Use hot air balloon crafts to help your kids float away to a great time! Kids will learn a great deal about physics when you teach them how hot air balloons work, so this is plenty more than just a craft. Make sure it’s not too windy the day you make these, or else your kids might fly away! There are plenty of videos that teach how hot air balloons work, so show them one if you’re not comfortable explaining it yourself.
Skills
Types of skills can include math, science, fine motor, dramatic play, social and emotional. Here is how this craft applies these skills:
Math
Add in math concepts by having your child identify the colors and shapes. Why not make it fun and have them count as they are gluing the tissue papers on their balloon.
Science
Talk about how hot air blows up the balloon. To make it more interesting, talk about how hot air rises and when the balloon is filled with hot air, it begins to rise up. If there is no more hot air, the balloon comes down to the ground slowly due to cold air.
Fine Motor Skills
Using fine motor skills, your child will glue colorful tissue paper on the balloon. Have your child locate their name and glue it on the basket of the hot air balloon.
Dramatic Play and Social/Emotional
Children can pretend to be in the hot air balloon and fly away as high as they want to pretend to go to their favorite places. You’ll be surprised to hear some of the places they want to fly to see when you ask them about how they would feel riding in a hot air balloon. Not only that, listen to the sounds of their voices and watch how excited they are jumping up and down trying not to fall out of the basket.
Boundaries
Make sure you supervise your child when using scissors and other sharp items.
Materials
You will use white construction paper for the hot air balloon, any color construction paper for the basket, pipe cleaner, scissors, and glue. Don’t forget to take a picture of your child to place in the basket to personalize it.
Steps
Firstly, find a hot air ballloon template that you wish to use with your craft, trace it on white construction paper, and cut it out.
Next, cut colorful tissue papers into 1 inch squares. Use bright colors to make it beautiful and attractive.
Use any color construction paper and cut out a rectangle for the basket. Take into consideration the size of the hot air balloon. You don’t want it to be too big or too small.
Then have your child decorate the balloon with the precut colorful tissue papers as they choose.
Don’t forget to hole punch the balloon and basket. Have your child insert the pipe cleaners on the hot air balloon to attach it to the basket.
Finish off the craft by taking a picture of your child and glue it on the basket part. Make it exciting by having the child make different facial expressions or have their hands up high.
Modifications
You can use a variety of materials to decorate the balloon. Some suggestions are stickers, glitter, or paint.
Improve your child’s fine motor skills by having them decorate using markers, paints, colored pencils, etc.
Who’s Full of Hot Air?
Maybe you’re not, but you’ll need plenty hot air to get those balloons into the sky. Hot air balloon crafts are a ton of fun and your kids will go crazy (in a good way) making their own. Don’t forget to make your own and float away with the kids!