Ages: 7 and up
Players: 6 to 30
Time: 5 to 10 minutes
Place: cleared room or lawn
Energy: active
Group size: Medium group (9 to 20), Large group (over 20)
Good for: Children, Teenagers, Adults, Office

What you need

One balloon and a piece of string about half a metre long per player. A marked area. Spare balloons.

How to play

Blow up the balloons and tie one loosely to each player's ankle, so that it trails on the floor.
Mark the area. A smaller area makes a faster game.
On "Go", players try to stamp on other players' balloons.
A player whose balloon bursts steps out of the area at once.
No hands: no holding, pushing or lifting your own balloon. Feet only.

Who wins

The last player with a whole balloon wins.

Variations and tips

Team version: two colours of balloon; the colour with the last balloon wins.
Pairs version: partners hold hands throughout.
For small children, play "balloon keep-up" instead: everyone keeps one balloon in the air without holding it.

Safety and kindness

Shoes must be flat and closed: no heels, no bare feet in a mixed group. Clear the floor. Balloon bangs frighten some small children and can upset pets and elders; warn everyone, and let those who dislike it watch from another room. Pick up every scrap of burst balloon afterwards, because the pieces are a choking danger for babies.

Common problems and how to fix them

Players run away instead of attacking. Shrink the area every thirty seconds by moving the boundary in.
Someone stands on a foot. Remind players that the target trails behind the ankle; stamping on feet puts you out.

Party plans that use this game

Birthday party, ages 7 to 10

Host tools

Time the round with the party timer, make chits or random teams with the chit maker, and keep the points on the scoreboard.

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