
4. Water Bomb Relay
Two teams compete against each other and form a relay team that stands between a filling station and a pool or a tub. At the filling station, the first player fills balloons with water and throws them to the next player. The balloons may not be handed over, but must always be thrown. The balloon should only burst in the target tub.
The team whose tub is fuller after a certain time, e.g. 15 minutes, is the winner.
There are special water bomb balloons that are perfect for this, as they are smaller and thinner-walled and therefore burst more quickly. They often come with a pump to fill them up.
5. Balloon Sitting Soccer
The children form two teams of equal size and play in a room with a smooth floor on which one can slide around sitting down. Of course, there are also 2 goals and a centre line indicated e.g. with a chalk line.
The most important rule is: at no time during the game may a player stand up. As in real football, the balloon may only be touched with the hands of the goalkeeper.
The players can use e.g. door mats, old carpet remnants or old clothes as sitting and sliding pads (to protect their bottoms).
6. Bursting Balloons
A lot of balloons are blown up and a big blanket is spread over them. The children sit around and hold the blanket on the floor. Now one child at a time may jump onto the blanket and try to burst as many balloons as possible.
7. Balloon Fight
The children are divided into two teams. One team gets blue balloons, the other red balloons tied around their ankles. A piece of string about 30 cm long is suitable for this.
At the start signal, everyone tries to break the balloons of the opposing team. A player whose balloon is broken is eliminated and has to leave the playing field.
As a variation, the balloons can also be stuck on the players’ backs or tied to the waistband of their trousers. Then the children try to tear the balloons off.
8. Musical Chairs with Balloons
As in the classic children’s game musical chairs, music plays. When the music stops, it is not about finding a seat, but there are balloons in the middle of the room, exactly one less than the other players. Everyone rushes to the balloons and tries to get hold of one. Whoever doesn’t get one and whoever accidentally breaks one is eliminated.
9. Caterpillar Race
Again, 2 teams of equal size are formed. Each team gets one less balloon than players. Everyone lines up one behind the other and clamps an inflated balloon between their own stomach and the back of the person in front of them.
On the signal, both caterpillars have to run towards a target, if possible without the balloons falling down. The hands must not be used to hold the balloons. Each balloon that has been correctly transported across the finish line earns the team one point.
Skill Balloon Games
If the previous games were all about action, skill is very important in these balloon games.
10. The Gangs of Three
Always 3 players get together and embrace each other by the shoulders. Between them is an inflated balloon. At a start signal, they all try to move the balloon in their midst upwards over their heads as quickly as possible. The first team of three to do this wins.
11. Blow Up Balloons in a Team
The children divide into teams of equal size. Each team gets a balloon. The first player takes a deep breath and blows into it. Now he has to pass the balloon to the second player, who is also only allowed to blow into it once, and so on.
The main difficulty in this game is to pass the balloon so that as little collected air as possible escapes from it. The team whose balloon is the biggest wins.
12. Throwing Broken Balloons
Tie 3 balloons of different sizes to the branch of a tree. One after the other, the children are allowed to throw darts, small stones or chestnuts at them, with 3 throws per balloon. The largest balloon scores 1 point, the second largest 2 points and the smallest 3 points.
Whoever has the most points wins. If there is a tie in points, the winners of the first round compete against each other in a second round.
13. The Last Unicorn
Balloons filled with water are hung on a string, e.g. a clothesline. Two children at a time now form a unicorn. One of them takes the other one on his shoulders and he puts on a prepared helmet (e.g. a bicycle helmet) with something pointed like a thorn or a sewing needle stuck in a cork.
Each team of 2 now has 2 minutes to pop as many of the water balloons as possible.
14. Couple Dance with Balloon
The children get together in pairs and wedge a balloon between them at chest height. They must not hold the balloon with their hands.
Now music is played, e.g. a waltz, and everyone has to dance and also turn in a circle. If a balloon falls or bursts, the couple is eliminated. The couple that is left at the end is the winner.
To vary, different rounds with different music can also be played here.
15. Blow Up Balloons in a Race
Who will be the first to pop their balloon by just blowing it up?
Who can blow up their balloon the biggest in 5 breaths?
Who can blow up the biggest balloon in exactly 60 seconds while hopping on one leg?
Or while riding a bicycle?
16. Blow up Balloon in Water Bucket
Each player bends over a bucket of water and dips the uninflated balloon into it, holding the mouthpiece. At a start signal, the child now inflates the balloon as quickly as possible. Either until the water spills over or until the balloon bursts. Which happens first depends on the size of the balloon and the water bucket.
Either the time is measured, or two players compete against each other in parallel.
17. Electric Balloons
Two teams compete against each other. Each team is given uninflated balloons in a team colour. On a start signal, everyone must try to blow up as many balloons as possible and charge them electrostatically by rubbing them against their clothes or their own hair.
The balloons are then hung on the wall or on a hanging piece of cloth. After a set time, e.g. 5 minutes, it is counted how many balloons are hanging in which colour.
18. The Jumper Game
One after the other, each child has to put on a jumper and then take it off again while holding a balloon in the air, which can only be done by tapping on it.
Either the time is stopped for each child and whoever has taken the shortest time wins. Or two teams with the same number of players compete against each other and the team that finishes first wins.
Balloon Games to be Creative and Puzzle
17. The Unique Balloon
All sorts of different shaped (inflated) balloons are lying around. Each child may now choose one and write their name on it (or the game leader does this for pre-school children). You can also use balloon animals that the children can take home.
Now all the children are blindfolded and the balloons are shuffled. Each child has to find his or her balloon by feeling it. Of course, the children can also exchange balloons.
18. Who Draws the Most Balloon Stickmen?
Each child tries to draw as many stick figures as possible with a felt-tip pen on a balloon. Sounds easy? Not so much with this rule:
The balloon is floppy at the beginning and must be blown up, but not tied! This means you have to hold the end closed with one hand and paint on the balloon with the other. In addition, a fixed time is given, e.g. exactly 2 minutes.
19. Who Do You Think I Am?
Each child writes 1-3 things about him/herself on a small piece of paper, puts it into the balloon and blows it up. All the balloons are mixed well and distributed around the room. Now each child takes a balloon, pops it and reads out the note. Then they have to guess which of the others wrote it.
20. Balloon Faces
Each child gets an inflated (white) balloon. The children get lots of different coloured permanent markers (be careful, felt-tip pens stain clothes!) and can now let off steam artistically and draw balloon faces. Later there will be a vote to see who has drawn the most beautiful one.
21. Balloon Exchange
Each child gets an inflated balloon, there are balloons in at least 4 colours and each colour about the same number of times. One child is blindfolded and allowed to operate the music system or the pause button.
All the children now dance and constantly exchange the balloons with each other. The child at the sound system suddenly presses pause and calls out a colour, e.g. blue. All the children who now have a blue balloon in their hand get a point. Who has the most points after 5 rounds?
22. Dance of the Balloons
The children sit down in a circle and a transparent cover sheet is rolled out between them. All the children hold this by the edge. The game leader throws first one, then gradually several balloons onto it and the children can now make them dance by moving their hands.
In turn, two children at a time may lie down on the floor in the middle and enjoy the spectacle from below.
23. Tower of Balloons
The children are given lots of blown-up balloons, double-sided tape, scissors and parcel string and are given the task of building as high a tower as possible out of them. This should be able to stand freely for at least 10 seconds. This can also be played in teams against each other.
24. Balloon Mattress
20 to 30 balloons are packed into a bed cover. Then one of the children is allowed to lie down on it carefully at a time. It is important that someone supports his or her head and that the other children also support the person lying on the mattress from the sides.
25. Modelling Balloon Animals
All kinds of shapes can be modelled from elongated modelling balloons by skilfully twisting off individual segments. It is best if an adult game leader demonstrates to the children how to do this and they then copy it. This way, each child can take their own balloon flower or balloon dog home later.
Balloon games aren’t the only kids’ birthday party ideas you’ll find on Greatime. Check out our Cowboy party games or Witch games for kids. Every month, Greatime provides inspiration for personal gifts and activities with kids, your partner and friends. Stay up to date and follow us on Facebook and Instagram!
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