There tend to be Rules when it comes to ball games indoors. But the quickest way round it is with a game of balloon tennis.
I say balloon tennis. It could be balloon football, balloon volleyball – even balloon golf, if you have a mini golf set about the place.
The point is that, with a balloon, and two or more players, you have the best chance of the game becoming whatever you want – which is part of the appeal. No breakages, and (if you set up the rules carefully) no need for grownups to rise from the sofa.
Add in the fact that it proves a great distraction on a wet day, and you have a sure-fire winner of a game.
Balloons – and where they come from
No matter how many and varied the toys are that your junior players know, they never fail to enjoy balloons. Best individual item in a party bag, as far as I’m concerned – and party bags are probably the most frequent source of balloons.
You can also rely on family fun events, as well as magic shows, a certain number of restaurants, and no doubt more. And if you get a helium balloon, they’ll last for months. (They also go pop less easily than regular balloons.)
Balloon sports: from the bed
This is ideal for weekend mornings when grownups are finding it hard to get out of bed. Junior player stands at the foot of the bed, adults stay in bed. Remit of where the balloon goes – mostly back and forward, but shots to the side of the bed are also permitted.
If the junior player is also the ball boy or girl, you’re sorted. (If they’re old enough to bring you a cup of tea in bed…well, one can but dream.)
Balloon sports: from the sofa
Similar notion. Adult stays sitting down as much as possible (or at least, this is the version I prefer). If you have a couple of sofas opposite each other, this is idea, but a sofa near an armchair can also be good.
If you play across the central space, you can also invent forfeits if the balloon touches the floor in the middle: imaginary crocodiles, Â piranhas, and the like.
Balloon sports: over the tops of chairs
If you want a volleyball version of balloon sports, an armchair could work quite well as a net equivalent. Â This encourages the play up and over, rather than just straight.
Junior players may also enjoy hiding behind the chair and popping up suddenly when it’s their turn to hit the balloon. Jack in a box meets balloon volleyball.
Balloon sports: doorways and hallways
If you have two doorways opposite each other, you can have fun using them as goals, and trying to get the balloon into your opponent’s goal. Make sure the doors are well back, so that you avoid players banging into the doors by mistake.
Alternatively, one player stands at one end of a hallway, and tries to see how far they can make the balloon go. Â This is where those mini golf clubs can come in handy (as long as junior players can be relied on not to hit each other with them).
However, I could imagine other items that could work just as well: foam swords, possibly lightsabres, and even rolled up newspaper as a form of a bat.
Balloon sports: the static electricity trick
If your junior players are tiring of this, finish up with the static electricity trick. Â Take the balloon, and rub it on some clothing – up and down a woolly jumper is ideal.
Once you think you’ve built up some charge on the balloon, there’s a couple of options. Â If you or a junior player has reasonably short hair, pass the balloon over their hair to make it stand up. (This works particularly well if the person has quite fine hair.)
Alternatively, stick the balloon against the wall, and the static should hold it there. Â You could make this into a game too – take it in turns to charge up the balloon, and time how long you can make it stick to the wall.
And if it pops? Well, in my experience, you won’t have to wait that long for another one…