Last Updated on September 4, 2024 | 10 : 54 pm by Fiestasline
If you’re looking for fun balloon games for kids, you’ve come to the right place! These games are perfect for parties and will keep your little ones entertained for hours. You’ll also find exciting water balloon games that are ideal for those hot summer days.
Fun Balloon Games for Kids
Planning a child’s birthday party can get expensive if you’re hosting a large group and want plenty of decorations and delicious food to set the scene.
One thing every birthday party needs is some fun party games, and balloon games are an excellent way to keep entertainment costs low while ensuring the kids have an absolute blast!
Balloons and water balloons are inexpensive to buy in bulk, and there are so many different games to play with them that you could organize your entire party game schedule around various balloon activities.
These games are great for playing at home, in school, or anywhere else. It’s amazing how quickly boredom can disappear with a few balloon activities!
You might also want to check out these Halloween party games and Christmas party game ideas.
Essential Supplies for Balloon Games
Before diving into the fun games you can play with balloons, make sure you have your essential supplies ready.
For most of these games, all you’ll need are balloons or water balloons to get started, and the majority of the other items are things you likely already have at home.
If you’re not great at tying balloons, these balloon clips will be your new best friend! If you’re careful, you might even be able to reuse most of them for a future event!
However, when it comes to inflating lots of balloons, having a balloon pump can save you from a few dizzy moments if you’re doing it by hand!
You can get a manual balloon pump, which will require some muscle effort. Or go for an electric balloon pump. This small investment could save you hours of preparation time for a future birthday party!
As for the water balloons, do yourself a favor and get the kind of balloons you can fill in bulk instead of individual water balloons. Trust me… they are worth the few extra dollars!!!
Indoor Balloon Games for Kids
Now let’s get into the fun! These balloon games for kids are perfect for indoor play when you need some party games that won’t make too much of a mess.
You can also play most of them outdoors, but sometimes there are fewer risks of balloons popping inside, which can keep the game going a bit longer!
Balloon Tennis
Balloon tennis is a great game for larger groups and can be played in teams or individually. All you need are some inflated balloons, a few ping pong paddles, and a net (if you have one).
How to play: Set up a net in the middle of the room, or use a line on the floor or even chairs as boundaries for your play area. Each player or team takes turns hitting the balloon over the net, and the other players must return it. If the balloon hits the ground on your side, you lose that point. The first player or team to reach 10 points wins the game!
Balloon Pop
This hilarious balloon popping game is so much fun to watch as kids work hard to pop their balloons without using their hands.
Play indoors with regular inflated balloons, or add a fun twist by playing outdoors with water balloons, as long as no one minds getting a wet bottom at the end of the game.
How to play: Each player grabs a balloon and places it on the ground or a chair, and must pop it by sitting on it without using their hands or feet. The first person to pop their balloon wins!
Keep It Up
Balloon Games for a Bluey Birthday Party
If you’re planning a Bluey-themed birthday party, this game couldn’t be more perfect! The Keepy Uppy balloon game appears in one of the early episodes of the popular Australian children’s TV show.
All you need is an inflated balloon (or a few balloons if you want to make it more challenging).
How to Play:
Players must not let the balloons touch the ground, working together to keep them in the air for as long as possible.
Balloon Volleyball
Another great group game similar to balloon tennis, but without the paddles. All you need is a net, a line, or even a row of chairs to use as a ‘net’ and, of course, your balloons.
How to Play:
Set up your ‘net’ in the room or play area and divide players into teams. Players must hit the balloon over the net, and the other team must return it by hitting it back over. Each time a team allows the balloon to touch the ground on their side, the other team scores a point. The first team to 5 or 10 points wins!
Tip: Make the game even more challenging by having players keep their hands behind their backs so they must use other parts of their bodies to hit the balloon over the net. This is a great way to make the game more difficult for older kids!
Under Over
If you have a large group of kids, under over is a fun indoor balloon game for parties or classrooms to see how fast they can move.
How to Play:
Divide players into equal groups of at least 5 per team and have them stand half a meter apart. Give the first child a balloon and, once you call start, have the children pass the balloon under their legs, then over the next person’s head, and then under the legs again, repeating the pattern until it reaches the end. The last person runs to the start of the line and repeats the process until all team members have had their turn as line leaders. The fastest team wins!
Surprise Pop
This is a super simple balloon-popping game that can be played with any number of players.
How to Play:
Inflate a bunch of balloons and fill some of them with treats like small candies, erasers, balls, etc. The kids will work hard to pop the balloons to see if they can find a surprise.
Hot Potato Balloon
Hot Potato is a classic party game that’s made even more challenging with a balloon, as it might float out of someone’s grasp, making them chase it before passing it to the next child.
How to Play:
Sit the children in a circle and play music while they pass the balloon around. When the music stops, whoever is holding the balloon is out. The last player remaining is the winner.
Balloon Treasure Hunt
A balloon treasure hunt is a fun twist on the classic treasure hunt activity. You’ll need to come up with clues (or find some online) to place inside your balloons.
How to Play:
Fold a single clue inside each balloon and hide them around the house (or yard) so the kids have to solve the clues to find the next balloon, eventually leading them to the final treasure.
Tip: Place the clues inside the balloons before inflating them to reduce the chance of them breaking.
Outdoor Balloon Games for Parties
These outdoor balloon games for kids of all ages are sure to keep them entertained for hours with fun popping games, skill-based challenges, and many creative ways to play with balloons.
Pool Noodle Keep It Up
For this fun twist on the Keep It Up balloon game, you’ll need enough pool noodles for each player.
How to Play: The kids use their pool noodles as bats to keep the balloons in the air and prevent them from falling onto the grass.
Water Balloon Piñata
A water balloon piñata is always a hit with kids! All you need is a large container (like a bucket or trash bin), some string, water balloons, and small prizes.
How to Play: Fill the container with water balloons, making sure to leave enough room at the top for the lid. Once the game begins, have the kids try to pop the balloons to find the hidden prizes.
Balloon Stomp
Balloon Stomp is a fun game that older kids love. You can play it indoors, but be sure it’s somewhere without trip hazards or fragile items, as stomping balloons can get pretty wild! All you need are some pieces of string and balloons.
How to Play: Tie a balloon to each player’s leg with a piece of string. The goal is to protect your own balloon while stomping on everyone else’s until only one player remains with their balloon intact.
Balloon Relay Race
A relay race is always a party favorite, and this balloon duck race is a fun twist that will get everyone excited! You can play it in teams or individually, adding an extra challenge to the traditional relay game.
How to Play: Divide the kids into pairs, with half of each team on the starting line and the other half at the end of the relay track. Each child must place a balloon between their knees and run the relay as quickly as possible without popping or dropping the balloon. If anything happens, they must return to the start and restart their lap. The first team to have all players cross the finish line with their balloons intact wins!
Balloon and Spoon Race
A twist on the classic egg and spoon race, this one involves the challenge of balancing a lightweight balloon on your wooden spoon. You can also play it with water-filled balloons.
How to Play: Place a balloon on a spoon and race against other players to the finish line without dropping or popping your balloon. If you drop the balloon, you must stop and pick it up before continuing. The first player to cross the finish line with their balloon intact wins!
Balloon Painting
This sensory game is perfect for younger kids and is more of an activity than a game, but it’s definitely worth mentioning. You’ll need sheets of paper, paints, and balloons for this fun activity.
How to Play: Pour paint into paper plates or disposable trays, and have the kids dip their balloons into the paint and use them as paintbrushes to create some fun balloon art masterpieces.
A messier variation of balloon painting that’s perfect for older kids, pre-teens, and teenagers is balloon splatter painting. You may want to lay down an old sheet or tarp under this area, as it will get quite messy!
Old clothes or painting smocks are also a good idea!
How to Play:
Fill balloons or water balloons with different colors of paint. Don’t fill them too much. Set up a large canvas or sheets of paper and have the kids throw the paint-filled balloons to create a colorful abstract rainbow masterpiece.
Target Practice
This is a balloon-popping game for older kids or teens, as it requires the use of darts and plenty of supervision! A dart game kit is perfect for this, as it includes everything you’ll need.
How to Play:
Tape a bunch of different colored balloons to a fence, bulletin board, or another surface suitable for dart throwing, creating a balloon dart target. Assign each color balloon a point value—for example, red balloons are worth 50 points, blue balloons are worth 20 points, and green balloons are worth 5 points. Have the kids take turns throwing darts to earn points. The highest score wins.
Tip: Use a cheap or old dart set that you no longer need instead of your good quality set in case they hit other things more often than the balloons.
