Balloon Birthday party theme? Help please!

[newnana]

DD has decided that her birthday party will have a balloon theme. I need help coming up with entertainment ideas. Any help would be appreciated, bonus points for links!

Guests will be ages 2-10, most in the middle.

Grandpa is making the cake- no worries there, he's phenomenal. DD put in the request for 3 specific princesses. But she is emphatic it is NOT a princess party. Invitations have gone out, no worries there.

I considered doing a freeze dance thing to 99 Red Balloons and making a mixed CD to also include They Might Be Giants, Where do they Make Balloons. But that's as far of a list as I can come up with and it turns out she doesn't like 99 Red Balloons.

One of the other moms can make balloon dogs.

Oh, it's a home party. BBQ. Afternoon.

Crafts? Games? Cute food ideas? Anything you creative folks can help me with? I figure ballons for decorations are easy enough.

Thanks!!!!!

She made up the goodie bag list herself: 2 balloons, one ring pop, etc. I'm okay with that.

[sarahsthreads]

Water balloon toss? If it's warm enough, obviously. :) Or have the kids go from one side of a room/the lawn to the other keeping a balloon up in the air by bouncing it - so they can't let it hit the ground before they get to the other side.

I tried googling crafts with balloons and didn't come up with much that was suitable for a party activity, but these look kind of cute and fun: http://www.birthdaypartykidz.com/2010/02/flip-flop-craft/

Sarah :)

[misshollygolightly]

If the weather is nice or you have a large enough space, there are fun games you can play! Water balloon toss, balloon "volleyball" (put up a low net and let the teams toss/hit the balloon back and forth, trying to keep it from hitting the ground...can also play this without a net), do a relay race where kids run/walk holding a balloon between their knees (or hold the balloon with a partner without using their hands). Another simple idea might be to have a balloon "release" at some point during the party.

I'd think that a couple of games, your friend making balloon animals, and some balloon decorations would be enough to carry the theme.

For a craft, you could set out markers and sticky foam shapes for kids to decorate their balloons with.

[misshollygolightly]

A few websites with ideas:
http://hubpages.com/hub/How_to_Host_a_Balloon_Themed_Party
http://holidays.kaboose.com/balloon.html
http://www.ehow.com/way_5250086_balloons-bubbles-party-theme-ideas.html

[septmama2b]

We have a family tradition of playing a hysterical balloon game at family parties, birthday, showers you name it. Take package of party balloons, the kind that have all the different sizes and shapes, blow them all up and put them in a large laundry basket or other kind of container. Set a timer and one by one contestants try to hold as many balloons as they can in the time allowed. I think we only do it for 60 seconds, but it has been a very long time since I have played. You can stuff them in your clothes, under your chin, between your legs, in your mouth. It is hysterical.

[BeachBum]

At my 2yr olds party a friend gave them each a garbage bag sized party bag full of balloons. Some were helium and some were not. All the kids had fun dancing and playing with them. It was a fun surprise opening the bag.

keep the balloon up in the air games.... Sit on the balloon to pop it games. We did a clue hunt for another party, and the clues were in the purple balloon. So the kids had to catch it,pop it etc.
maybe get a book about balloon animals and see if you or the older kids can make something?

[Melaine]

Have you heard of balloon balls from Etsy? You can search here, they have been mentioned several times. It might be a fun favor!

[Jen841]

Invitations would be balloon shaped out of construction paper
Music - Anything from the movie Up or Curious George (my kids love the scene of them floating with the balloons - Jack Johnson does the entire soundtrack)
Games - Volleyball, or some form of hot potato passing a balloon, or a relay where you have to get X balloons from point A to point B and you can't carry it with your hands

[zoestargrove]

Instead of a pinata, a friend of ours stuffed candy pieces into a hundred balloons and blew them up. She hid them all over her front lawn and the kids had to find and pop the balloons to get the candy out. They had a blast!

[newnana]

You guys are awesome, I knew I could count on you! Keep 'em coming!