No.69
Fan the Balloons Across
Japanese name: 風船パタパタ
Materials
- Five balloons and an air pump
- One hand fan per person
- Floor-marking tape
- A timer
How to play
- Divide a floor rectangle with a center line. Two equal teams take opposite halves; place five balloons on the line.
- On the signal, fan balloons from your half toward the other half using air only. Do not strike them with a fan or body, or cross the line.
- Keep fans away from other people. The facilitator returns out-of-court balloons to the center; players do not chase them.
- Stop fanning after 30 seconds and wait for balloons to stop moving. The team that has sent more balloons into the opposite half wins. Ignore balloons on the line.
- Swap sides for a second round. Equal totals are a draw; briefly discuss the next strategy.
Ways to adapt
Preschool children: cooperate to move balloons one way. Younger primary school children: 20–30-second rounds. Older primary school children: discuss each player’s area.