My kids love creating new things out of balloons. I love it because I can get an entire bag of balloons for $1.00. The rest of the items needed for making these balloon objects are usually craft supplies I already own, but even if you have to purchase them, they aren’t expensive.

Balloon Ghost

Balloon ghosts are fun to make during the Halloween season, but also can be used around a campfire in the summer when telling scary stories.

Instruct your children to blow up a white balloon, and tie it in a knot at the bottom. Use a permanent black marker to color some scary eyes and a mouth on the front of the balloon ghost. Now give your ghost a body by wrapping a piece of white construction paper around the bottom portion of the balloon. Tape into place. Cut slits in the construction paper starting at the bottom, and stopping just below an inch from the top. Hang the ghost up, or use it to scare your friends.

Balloon Earth

Kids can learn the geography of the earth simply by making their own model. Parents can provide the children with a continent template, or they can require the children to cut the continents out of green construction paper.

Give each child a blue balloon to blow up and secure with a knot. Try to keep the balloon more round than oval. Color the continents green if they are not green already, and glue them on the balloon in the same location as you would find them on a globe. Children may wish to refer to a globe in order to place the continents where they belong.

Balloon Ice Cream on a Cone

This balloon craft looks yummy, but it isn’t edible. Parents may want to lead children to create ice cream cones using colorful balloons during the summer months when ice cream parlors are open. Perhaps a trip to the ice cream parlor after the craft is finished is to be considered.

Allow each child to choose a balloon in any color. The color will symbolize the flavor. A pink balloon, for example, would symbolize strawberry ice cream, while a brown balloon would symbolize chocolate. Next, have each child wrap a sheet of construction paper into the shape of a cone. Tape in place. Set the balloon on top of the cone, and secure with glue or tape. Use permanent colored markers to decorate the balloon ice cream so that it appears to be covered in rainbow jimmies.