Balloon races
HEAD THE BALLOON RACE
This game can be played by two or more people - how many people take part at
any one time depends on the amount of space you have available. You will need
a starting line and a line to run to - if there is room for all the
contestants so much the better - and the more confusion there is, the more
fun it will be. If room is limited then divide everyone into two teams
so that two people can compete at one time each followed by their teams in
order.
Line up on the start line - when the game is started the contestants run for
the other line where they will find an uninflated balloon which they blow
up and then head the balloon all the way back to the start line. Rules can
vary - strictly speaking hands should not be used - but the only real
requirement is that everybody should be having fun.
The game organizer should tell the contestants about how big to
blow up the balloons - if they
try to save time by not blowing them up very much then they will be
very much harder to head back along to the start line - if they blow them
up too hard then they might burst and then they will have to get another
balloon and start blowing all over again. If you make up a couple of
'jigs' to measure the size of balloons - for example get a piece of
cardboard and cut out a balloon sized hole in it - the contestant has to
keep on trying to put the balloon through the hole - when it is big enough
it will no longer go through the hole - so it is time to tie the knot
and start heading it back to the start line. Don't forget to make sure
that there are no sharp edges on the sizing jig.
When the contestants get back to the start line the balloon can either
be popped - this can be with a pin but sitting on them is more fun and
more of a challenge - and another reason to blow it up as tight as
possible in the first place - OR - if the balloons are saved - they
can be put into two separate places - one for each team - the winners
are the first team to get all their balloons back to the start line
- OR the team with the most balloons ( if it's outside then a couple
of inflatable paddling pools are ideal to put them in ).
Ok - if you haven't popped them you now have a lot of balloons blown
up... ready to play another game such as floating balloons - OR -
you can get the guests to put them up in bunches as party decorations
and this can help people get to know each other too - it's an ice-breaker
that allows the really shy people to stand back a little if they want
to.
BALLOON WADDLE or BALLOON HOP or BALLOON JUMP
A balloon is placed between the knees and the contestant either waddles
or hops or jumps along with it from the start line along a course and back to
the start line - the next member of the team takes the balloon and does
the same until everyone in the team has had a turn - the fastest team
is the winner.
There are lots of variations here - the balloons can be blown up already
or blowing them up can be part of the game - but you will need rules
as to how big they should be blown up - or something to 'size' the
balloons as in the first game - you can have just one
balloon per team - or one balloon for each person ( in which case
you can do the decoration for the party or have a second kind of
balloon game next ). If there is enough space to do it you can have one
balloon per person and everyone competing as individuals all at
the same time.
One of the best variations is to put the balloon between the knees of
two people - it's like a three legged race without the adjacent legs
being tied but those legs have to move together or the balloon will
drop to the ground ( if it does it can either be picked up and the
pair carry on from where they lost the balloon - or the have to go
back to the start again - decide on the rules BEFORE the game starts
and TELL everyone what they are ). The balloon could pop as well -
it would be usual for the pair to go back to the beginning in this
case. Arms around each other's shoulders for stability works well
as in the three legged race.
PASS THE BALLOON
Form two or more teams with equal numbers in each team - a balloon is
given to the person in front of the team - the 'leader'. On the
signal to start, the balloon is passed down the line until it reaches
the last person in the team who takes the balloon and runs to the front
and starts passing it back down the line again. This goes on until
the original 'leader' is back at the front of the team - the quickest
team wins.
There are lots of variations with this one too - chose a small balloon
and pass it between each other by holding it under the chin. Normal sized
balloons can be passed using knees or elbows, and if you get everyone
to sit down then you can use ankles - all with no hands
allowed of course - but no need to enforce the rules harshly - it's meant
to be fun.
There is another variation but it is much too raunchy for this site...
Oh all right then...
Imagine the team members are numbered - number 1 is at the front, then number
2 and so on. The balloon is placed between number 1 and number 2 and it's
held there by the two people sort of squishing
it together - no hands allowed. On the
signal to start number 1 sort of rolls away from the balloon while number 3
sort of rolls onto it to keep it supported against number 2. Then number 4
rolls on and number 2 rolls off, and so on until the last pair have the
balloon supported between them. The pair have to walk to the front of the line
without dropping the balloon - and then it starts all over again as the
last pair transfer the balloon to 'the last one in the line' and number 1
again. The game ends when number 1 gets back to the front again, and the
winning team is the first to achieve this.
If there are enough people to have even numbers in each team then this
variation can be played with pairs - the first pair transfers the balloon
to the second pair and so on. Small balloons are difficult to play with
while larger balloons - twenty inch or larger - are more fun with this
game.
HOT BALLOON
Divide into teams of equal sizes and give each team a supply of balloons. At
the starting signal each team blows up their balloons and then each team
member in turn carries a balloon on a large wooden spoon from the start
line to the finish line and places the balloons at the 'finish' end. The
balloon should not be steadied by hand - just balanced on the spoon - and
if the balloons drop - no - make that WHEN then balloon drops off the spoon
then that player should return to the start line - but what the heck - it's
only a game. Any team member can help another by blowing up a
balloon for them - but remember that sharing the blowing up can also share
infections.
NOSE BALLOON - ELBOW BALLOON - BALLOON RACE
The balloon is pushed along from start to finish using noses only, or
elbows only, or anything except hands.
CHARLIE CHAPLIN RELAY
Divide into two teams. Each team will need a book and a walking stick and a
blown up balloon. On the start signal the first
people from each team walk down the
course 'Chaplin' style - swinging the walking stick - with the book on the
head and the balloon between the legs. When the end line is reached
the first contestant runs back up the course to give the walking stick
and the book and the balloon to the next team member for them to have their
turn - the first team to finish, wins.
The course can be circular for this game so each contestant has to walk
all the way 'Chaplin' style.
CARRY THE RING
This is a blowing-up-the-balloon game that makes sure that the balloons
are blown up to at least a certain size. You'll need an inflatable swim
ring for each team - all the same size and already blown up. You'll need
a supply of balloons which are also all the same size and which can be
blown up to fit comfortably inside the ring so that the balloon will grip
on the inside of the ring without popping.
For this game it is better to have a circular course - out to a pole in the
ground, around
the pole and back again - one pole for each team or one pole for all teams -
whichever works best in the space you have available.
On the start signal the first contestant in each
team starts to blow up a balloon in the hole in the middle of a swim ring.
When the balloon gets big enough the balloon will fill the hole and you'll
be able to pick up the swim ring just by lifting the balloon. Make sure that
the balloon is gripping the ring ok because when a ring drops off the
balloon halfway along the course the player has to go back to the start
again. Advise everyone as you explain the game that the best thing to do
is to put in a couple more breaths after the balloon grips the ring just
to make sure. When the blowing is complete it's important
to remember NOT to KNOT the balloon.
As soon as the balloon is blown up enough to carry the ring, the player
holds the balloon with the ring attached and runs around the course and back
to the team. The ring is deposited by the player releasing the air out
of the balloon - the first player keeps the balloon and the next player
starts to blow up their own balloon inside the ring and the whole process
continues until all the team have had their turns, and the first team to
finish are the winners.
BATTING GAMES
POPPING GAMES
OTHER BALLOON GAMES
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