How to Make a Plastic Bag Air Balloon

A plastic bag air balloon can be a learning tool.

Making an air balloon at home from plastic bags can be an educational science project for kids in the summer. You can teach them about the physics behind how a hot air balloon floats in the air while carrying weight. A plastic bag air balloon might even be able to fly for a short distance if you make it correctly. Use a regular-sized plastic grocery bag that is not too big so it can float easily.

Things You'll Need

• Plastic straws
• Glue
• Scissors
• Plastic grocery bag
• Thread
• Modeling clay
• Hair dryer

Instructions

1. Insert one plastic straw into another, continuing this way to form a ring of four to five straws. Use glue to attach them to each other so that they form a sturdy ring. Cut off a bit from each straw to make sure they insert into each other properly.

2. Insert the plastic bag through the straw ring, ensuring the handles of the bag go through the ring completely. Glue the bag to the straw ring, leaving the handles below the ring.

3. Tie two long pieces of thread to the plastic bag handles and stick small pieces of modeling clay to each piece of thread. This will help keep the bag in position while you heat the air inside the bag.

4. Use a hair dryer at medium setting and direct the hot air inside the plastic bag. Make sure you do not use high temperature heat since the plastic bag can melt easily. As the air inside the bag increases in temperature, the bag will start to rise up. Use the modeling clay globs to pull down the balloon and direct it, if desired.

Tips & Warnings

• Experiment with different types of plastic bags to see how their weight and size affect flotation.

• Keep all plastic bags away from small children to avoid risk of suffocation.

References

• Make a hot air balloon