Balls and Balloons

The use of balls and balloons during music activities gives children a different way to explore 'moving and handling' in their physical development. It also helps with the development of their personal and social skills, and an opportunity to express themselves.  I use balls and balloons in singing and listening activities either on their own or on a piece of fabric, e.g. a parachute or Lycra.

Balloons are particularly good for younger children as they are easier for them to trace and then catch.   Although some children have allergies to certain balloon materials so please check before trying any of the activities below with balloons.

The balls I use for these type of activities are lightweight.  From tiny ball pool balls to 1 metre wide! The metre-wide ball I sometimes use in listening activities; the children think it is fantastic trying to keep the ball on the fabric whilst they bounce it!

Here are some song ideas that you might like to try using a ball or balloon on fabric.  I have taken well-known songs and changed the words to work with a ball or balloon:

Row, row, row your boat, could become:

Roll, roll, roll your ball (balloon)

Gently to and fro

Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily

To a friend it goes.

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Hokey Cokey, could become:

We move the fabric in

The fabric out

In, out, in, out

We shake it all about!

 

We do the bouncy, bouncy

And we jump up and down

That’s what it’s all about!

 

Oh do the bouncy, bouncy

Oh do the bouncy, bouncy

Oh do the bouncy, bouncy

Knees bent, arms stretched

Bounce, bounce, bounce!

If you’re happy and you know it:

If you’re happy and you know it, bounce the ball/balloon

If you’re happy and you know it, bounce the ball/balloon

If you’re happy and you know it and you really want to show it

If you’re happy and you know it bounce the ball/balloon

other verses: shake, roll…

Recordings of these can be found in the paid members' area of 'Activity Ideas for ~2 to 5 Years' under 'Balls and Balloons' in the online resource Early Years Music Ideas. 

Happy music making!