Ballooning Activities for Classroom

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• to familiarize students with the history of ballooning.
• to expand student’s vocabulary and concepts related to ballooning.
• to provide experiences that will motivate students to speak, listen, read, write, and question.
• to provide opportunities for students to express themselves through art and language skills.
• to expand math and science skills through hands-on activities related to a ballooning theme.

1. Read and discuss the history of ballooning. Give students a handout or together make a class outline of the important events. They can then copy the outline and put it in a Ballooning Folder.
2. Students can list unfamiliar vocabulary in their folders. Discuss and define.
3. Write vocabulary word onto a hot air balloon shape. Attach magnetic strips to the back and have students alphabetize the words by placing them on a blackboard or metal surface. These can be balloon vocabulary words or words from their spelling or reading lessons.
4. Draw a diagram of a hot air balloon and label the parts.
5. Collect newspaper articles about ballooning events and make a bulletin board display.
6. Create a balloon mural with the Mountains, the volcanoes and mesas, or downtown skyline in the background. Write ads for the Balloon Fiesta to go with the mural.
7. Write a balloon manufacturer for information.
8. Measure out how tall a balloon is on the playground using chalk to mark the distance. How many students can fit if they lie end to end?
9. Using Balloon Adventures of Paddy Pork (a wordless picture book), have students write their own story versions or prepare a story to tell aloud to go with the pictures.
10. Learn balloon safety rules and write them in their Balloon Folders.
11. Have students write poems. Cinquains work well for this because they can be easily written on a balloon shape.
12. Create a class book of the students’ best stories and poems. Students each choose one of their stories or poems to be proofread, revised, and published.
13. Design your own balloon T-shirt using fabric crayons or fabric paints.
14. Write story problems on measurement, about a long distance balloon trip. Have the students measure the distance on a state map with base ten blocks.
15. Cut up old Fiesta programs for games, i.e. memory games with balloon pictures. You need two of the same program for this.
16. Have students make their own balloon pins. Using shrink art plastic and permanent markers, trace small balloon pictures or have students design their own. Follow instructions on package for shrinking plastic. Plastic will shrink 60% of the original size. After the plastic has shrunk, glue a thumbtack to the back. Then add pin backs. Pin backs and plastic can be purchased at craft supply stores.

1. Paper-mache balloon – Inflate a balloon. Using either newspaper strips with flour and water paste or plaster bandage strips, cover the inflated balloon. Let dry and paint. Hang a basket underneath your painted balloon. Small baskets, strawberry baskets, or small milk cartons work well for this. Attach hook, string or fishing line so the balloon can be hung.
2. String Art balloon – Inflate a balloon. Cut embroidery floss into 2 to 3 foot lengths. Dip floss into starch and place over balloon. Let dry. When string is dry, pop balloon. Hang small basket or gondola made from milk carton underneath. Attach string or fish line loop at the top for a hanger.
3. Tissue Paper "Stained Glass" balloon – Inflate balloon. Use white or clear balloon, or use several layers of white tissue paper to begin with. This prevents the color of the balloon from showing through the tissue paper. Cut 1 to 2 inch wide tissue paper strips. Lay a strip over the balloon and coat with PVA or diluted white glue. Continue to cover the balloon in this manner. Several layers need to be applied. Let balloon dry. Hint: Tissue paper colors will bleed. So, be prepared. Cover work surface and students’ clothes. If you use more than one color of paper, colors will bleed together and give a stained glass appearance. Hang small basket or gondola made from milk carton underneath. Attach string or fish line loop at the top for a hanger.
4. Sheet scraps balloon – Have students bring in old sheet scraps or cotton fabric scraps. Cut in 1 to 2 inches wide or in squares. Inflate a balloon. Dip fabric in liquid starch and cover the balloon. Let dry and pop the balloon. Hang small basket or gondola made from milk carton underneath. Attach string or fish line loop at the top for a hanger.

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