How To Make Glow Stick Balloons (and What to Do with Them!)
Ready, Set, GLOW! These glow stick balloons are fun to play with because their behavior completely differs from that of an ordinary balloon.
Balloon Fun
Balloons, in general, make a fun toy for little ones. Playing games with balloons helps little ones learn hand-eye coordination and gets them active.
Once little ones have mastered keeping an air-filled balloon up in the air, give them the challenge of keeping up glow stick balloons. The weight of the glow stick changes how the balloon moves and keeps preschoolers on their toes.
Glow sticks are generally used at night, which can be the case with glow stick balloons, but it doesn’t have to be the only time you use them.
The balloons still glow in the daylight and are incredibly fun to play with. From one mama to another, be sure to have a few more than you need. They may pop quickly (like any balloon) if you play with them outside.
If that happens, it’s a great learning opportunity for your preschooler to infer why the balloon popped and to come up with a different (less pokey) place to play!
How To Make Glow Stick Balloons
1. Blow up the balloon bigger than you want it to be.
2. Twist the mouth part of the balloon so the air doesn’t get out.
3. Take the larger end of the glow stick (if it has a larger end) and place it into the balloon’s mouth part first.
4. Untwist the mouth part with the glow stick in it and quickly work the glow stick into the balloon.
5. Add more air into the balloon if needed.
6. Tie the glow stick balloons.
7. Enjoy playing with the glow stick balloons (or using them as decorations).
What To Do With Glow Stick Balloons
Use as Decoration in a Dim Room
Make the glow stick ballons and place them around the room to help illuminate it in a fun way.
Don’t Let it Touch the Ground
The age-old game of not letting the balloon touch the ground at all costs. The glow stick inside the balloon is sure to make this interesting because the balloon falls quickly and makes jerky movements.
Count (or Sing) Your Taps
Each time your preschooler taps the balloon to keep it from falling, say the number out loud (1,2,3, etc.) going in order.
Once you have reached the point where your little one can count, try it again, but say the alphabet in order instead of numbers. The first tap would be A, the next tap B, etc.
Volley It
To pass the glow stick balloons to each other, make paddles with paper plates and craft sticks (or clothes pins).
Hot Potato
Gently pass the glow stick balloons to the next person in the circle while singing the “Hot Potato” song. Whoever ends up with the glow stick balloons gets to choose the next game.
Balloon in a Basket
Assign different-colored balloons to each kid. Kids try to get their colored balloons into an assigned clothes basket. You can choose whether to make it a timed race or a sorting-by-color game.
For example, Sam may try to get all the blue balloons into his basket while Grace tries to get all the yellow balloons into her basket.
If you have one kid, have them sort the glow stick balloons into different baskets based on color.
Balloon Games with Glowing Balloons
Glow stick balloon fun doesn’t have to end here. There are many more balloon-related activities you can try with the glow stick balloons. Nearly anything (maybe not water balloons or filling them with helium) you do with a regular balloon, try with a glow stick balloon! No need to wait until it’s dark to try, either!
