I don’t know about you guys, but we’re crazy about balloons! Every year on our daughter’s birthday, we fill her room with balloons…to surprise her when she wakes up. Giant foil balloons are a birthday party staple in our house. And we always use balloons for various experiments and activities throughout the rest of the year. But today, we wanted to share a couple of fun ways to use balloons to create artistic masterpieces – with these two stellar Balloon Painting techniques!
Whenever there are balloons around, our little nugget has a smile on her face – they make her so happy! So…I know that an activity or project involving balloons is sure to be a big hit! And I’m happy to report that she absolutely loved painting on balloons…AND…painting with balloons!
Balloon Painting – Two Ways
Painting On Balloons
Have you ever painted a balloon before? The thought had honestly never crossed my mind…until one sunny afternoon, when I was fresh out of ideas to keep my little one busy. She asked if we could paint, but we were both pretty tired of painting on paper – we needed a unique canvas. And that’s when I opened up the pantry door and saw a bag of white balloons staring back at me from the top shelf. π Yep…sometimes desperation breeds fantastically fun ideas!
Our little nugget loved painting on a 3-dimensional surface – it was a nice departure from a flat sheet of paper. And she created some incredibly colorful balloons that afternoon. Switching up one simple element can often create magical results!
Supplies:
- White Latex Balloons
- Yarn/String
- Paint (we used this set of Crayola Washable Finger Paints)
- Paper Plate/Paint Palette
- Paintbrushes (optional)
Instructions:
- Start by inflating your white balloons. Using yarn or string, hang the balloons up outside…either from a deck railing, fence, or something similar. Make sure to hang them at a height that your kiddos will be able to easily reach with their hands and/or paintbrushes.
- Next, add various colors of paint to a paper plate, paint palette, etc.
- Bring the paint and paintbrushes outside, and set them down near the hanging balloons. You might want to bring a couple of paper towels or wet wipes with you for cleanup.
- Let your little ones go crazy painting their balloons…while you sit back and watch their creativity bloom! They can use their fingers, paintbrushes…or even their toes. π
Painting With Balloons
If your kiddos thought that painting on balloons was fabulous…just wait until they try painting with balloons! That’s right…go ahead and ditch the paintbrushes…because it’s time to transform those balloons into painting tools!
I came across this brilliant idea over on Kristy’s (@today.our.children) Instagram feed…and I just knew that we had to give it a whirl. Our little nugget started giggling immediately…as she bounced her balloons between her paint colors and her card stock. The process is incredibly addicting – even I joined in on the fun! π
Supplies:
- Latex Balloons
- Paint (this time we used our Sargent Tempera Paints)
- Paper Plate/Paint Palette
- Tray or Baking Sheet (to contain the mess)
- White Paper or Card Stock
- Tablecloth (optional)
Instructions:
- Start by inflating a handful of balloons – we inflated ours in a variety of different sizes.
- Add various colors of paint to a paper plate, paint palette, etc.
- We took all of our supplies outside, but you could just as easily complete this art project indoors. I recommend laying a tablecloth down first, to catch any splattering paint.
- Place a sheet of white paper or card stock in the center of your tray (or baking sheet). Set your balloons and paints within arm’s reach.
- Have your kiddos select a balloon, dip the balloon into a paint color, and then bounce it around on the sheet of white paper…creating a colorful masterpiece! Our little nugget enjoyed bouncing the balloon up and down on the paper to create fun little balloon prints, but she also enjoyed sliding it around on the paper as well.
- Once they’re finished painting one sheet, go ahead and switch it out with a clean sheet of paper…and let the balloon painting continue!
Bring on the balloon art! These two simple painting activities are sure to leave your kiddos grinning from ear to ear! I mean, you can’t help but smile when balloons are near. π
And if you’re looking for some other engaging ways to have fun with balloons, make sure to check out our Water Balloon in a Jar Experiment, our Playdough Stress-Ball Balloons, our Baking Soda & Vinegar Balloon Experiment, our Water Bead Stress-Ball Balloon, and our Balloon Rocket Races!
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