Balloon games are not only super fun but are also a great way to engage the whole family. Having a stash of balloons is a good idea so you are always ready for balloon tennis, volleyball, or a water balloon fight.
Balloon party games for kids can be structured and challenging, or you can give them a bag of balloons and let their imaginations run wild.
Regardless of how you choose to approach balloon activities, you and your family are sure to have great fun and loads of laughs.
Fun Balloon Games for Indoor and Outdoor Excitement
Whether you have younger kids or older kids, this list of balloon games will give you some ideas to keep them entertained.
Not only are these activities ideal for weekends or summer breaks, but they are also perfect for birthday parties.
1. Balloon Darts
Balloon party games are always a hit, and this balloon dartboard is no exception.
For younger kids, you can fill all the balloons with candy they can get when the balloon bursts. You can up the stakes for older kids by filling some balloons with water and some with candy. You could also have a few balloons in one color that kids have to aim for.
2. Fill The Bucket
Not only is “Fill The Bucket” a fun and competitive game, but it is also great for developing gross motor skills.
Each child has a bucket that they have to throw a set number of water balloons into. Set a timer, and at the end, check to see whose bucket is the fullest. The goal is to throw and pop as many balloons as possible to fill the bucket.
It is best to make your water balloons very full so they pop more easily.
3. Flying Balloon Birds
This is a balloon game that will keep your kids busy for hours. You need balloons, faux feathers, tape, and markers.
Stick the feathers onto your balloon and draw a beak and eyes. As your child releases the end of the balloon, the escaping air will force it upwards, making the bird fly.
4. Balloon Juggling
Balloon games for kids don’t need to involve inflated balloons. Instead, you can create balloon balls using rice or flour and different colored balloons.
Fill a balloon with rice or flour and tie it securely. Then you can cut holes in balloons of other colors and stretch them over your filled balloon. This creates a fun effect and lets kids get creative.
Once each child has made three or four balls, you can have a juggling competition.
5. Balloon Scavenger Hunt
You can have a balloon scavenger hunt indoors or use water balloons for outdoor fun. Draw shapes on the balloons and have corresponding buckets or baskets. Then the kids have to search for the matching shapes.
6. Balloon Race
This is a great indoor balloon game that only requires string, tape, balloons, and straws.
Run the string from one side of the room to another, ensuring it is secure. Remember to place your straw on the line before securing it.
Blow up your balloon and tie the opening shut with string. Then place a piece of tape over the straw and the balloon.
Once your balloons are ready, untie the string at the opening and watch as your balloon zooms across the room. This is one of those fun party games that kids can play repeatedly.
7. Frozen Ice Balloons
Water balloons are always a favorite at a birthday party but have you ever considered freezing them?
Frozen balloon surprises will keep young kids entertained at a party, and it’s a fun way to give each child a treat.
Place a small toy inside a balloon, fill it with water, and pop it into the freezer. When the kids arrive at the party, they can each choose a frozen balloon. They won’t see what’s inside until they peel off the balloon to reveal the frozen surprise.
You can have a big bowl of salt, warm water, and basting syringes that the kids can use to free their toys from the ice.
8. Dart Painting with Balloons
The best balloon games for kids involve a lot of mess.
Fill balloons with paint and attach them to a canvas frame. Let the kids stand and throw darts at the canvas one at a time until all the balloons have been popped.
Remove the popped balloons and admire the abstract artwork that your child and their friends have created.
Balloon painting is definitely an outdoor game. Although messy, your child will have a unique artwork for their wall after the birthday party.
9. Balloon Shooters
All you need for this easy balloon game are plastic cups, balloons, duct tape, and ping-pong balls.
Cut the bottom off the cup and put tape around the edges to make it smooth. Tie the end of your balloon and then cut it. Stretch the balloon over the wide opening of the cup, and you are ready for shooting. Place the ping pong ball inside the cup, pull back on the balloon, and fire!
Use these cup shooters with other indoor balloon games to keep kids entertained.
10. Chalk Bomb Balloons
Here is another outdoor balloon game that kids will love.
Fill balloons with a homemade chalk mixture. Mix water, corn flour, and food coloring to make a sludgy paste.
Divide the kids into two teams, each with a different color balloon bomb. Then each team can throw their bombs at different targets. The team that scores the most hits (or is the most accurate) wins.
11. Balloon Parachutes
Balloon parachutes are ideal for an outdoor birthday party and a fun way to use water balloons.
Fill your balloon with water and tie it to the handles of a plastic bag. Then throw it into the air and see if your parachute works.
A variation of this fun activity is to blow up the balloon instead of filling it with water. Then when you let it go, the air will push out into the packet.
12. This Blows
This is another fun party game using balloons that kids of all ages can enjoy.
Fill a table with plastic cups. Each child then blows up a balloon, points it at the cups, and sees how many blow over when they let the air out of it.
You can make this game more challenging by dividing the kids into two teams. Hide some kind of treasure under a few of the cups. The team that collects the most treasure wins.
13. Water Balloon Jousting
Attach as many water balloons as possible using a piece of foam as the base and secure them at the back with duct tape. This will be your target.
To make your lance, insert a plastic fork into a pool noodle. Kids can then pretend they are on a horse and run at the target with their lance. The kids will have so much fun popping the water balloons and getting wet.
14. Balloon Animals
Use different colored balloons, craft paper, and markers to create sweet balloon animal pets. The sky is the limit when it comes to creating your animals. Turn this craft into a game by creating a zoo with different enclosures.
15. Balloon Bug Tennis
Balloon tennis is always popular, but you can keep it interesting by turning your balloon “ball” into a bug.
16. Milk Jug Balloon Toss
This is a super fun balloon tennis variation and an easy party game. Cut a section off a milk jug and put tape around the sharp edges.
You can then use the jugs to throw and catch water balloons. Be sure to have spare balloons on hand because the bouncing balloons tend to pop.
17. Obstacle Course
Streamers and balloons can make a fun and child-friendly obstacle course. Younger kids will enjoy making their way through the colorful maze, while older kids can challenge themselves to avoid touching the balloons.
To make this more challenging, turn this obstacle into a water balloon fight.
18. Water Balloon Volleyball
Balloon games for kids don’t need to be complicated. Using one water balloon and towels, kids can work together to enjoy a game of water balloon volleyball.
If you don’t have a volleyball net, they can throw the water balloon up into the air, and the other team has to catch it.
19. Balloon Guess
Indoor balloon games don’t need to be energetic.
Fill balloons with different things like coffee, rice, flour, shaving cream, oil, and popcorn kernels. Then let each child choose a balloon and try to guess what is inside. Use dark balloons so they can’t see through them.
After guessing, let them cut open the balloon to see if they were right.
20. Water Balloon Letter Smash
Not only is this activity tons of fun, but it is a great way to incorporate learning through play.
Write letters (and numbers) on water balloons with a marker. Then your child can throw the balloon at the corresponding letter on the ground. Write the letters on the ground using chalk. You can even use the homemade chalk recipe from a few games back to fill the balloons.
21. Water Balloon Toss
Make a water balloon toss station where kids can earn prizes based on how many points they can win. This is perfect for kids of all ages, making it a perfect summer party game.
Party Games with Balloons are the Best
Whether indoors or outdoors, balloons make a party more festive. Not only are they a decor staple, but you can also use them to keep kids entertained and having fun.
So, if you don’t have any balloons at home, buy a bag and get busy with some balloon fun.