Balloon Squishy Balls

Here’s an easy way to create some squishy, squeezy fun! We mixed up some homemade playdough, and loaded it into balloons. In order to get it into the balloons, we used the same process that we did for our Ninja Stress Balls. The ninja stress balls are filled with flour, and ours are still going strong! However, we decided that just for fun we would make something a little “squishier!”

The final product is great for strengthening hand muscles, giving wiggly kids something to fidget with during a quiet listening time, or just for play!

To make them, you will need:

First, cut the zipper off a ziploc bag, or used a fold-over sandwich bag. Put in the desired amount of playdough.

Balloon squishy balls

Twist the bag closed. Cut the neck off of a balloon, and stretch the balloon over the baggie.

Balloon Squishy Balls

When we did the Ninja Stress Balls, we filled them with flour. We finished them off by adding a second balloon with the neck cut off. I tried this method for the squishy balloons, and found that the playdough encourages more intense squeezing from the boys, and the balloons started coming apart. So I decided to put them inside a whole balloon and tie it shut. Now the boys can squish to their heart’s content!

It *might* be possible to load the playdough into a baggie and then put the whole balloon directly over that, but I couldn’t get it to work. Probably depends on how stretchy your balloons are. For me, the cut balloon slid on really easily, and then the whole thing was firm enough to get the uncut balloon over it.

Whether you use store playdough or homemade, it will eventually harden or get yucky, so this is not a forever craft!

Balloon squishy balls

For more squishy fun:

Check out this recipe for slime dough from Fun at Home with Kids! We tried it and loved it. In fact, we tried to use it as a squishy balloon filling, but because of the cornstarch, it gets harder each day, and the balloons lost their squishy-ness really quickly. It’s awesome to play with though!

Or mix up some homemade moon sand! Recipe from The Imagination Tree.

4 Comments

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  1. Robin Cooter Aug 1, 2013

    Thanks! I tried getting play dough into a balloon a few months back but couldn't get the balloon as big as I wanted it to be. I will try this!

    Reply
  2. Carolyn Aug 7, 2013

    Awesome idea, thanks! We have some sensory ones with split peas, rice, sugar, flour, sand and quinoa. I like the flour and quinoa. My little one likes sugar best because it is holds its form well.

    Reply
  3. Rhiannon Jan 20, 2015

    I used a Play Doh syringe like toy we had to put the dough into the balloons. A pastry bag with a tip might work well also.

    Reply
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