The Balloon That Grows With Your Voice
Each child is a flat balloon that grows while saying "aaah" louder and louder, then shrinks with a "sss" that gets softer and softer. Children connect the volume of their own voice with the size of their body.
How to play
- Crouched into a little ball, we are balloons with no air; the teacher shows the inflating sound, "aaah," starting very quietly (1 min).
- Blow up: as the "aaah" gets louder, slowly stand up and open your arms until you are a giant balloon (1 min).
- Let the air out with a "sss" that gets softer and softer, sinking back down into a ball (1 min).
- Flying balloons: puffed up, float around the room with a soft "ooo"; if the teacher claps, "pop!", drop gently to the floor (1 min).
- Last balloon: blow it up all together in a circle holding hands, then let the air out very slowly until it's silent (1 min).
Rules
- Quiet voice, small balloon; loud voice, big balloon.
- No yelling: a big balloon uses a strong but pleasant voice.
- On "pop!", fall slowly and without pushing.
Variations
Easier
Age 3: just inflating and deflating, with the teacher modeling in front.
Standard
Age 4: add flying balloons and the "pop!".
Harder
Age 5: in pairs, one child blows with their voice and the other is the balloon that grows or shrinks to match.
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: makes the balloon with arms and upper body from the chair.
- Hearing impairment: puts a hand on their throat to feel the vibration grow and fade, and follows the teacher's hand rising and falling.
- Autism or noise sensitivity: may keep a soft voice the whole time or blow without voice.
Learning goals
- Link loud and soft with big and small.
- Control the volume of the voice.
- Warm up with changes in level and range of movement.
Teacher tip
Make it clear from the start that "loud doesn't mean yelling" and model a strong but pleasant voice. Repeat the full inflate-and-deflate cycle two or three times before adding flying.
PatioLab has "The Balloon That Grows With Your Voice" and 8714 more activities ready to drag into your lesson and run from your phone in the gym.
More activities like this
More warm-ups for Elementary
«Ahora que Vamos Despacio»: The Silly-Fibs Stroll
We stroll very slowly singing the traditional Spanish song «Ahora que vamos despacio» («Now that we're going slowly, let's tell some fibs»), and on each «tralará» we…
«El Cocherito Leré»: The Hopping Carriage
We're carriages trotting around the yard, and on every «leré» in the traditional Spanish song «El cocherito leré» («the little coachman») we jump with feet together.
«Sal de Ahí, Chivita»: The Get-Out-Little-Goat Chain
The little goat won't leave the field, so in this traditional Spanish cumulative song we call the wolf, the dog, the stick, the fire, the water and the ox.
A Bandage Where I'm Tagged
A few children tag holding a scarf; anyone tagged puts on a “bandage” by placing a hand exactly where they were touched and keeps running that way, and after a second…
A Walk Through the Pole Forest
We stand plastic poles upright in cones with holes and the playground becomes a forest of tall trees.
Achoo, Into Your Elbow!
Children move around like animals and when the teacher goes “Ah… ah… achoo!”, they stop and hide their face in their elbow as if sneezing or coughing.