Balloon Games

I'm currently facilitating a 'cognitive stimulation therapy' in the community for people with mild to moderate dementia. As recommended by others, we played the balloon game using 'pool noodles' (I cut each one into 3 pieces). It was the most animated I have seen the group, in the many weeks of working with them. We all had so much fun : ) Thanks so much for this resource and everyone's comments.

I’m the activities director in our dementia unit. My residents love playing this game. We use pool noodles instead of rackets or fly swatters. And I use 18 inch balloons. Great fun for all.

I am new to activities and this game looks awesome. Can't wait to try it.

Thank you,

I use foam pipe lagging, soft and versatile

At our elderly care we can not use balloons due to the latex

I have had residents make their own rackets using old metal coat hangers (if you can find them) and old nylon stockings. to make racket, hold the hanger from the hook part and middle of the straight part pull it out. then put the stocking over it and tie it. I like to tape the handle with duct tape. hit punch balloons with it

baloons are a cheap and accesible instrument, a lot of activities we can do with them

Chair - Balloon Volley Ball

Divide group into teams.

Set each team in chairs facing each other on opposite sides of the volleyball net. Keep the net low so it isn't too difficult to get the ballon over. 

Each team has to try to get the ballon over the net. Each time the balloon hits the ground, the points go to the opposite team. 

Whichever team scores the most points wins. 

I've used the pool noodles (cut in 3) for over 15 years. Also use the punch balloons (not as air borne), a row of tables with a net running along the middle of the tables and the residents seated on either side. This allows for the balloon to drop to the table and the residents can retrieve the balloon rather than bending down to reach it (automatic reaction). This was a great activity for people with visual impairments as they can feel the air as the balloon makes it way towards them.

I love this game! I purchased a volleyball net . I have four players on each side using fly swatters ballon volleyball. The residents love it.

GREAT IDEA FOR THOSE WHO ARE WINDED FROM CHASING BALLS AND BALLOONS!!
My seniors at my adult day center love competing with balloons .... but my back quickly let me know that this was not going to last much longer!
I ended up tying a long piece of twine from the ceiling and attached an inflated (punch ball) to the end of it. Now my members can sit and hit the ball around from one to the other and I no longer have to retrieve the ball! They love it and my back does too!
To give the punch ball some weight - I taped a small washer to the bottom of it.

Hi
We cut up Pool Noodles into 3 - they make great hitting sticks for balloons - colourful too
:)

Hi Yvonne
Thanks for sharing this idea

we made bats using wire and shaped like a bat and covered in with old stockings the members have so much fun.

Fly swatters ordered from Amazon
Pack of balloons purchased from local shop
Stack of newspapers to use and roll of sticky tape to make bats
Cant wait to try this out ............
Some fab ideas for bats we have a couple of table tennis bats and I can visit our kitchec department too of course.
Steve

Hi my name is sue been working with dementia for three years then rotated to age care on other side so love balloon tennis with the dementia so love it and they love it a little different on the other side a little harder to please so I try and use a lot of humour and I think I’ve won their hearts was a cleaner for 35yesrs had work accident so they put me over there and I love it insurance company finally paid for course as the nurses said have to be qualified there three years without ticket must be doing something right

We do something like this called Noodle ball. We take pool noodles and cut them in half to use to hit the balloons. Our participants love this game.

Excellent activity for home

We do something similar to this but we use pool noodles and cut them in half. they really enjoy it when we do it.

Hi,

My residents love this game and they are happy smiling and laughing as I dart about the room retrieving the ballons

Hi all, Im new to this and have just started (2 weeks ago) as an activity coordinator for a nursing home where my grandmother resides. Today we played the balloon game with fly swatters at a table and the residents were so happy. Giggles all around.
thanks for your suggestions i'm eager to read more.

Great idea Diane

Hello everyone!
I have used a punch ball with the rubber band taken off for years. Arms length away from each other. Sometimes we can only use our feet. We call it volleyball exercise.
Everyone loves it & they cant get hurt.
Thank you all for your comments.

My residents (of all cognitive and physical levels) LOVE balloon games. I have several variations in the activity rotation. The one tip I can add here is to fill your balloons with a mix of air and helium. Balloons filled with air only drop to the floor so quickly - I felt that we spent as much time picking balloons up as we did actually playing. I found small tanks of helium in the party supply section of Walmart (very reasonably priced). I blow my balloons up about 2/3 with "my air" then add a nice shot of helium before I tie them off. This gives the balloon a nice "loft". It tends to sort of float more slowly through the air and stay up a little longer. This minor difference makes a big difference in giving residents a few more seconds to prepare as a balloon heads in their direction.

We used fly swatters for this activity, and our residents loved this activity, also they had a great laugh with it as I dressed up as a tennis player in baggy white shorts, white shirt and a sweat band on my forehead and wrists made with bandages, they thought it was great fun, one of them even mimicked a tennis umpire. A very rewarding activity for both the treasures and myself.

I do a balloon toss game with my residents. I cut pool noodles in half and them whack the balloon. They love it and get so much exercise out of it:)

What a great activity! Our residents laughed and really enjoyed playing.

We use pool noodles cut in half & a partially-inflated balloon (usually a punch balloon as they are durable & can be deflated for use another time) to do Cardio Drumming. Each resident uses 2 noodles (drumsticks) & holds the balloon between his/her knees (drum) while sitting in a chair (preferably with no arms on the chair). Add peppy music & make things up as you go! You can include hitting with two drumsticks on top, on the sides, on the floor, waving in the air, to the left, right, clapping together in front or overhead, etc. Alternate hands/sides, develop patterns & challenge memory, etc! The possibilities are endless. Remind residents to rest when needed & make sure they are taking nice deep breathes & not holding their breathe while concentrating. Great workout & great fun!

Another excellent variation is to tie two balloons together. When the resident hits the balloon because there are two attached they fly off in all directions and spin. I have found this always brings a laugh to the residents.

Good Morning Every One, I am new to this site and I am enjoying reading every thing!
We use Pool Noodles cut in half and a Balloon we call it Noodle Ball.
The pool noodles can be purchased at the dollar store or Walmart. At the dollar store they are a dollar at the end of pool season they are also a dollar or less at Walmart. When cut in half each pool noodle serves two people so it does not cost much to put this game together and it will last for years. We have the skinny noodles and cut them in half ( you can use the fat noodles but the skinny noodles are easier to hold on to). Each person gets a noodle and then a balloon is thrown into the circle. The goal is to keep the balloon in the air. We have a lot of fun.
Any one who says this is to childish has never played it. Noodle Ball is engaging, fun, and gets every one moving. Our guest also like to play.

For my exercise group I found a similar balloon game as above from The NAAP site. I called it table top tennis. I sat 6 residents around 2 large round tables which I placed together with another activity aide. That morning we had a group of 6th graders come in for a craft group. I had them make me 6 tennis racquets made out of a paper plate and a paint stick for a handle with the residents. They decorated the paper plate with glitter and glue and I stuck the paint stick on the back of the plate with masking tape. Each resident had a "tennis racquet" I played lively music and said out loud "MOVE IT OR LOSE IT ! " as I threw two balloons in the middle of the two tables. Boy did we have fun and boy did the residents "Moved it". You could document it under exercise group, music, arts and craft and intergenerational.

Thank you so much for the balloon and fly swat game suggestion. We have played it with our clients and they thoroughly enjoyed themselves as did we. A packet of three fly swats costs two dollars and a bag of balloons another three dollars so it's an inexpensive way to have fun.

Our residents love balloon tennis. We use badminton rackets - light as long as you sit the residents at a safe distance from each other.

Take a trip to the Dollar Store and buy plastic clappers to swat the balloons! The residents love to make them clap when they score a point!

Hi Solange,,,,,, well had some time to think over the xmas break,,, done and gave my resignation 23rd Dec. Lovely manager, who I've known for 30 years,,, only looked at it, put it on her desk and gave it a pat,,,, until Tuesday. ( in case I changed my mind ) Any way after all that and a re talk on Tuesday,, I have decided to retire,,, the most confronting time was when I had to sign the separation form at the hosp,,, extremely hard, because its now final.
So yesterday I spent some time in the blackcurrant patch,,, just me and my music and do you no what ???? it was wonderful,,, no forward planning etc going through my mind,,,, yes I think I am going to enjoy all this ME time,, just not looking forward to the 68th birthday in couple of weeks time... Lovely to be able to chat with you,,, Robyn

Happy retirement Robyn!!Best wishes!

Hi Robyn, I am sorry that the RN in question does not see that the game is beneficial to clients. Balloons have been fascinating human beings for ages; they are icebreakers, energisers, team building and so much fun!

We have been playing this game with fly swatter and parashut with balloons they all enjoy it and a lot of giggles from both genger

we use foam pool noodles cut in half, our residents love it.

Just to let you know that you can reuse special occasion balloons. Use a balloon pump to blow them up and only half tie the knot so you can easily untie them or use a knitting needle to untie knot - check youtube for a clip to show you how.

We also have great fun and laughs with balloons. We use plastic skittles at bats. Gaylene

Hi all,
I have been playing "balloon tennis" for some time now using new flyswats as racquets - my residents have always enjoyed it and the flyswats are really cheaps to buy and can been washed as needed.
Jeanette.

I have made tennis racquets from cardboard cylinders from foil, cling wrap etc, and oval plastic plates which I have covered with colourful plastic wrap. These are the same shape as racquets and you can tell the former tennis players when they serve and use their back-hand.

We use thongs as bats just enough extra reach without causing injury lol
Great Game idea. Jenny

Roll up a regular sized newspaper until firm - tape it up so it doesn't 'unwind' -create a big sock of soft silky colorful recycled fabric and shove it over the newspaper,as a big sock so to speak. If done well it will last you for years! I use an inflatable lightwheight plastic pool ball, the size of a small pumpkin. They just love to wack the thing!!!

We made bats from wire coathangers which are shaped into a diamond shape then old stockings are pulled over the diamond shape,cork stoppers for handles,then electrical tape over so no sharp edges,they can be personalized with ribbon or streamers or different colours for different teams.

I am going to do this left handed for international left handed day 13th August
Cheers Debbie

We played balloon fun for the first time in my facility, and the residents absolutely loved it, i made the rackets out of wire coat hangers and staockings. Sue

I tie a long string to a balloon, seat guests out of arms reach,or around a table and swat the balloon to a person, they hit it to the next opposite person, etc. Lots of giggles and it is a safe exercise. 2 people or more can enjoy this.

I agree, pool noodles cut in half can be used to play several indoor games.

Foam Pool Noodles cut into lengths are great for Balloon Activities
Shirley NSW

Badminton racquets are too big wit too many residents. I do like the idea of fly swatters and feather dusters

Hey Judy what a fantastic idea I am going to add this to my program, I have invested in a couple of balloon covers so that we can use the balloons without fear they will pop and cause a problem. Lisa

I get the residents playing 'Team Balloon Challenge' most Friday afternoons. I string a rope up onto 2 walkers at each end. On each side of the rope I have 3 residents either in wheelchairs or sitting on chairs. I have a whistle and we start the game. No bats, only using hands and one balloon. We trial a couple of balloons just to make sure we have the 'right' one to play with. One game is up to 11 points. The rules are 1. If it hits the floor on your side of the rope the other team score.
2. The balloon goes under the rope.
Sometimes I have many players so I use them as 'back ups'. One behind each team.
we play until one side has won two games and them I swap over some or all players.
After two matches i work out the 'grand final' team and we have the final games for the afternoon.
All in all it lastabout 1hour 15mins.
Great fun is had, It is amazing how long a turn can go before the balloon is deemed out.
I use my hands to signal the points and help out with getting the balloon back if necessary. Sometimes staff members join in.
It does get some very quiet residents. and those on big whelchairs a great opportunity to join in.
Much laughter is had..I can tell you!!

Hi Heather - we play with badminton rackets and also with feather dusters.
They love it; even clients that usually do not participate in other activities enjoy this game.

My folks love this game but I use lots balloons and I also use wooden spoons...can do balance game too and hockey

i play balloon tennis with my dememtia residents they all love it and have a good laugh

Hi Denise, this idea sounds really interesting though I cannot imagine how it looks like. If in the future you take a photo of the coat hanger bats, could you please share it with us?

I made some bats out of wire coathangers, shaped into a bat [ pull the wire into a circle shape ]and cover with some old stockings ... knee highs fit perfectly ....

i use those blow up bats that are given out free at netball games

Pool noodles cut in three make good "tennis rackets" and they can be used in lots of range of movement activities as well.

Whast a great idea! I shall add fly swatters to the activity.

I also find that using fly swatters works well with this activity