Burn energyGood for siblings
Balloon Tennis
Paper plate rackets and a balloon that floats slow enough to hit.
- Ages
- 3–8 yrs
- Play
- 10–20 min
- Prep
- 3 min
- Mess
- barely any
- Energy
- wild
- Where
- anywhere
You’ll need
Things you probably have at home.
- a balloonGet it on Amazon
- paper platesGet it on Amazon
- wooden spoons for handles
Optional
- tape or string for a netGet it on Amazon
How to play
Before you start: Blow up a balloon. Tape a paper plate to the end of each wooden spoon to make rackets.
Toss the balloon up and tap it with your racket to show how slow it falls.
Hand them a racket and tap it gently toward them.
Count how many hits you can make together before it touches the floor.
Try to beat the number.
Stretch a strip of tape between two chairs for a net and play across it.
What it helps with
Keep it safe
- Burst or uninflated balloons are a serious choking risk. Pick up every piece of a popped balloon straight away.
Make it different next time
- Play with hands only, then with elbows, then with heads.
- Keep two balloons up at once.
Cleanup: Deflate and throw away the balloon when you are done.
Three more like this
- Good for siblings
- Good for siblings
Burn energy
Sock Basketball
5–20 min 2–10 yrs Low mess- a laundry basket or bucket
- five or six pairs of socks