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Training Activities
Balloon
Training Activities
Why Balloon Activities?
 | Balloons - in one form or another - have
fascinated human beings for centuries. |
| Balloons are incredibly forgiving and
help in building people's confidence. |
| Balloons are fun, portable, and
inexpensive. |
| Balloons add suspense to the atmosphere
- there is a healthy sense of prolonged hope when playing with balloons!
|
Conducting Balloon Activities
Balloon games can be used as party games, fun fillers,
energizers, icebreakers, or for longer trust-building, team building, and
therapeutic sessions. Create a unique sequence for your group, using these 40
balloon game descriptions as a guide.
| Time: 5
mins to 1 hour |
| Location:
Preferably inside. Balloons are susceptible to even the slightest wind
which can be frustrating. Plus, there are fewer accidental balloon bursts
inside. |
| Equipment:
Ideally, start with 2 to 3 assorted round 9 to 12 inch (medium to large)
round latex balloons per person (deflated). The actual number needed
depends on group size, the specific activity, and whether it involves
bursting balloons. Sports equipment, permanent markers, and slips of paper
are optional. |
| Hygiene:
Only one person inflates each balloon. |
| Hyperventilation: Can occur
following quick, deep breaths from the top of the chest when blowing up
balloons, leading to a lack of CO2 (Carbon Dioxide) in the
blood. Symptoms include lightheadedness. Encourage anyone experiencing
this to sit down and to breath slowly. |
| Environmental:
Latex balloons are biodegradable (at the same rate as an Oak leaf). Latex
is a natural substance, produced from the milky sap of the rubber tree. |
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BALLOON ACTIVITY |
DESCRIPTION |
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Balloon Juggle & Sort |
Challenge participants to keep all balloons (1+ per
person) in the air. This gets the group moving and cooperating. Once
they've got the hang of it, make it harder by adding in more balloons or
placing restrictions e.g., no hands to keep balloons up. Ask
participants to keep juggling the balloons, but to sort them into colors
(works best with large groups). |
|
Balloon Frantic |
Two to three inflated balloons per person are needed and
a stopwatch. Each person has a balloon, with the rest in a nearby
pile. Everyone begins bouncing their balloons in the air. Every five
seconds, another balloon is added. See how long the group can keep the
balloons bouncing before receiving six penalties. A penalty is
announced loudly (to create stress!) by the leader when a balloon hits
the floor, or once on the floor, if is not got back into play within
five seconds. The leader keeps a cumulative score by shouting out
"one", "two", etc. When the leader gets to "six", time is stopped.
After some discussion, the group tries to better its record with another
attempt. |
|
Catch the Balloon |
A handy name game. Stand in a circle. Toss a balloon in
the air and call someone's name. That person must catch the balloon
before it touches the ground. If the person succeeds he/she then tosses
the balloon up and calls the next name. |
|
Balloon Blow |
Divide into teams. Each team stands in a small circle. See which team
can keep a balloon aloft the longest using only breath. Watch out for
hyperventilation! |
|
Balloon Help |
Start off with everyone in a circle, facing inwards, hands behind back.
The objective is for everyone to be in the center keeping all balloons
afloat. Put between zero and three balloons in people's hands behind
their backs. Participants should not let on to others how many they
have. The leader starts by trying to keep three balloons afloat in the
center. When it becomes difficult, the leader calls somebody's name and
says "X, I need your help!". That person comes in with all their
balloons and helps until it becomes difficult and then they call "Y, I
need your help!". If a balloon falls on the ground, it must be picked
up by someone in the center and kept afloat. |
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Balloon Finger Balance |
Try
balancing a balloon on the end of your finger. Have a competition to
see who can do it for the longest. The balloon must not be held, only
balanced, and it must not be tapped. The finger must be in direct
contact with the balloon at all times. Good for focus, concentration
and physical movement. |
|
Balloon Ball Games |
Ball sports take on a new dimension when a balloon is used instead,
e.g., get people into pairs, 1 balloon between them. Get them to play a
series of 1 on 1 sports e.g., soccer, volleyball, table tennis, etc. -
add equipment if you want, but without equipment people will improvise
wonderfully. On a soft surface there can be dramatic diving.
Variation: Ask participants to play some points in slow-motion. |
Source: Wilderdom
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