Paper Plate Balloon Rally

A keep-it-up game where the child hits a balloon with a home-made paper plate paddle, introducing one-handed striking.

  1. Make a paddle: tape a wooden spoon, ruler, or thick craft stick firmly to the back of a sturdy paper plate. Make one for yourself too.
  2. Blow up a balloon. Let your child tap it upward with the paddle and see how many taps they can make before it touches the floor.
  3. Teach two cues: “Watch the balloon” and “Push it up — flat plate to the sky.”
  4. Now rally: stand 2 meters apart and hit the balloon back and forth. Count the hits in a row as a team.
  5. Add a “net” — a string between two chairs or a line of cushions — and try to keep the balloon going over it.

Variation: hit with the hand instead of a paddle, alternate forehand and backhand sides, or use two balloons at once for happy chaos.

Requirements

  • Space: A clear area about 3 × 3 meters with a reasonably high ceiling
  • Surface: Any flat, non-slippery floor; indoors is best because wind carries balloons away
  • Materials: 1–2 balloons; two sturdy paper plates; two wooden spoons or rulers; tape; optional string for a net
  • Participants: 1 child alone for keep-it-up; 1 adult or sibling for a rally
  • Supervision: Moderate — an adult stays present whenever balloons are in use

Rationale & Objective

Striking is the fourth member of the object-control family alongside throwing, catching, and kicking, and it is the hardest to time because the child must bring an implement — not just the hand — to a moving object. A balloon solves the timing problem: it floats slowly enough for a 5-year-old to track it, get their feet underneath it, and swing. Children’s occupational therapy services routinely recommend balloon games as the first stage of ball skills for this reason, and motor-development texts (Gallahue & Ozmun; Haywood & Getchell) describe slowing the object and shortening the implement as the key ways to make striking achievable. The short, light paddle is an example of equipment scaling, which a systematic review (Buszard et al., 2016) found improves skill learning in children. The game builds visual tracking, hand-eye coordination, and the sideways swing that later becomes the forehand strike assessed in the TGMD-3.

Progress Indicators

  • Early: swings and misses often; hits the balloon in random directions; watches the paddle instead of the balloon; manages 1–2 taps
  • Developing: makes contact on most swings; keeps the balloon up for 3–5 taps; needs a lot of running around to reach it
  • Proficient: keeps the balloon up for 10 or more taps; sends it roughly toward a partner; rallies 4–5 hits back and forth
  • Advanced: directs the balloon over a net on purpose; uses both forehand and backhand sides; rallies 10 or more hits; can strike a light beach ball or foam ball the same way

Safety Notes

  • Balloons are a serious choking hazard — never let a child put a balloon in their mouth, pick up and bin every piece of a popped balloon at once, and keep uninflated balloons out of reach
  • If anyone in the household has a latex allergy, use foil balloons or a light beach ball instead
  • Clear the room of low tables, sharp corners, and anything on shelves — children look up at the balloon, not where they are walking
  • Tape the handle so no sharp end sticks out past the plate, and keep paddles for balloons only, not for swinging near other children
  • Some children are frightened by balloons popping; let them choose a slightly under-inflated balloon, which pops less easily

Hints

  • Playfulness: the floor is lava and the balloon must never touch it; or the balloon is a sleepy bird that needs gentle taps to stay in the air
  • Sustain interest: decorate the paddles together; keep a rally record; draw a face on the balloon; try a “slow-motion round” and a “tiny taps only” round
  • Common mistake: hitting as hard as possible, which sends the balloon out of control. Ask for “soft pushes up to the ceiling” until the rally is steady
  • Limited space: play sitting or kneeling on the floor, facing each other — the balloon stays close and there is no running into furniture
  • Cross-domain: count hits in ones, then in twos (numeracy); call a color or animal on every hit (vocabulary); decorate paddles with patterns (art); talk about why the balloon falls slowly (early science)
  • Progression: hand taps → paddle taps alone → partner rally → rally over a net → smaller balloon or beach ball → drop a foam ball, let it bounce, and hit it with the paddle

Sources

  • Ulrich, D.A. (2019), TGMD-3 — one-hand forehand strike of a self-bounced ball (ball skills subtest)
  • NHS children’s occupational therapy advice sheets on ball skills (e.g. Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, “Occupational Therapy Advice — Ball Skills”; Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, “Our Top Tips! Ball Skills”) — balloon and beanbag games as early catching and hitting practice
  • Gallahue, D.L. & Ozmun, J.C. — Understanding Motor Development (development of striking)
  • Haywood, K.M. & Getchell, N. — Life Span Motor Development (striking and task constraints)
  • Buszard, T. et al. (2016), “Scaling the equipment and play area in children’s sport to improve motor skill acquisition: a systematic review,” Sports Medicine
  • UK EYFS Development Matters — Reception: refine ball skills including throwing, catching, kicking, passing, batting, and aiming