Top 11 Fun Balloon Party Games

Turn your birthday party decorations into game props with these fun balloon games.

01 of 11

Name Pops

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Have each person write their name on a balloon. Toss them into the middle of the room. Set a timer for 30 seconds and have the kids stomp and pop as many as they can. When time is up, the players whose balloons were popped are out. The players whose names are still in play stomp again for another 20 seconds. Keep playing for short intervals until only one balloon remains. The player whose name is on the last balloon is the winner.
02 of 11

Noodle-loons

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Give each child a pool noodle. Place a large cardboard box in the middle of the floor, and then surround it with a bunch of inflated balloons. Set a timer (for about five minutes) and instruct the kids to get the balloons into the box without using their hands, feet or bodies. They must use only the noodles to achieve this goal. Teamwork will come into play as they figure out they must use their pool noodles in sets of two to lift the balloons into the box.
03 of 11

Balloon Word Search

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Divide guests into two teams. Make two sets each of six balloons. Write the letters to spell out the word W-I-N-N-E-R on each of the six balloons. Scatter the balloons around the party area. Have the players race to find the letters that spell the word. The first team to collect and arrange their balloons to spell “winner” wins the game.
04 of 11

Capture the Balloon

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This balloon version of Capture the Flag is a fun game for a camping party, family reunion, summer picnic or any event that has several kids and plenty of outdoor space. To play, divide players into two teams. Call one team the blue team and one team the red team (or whatever two colors suit your party theme). Give a red balloon to each player on the red team and a blue one to each blue team member. Choose which team will be “it” first. Set a time for three minutes. That team must spend the three minutes trying to tag members of the opposing team. When a player tags an opponent, the opponent must give his balloon to the tagger. After three minutes, switch sides and play for another three minutes. After the time is up, count how many balloons each team has (balloons that were popped or lost in play don’t count). The team with the most balloons wins.

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05 of 11

Color Pop

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Divide kids into two teams. Give each team a bunch of inflated balloons (use an even amount of balloons for each team, but make each set a different color) and a chair. On “go,” the first players in line for each team must run, get one of her colored balloons, bring it to the chair and sit on it until it pops. When it pops, they can tag the next player in line, who must then grab a new balloon and sit on the chair to pop it. Play continues this way until one team has popped all of its balloons. The first team to do so wins.
06 of 11

Balloon Sweep Relay

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Give each team a bunch of balloons and a broom. Have them line up behind a starting line. Draw a finish line several feet away. Players must take turns using the broom to “sweep” the balloons over the finish line. The first team to have all of its balloons behind the finish line wins.
07 of 11

Hula Hoop Ring Toss

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Place stakes in the ground so that they are a few feet apart from one another. Assign a point value to each stake by writing the number on an inflated balloon and tying it to the top of the stake. Have players toss hula hoops to try and “ring” the balloon-topped stakes. Score points according to the values indicated on the stakes they manage to ring.
08 of 11

Balloon Darts

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Feed the tied ends of inflated balloons through the holes in a sheet of pegboard and secure them on the other side. Mount the balloon board. Have kids stand behind a line and throw three darts each at the balloons. Award points for each balloon a player pops with the darts.

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09 of 11

Balloon Catch Dance

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Have kids gather and pass a balloon around as they dance to the music. When the music stops, the player holding the balloon must call out the name of another player and toss the balloon in the air. The player whose name was called must try and catch the balloon before it hits the floor. If he fails, he is out of the game. Play continues for several rounds or until all, but one player has been eliminated.
10 of 11

Balloon Candy Hunt

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Before the party, insert small pieces of candy into balloons before inflating them. Consider non-candy items for health reasons as well.Hide the balloons around the party space. Divide the kids into teams. Send them out to find as many balloons as they can in a set amount of time. When they find a balloon, they must pop it and collect the piece of candy from inside. Once time is up, the team with the most candy wins.
11 of 11

Balloon Collectors

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Blow up several balloons and place them on the floor. Set a timer for one minute. Send the first player into the balloon pile to try and collect as many as they can in one trip. When time is up, count how many balloons the player was able to carry at once. Return the balloons to the pile. Give each player a turn to do the same. The player who collects the most wins.