I realized at Chuck's birthday party that toddlers love balloons. They go crazy for them. They are like pure magic spheres of joy. They don't even have to be filled with helium. When I was stocking up my snow day survival kit this winter, I made sure I had a pack of balloons. All I have to say is that was ninety-nine cents well spent!
I inflated about a dozen primary color balloons during nap today and filled the front porch. I left the front door open a little with the hopes that when Chuck came down from her nap, she would take a look out the window. It literally took about 30 seconds for her to wander out to the porch and scream, "balloon!" I love when my expectations match up with reality! And, Chuck didn't let me down!
She ran back and forth through the balloons, kicking them as she squealed with delight! I love the way balloons gently float through the air. It's a perfect match for playing catch with toddler reflexes! I kept gently patting the balloon through the air, and it would float right down into Chuck's hands.
There are so many things to do with a simple balloon! We spent the better part of an hour kicking, grasping, running, jumping, and yes -- popping. I let a few of them fly through the air as I was inflating them. I showed Chuck how you can make a funny noise by stretching out the opening and letting the air flow through. We named all the colors of the balloons and had a few balloon races across the porch. It was a great way to blow an afternoon (sorry, balloon humor) .
I think my favorite part of this activity, was when she filled her tunnel with all the balloons. I wasn't quite sure where she was going with this. Then, when she had all the balloons lined up in a row, she pummeled herself through the tunnel giggling the entire way. In the words of Chuck, it was "awesome!"
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