Balloons are virtually indispensable at parties, weddings or birthdays. The latex party item comes in all sorts of colors, shapes and sizes, creating a certain atmosphere of festivity. Children also like to play with balloons because they are so light and move unexpectedly in the air.
But did you know that balloons can also be useful for completely different purposes? Or that you can do very different practical things with them? Here’s a list of some tips and tricks you can also use balloons for…
Make your own pump
Source: YouTubeWhen you have to blow up dozens of balloons for a party, you can sometimes feel a little light-headed, so it’s not the best job! A trick you can use, to fill a large number of balloons with air, is to use a pump. And you don’t necessarily have to buy one: all you need is a simple, plastic soda bottle. Make a small hole in the side of the bottle and then attach the spout of the balloon to the drink opening. Squeeze and release the bottle, until the balloon has enough air inside it.
Make your own stress ball
Source: YouTubeFill an empty balloon with the contents of a full tube of toothpaste and then tie a knot in the end of the balloon. By doing this, you create your own stress ball, which for many people is a tempting toy to relax with and squeeze.
Shooting ping pong balls
Source: YouTubeThis is a fun activity that children will undoubtedly like to play, and you can easily play it by cutting balloons at the top. Next, tie each of the broken balloons to the bottom of a cardboard cup. Then cut the bottom of the cup, as well. Now you’ve made a kind of launch toy from which you can ‘shoot’ ping-pong balls at each other, by putting the ping-pong ball inside the cut and pulling back on the knotted balloon end and letting go suddenly.
Use them as cooling elements
Source: YouTubeFill a few balloons partly with tap water and tie a knot in the end. Then place the balloons in the freezer for at least a few hours. The water will freeze, so you have made your own cooling elements. This way – on hot summer days – you can keep your drinks cool and refreshing, for example if you spend an afternoon on the beach.
Make your own party poppers
Source: YouTubePut a knot in the end of a balloon. Then cut off the top of a balloon and attach it around an empty toilet roll tube. You use this in the exact the same way, as described above, when shooting the ping-pong ball. However, instead of a ping-pong ball, you put confetti in the tube. When you pull on the knotted balloon ‘spout’ and release it, you’ve made your own party popper!
Make your own chocolate bowl
Source: YouTubeBlow a balloon up to your preferred size and smear the top half of it with chocolate spread. When you put the balloon in the freezer for a while, and then take it out again, you can easily remove or pop the balloon. This will – if it’s set okay – become hard and be in the shape of a bowl. By doing this, you have created your own chocolate bowl!
