How to Entertain With Balloon Folding

It's a rainy day at camp and the head counselor is sick. He puts you in charge of the a bunch of wiggly 6-year-olds and instructs you to entertain them for the next hour. The only materials you have on hand are balloons and a short video highlighting folding balloon animals. Great news: You can easily entertain children for a full hour with just these materials.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Explain to the children that you're going to watch a video about making balloon animals. Advise them to watch the film carefully because they will be making their own when the video is over.
2. Watch the video with the children and, if they start losing interest, remind them that they're supposed to be picking out an animal they want to make. Analyze the video as you watch, commenting on the process of folding balloon animals.
3. Split the children into groups according to which animals they're going to make, explaining that you need to take turns with them when making the animals. Begin with the easiest animals to fold so it goes quickly and demonstrate how to do the folding. Encourage the children to try it on their own, helping only when they really need you to.
4. Ask the children from the first group to help the children in the second group since they now have some familiarity with folding balloons. If they're not interested in helping, have them come up with some stories they can use their balloon animals to tell.
5. Continue this method with each group until all of the children have their balloon animals. Break the class into groups of three or four children with an assortment of animals in each group.
6. Tell everybody that in the last 15 minutes, they'll put on shows with their animals so now it's time to come up with stories.
7. Enjoy the balloon show. Have the children watch each other and rate the stories with clapping--super loud clapping for the best performances. Congratulate the children on their creativity with folded balloons.

Tips & Warnings

• Balloons are a choking hazard so make sure the kids keep the balloons out of their mouths.

Who Can Help:

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