Tooting Balloon Art
Balloon Fart Art? Tooting, beeping, barking frogs, fluffing (yes, I had a friend whose mom actually called it fluffing.) It's all farts and anything that can make fart sounds makes the 10 year old in all of us happy. This painting ideas rests on that fact.
Sometimes with kids blowing up balloons and letting them PPpbbfffft around the room is the most exciting part for them. I was thinking about those zooming balloons when this idea occurred to me.
What would happen if we put paint on a balloon and let it loose in a box?
Want to experiment yourself?
You'll need:
- A file box (or anything to let the balloon go in. Bankers boxes are nice because they already have a hole in the side to hold onto the balloon.)
- Paint
– Go for non-toxic in case anyone feels the need to blow up a balloon that already has paint on it (ahem, I wound up with green lips.) - Balloons
- Paper taped in your box. I put my paper on all sides.
– Go for non-toxic in case anyone feels the need to blow up a balloon that already has paint on it (ahem, I wound up with green lips.)
Then get to experimenting!
We tried putting paint on before blowing up the balloon and after (it was easier after.)
More paint, less paint (too much paint and the balloon wouldn't move in the box.)
What if you drip paint into the balloon and then let it go?
Can you squeeze paint out of a balloon? What if you put paint on the paper and let the balloon zip around?
Get ready to have some messy, creative fun! Pffpppptt.
Want to do a little more painting with balloons?
You can try printing pictures with them.
The balloon pressing part of this activity adds an interesting dimension. You get to see what happens when you roll the image across the paper. You can also try just smooshing straight down.
For the heart picture I painted the balloon using a large bristled brush which resulted in an intriguing texture. I love the way the brush strokes transferred to the paper.
My favorite part about this art activity is that it's fun for a huge range of ages. Little kids have a blast smooshing out images, all the way up to me, who wanted to keep playing with this printing idea beyond the length of the kids' attention span.
More Creative Play Ideas for All Ages:
Alissa Zorn is an author, and founder of the website Overthought This. She's a coach and cartoonist passionate about helping people overcome perfectionism and shame to build authentic, joyful lives. Alissa is certified through the International Coach Federation and got her Trauma-Informed Coaching certification from Moving the Human Spirit. She wrote Bounceback Parenting: A Field Guide for Creating Connection, Not Perfection, and is always following curiosity to find her next creative endeavor.