The Color Balloon in My Tummy

Children imagine a balloon inside their tummy: breathing in inflates it and breathing out deflates it, and depending on the color the teacher shows, the balloon carries them flying around the space in a different way. It works on belly breathing and how it connects to movement and feelings.

How to play

1. Sitting with hands on their tummies, the teacher explains there's a balloon inside: breathing in through the nose blows it up (the tummy rises) and breathing out lets it down (the tummy falls) (2 min).
2. They blow up their balloon three times, watching their hands move (1 min).
3. Red balloon: they fill it and fly fast around the space; when they run out of air, they land (2 min).
4. Blue balloon: they fly very slowly and low, as if floating over the sea; yellow balloon: they fly with little hops; green balloon: they fly slowly turning around (4 min).
5. After each flight, they blow up the balloon again sitting with hands on their tummies before the next color (2 min).
6. Last balloon, white: they slowly inflate and deflate lying down until they're perfectly still (1 min).

Rules

• I breathe in through my nose and feel my tummy rise.
• I fly the way the color says.
• When I run out of air, I land.
• I fly without bumping other balloons.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: the child flies with their arms from the chair and feels their tummy with one hand.
• Visual impairment: colors are said out loud and each one has its own music.
• Autism: keep a card for each color with a drawing of how to fly in view the whole time.

Learning goals

• Feel belly breathing with the hands.
• Connect breathing pace with movement speed.
• Begin linking colors, movements, and feelings.

Equipment for a class of 25

• Color cards: 4
• Music

Teacher tip

Many kids lift their shoulders instead of their tummy when breathing in; put your hand over theirs and exaggerate "Look, my tummy's growing!" Landings are always soft, sitting or lying down.

More main activities for Elementary