Parent tip
Set out balloons and masking tape before inviting your toddler in so the first minute feels smooth.
Balloon Hockey
Use cardboard tubes as sticks to bat a balloon into a goal.
Activity details
Instructions
- Mark out two goals on the floor with masking tape at opposite ends of the room
- Give each player a cardboard tube — toilet roll or kitchen roll tubes work well
- Blow up a balloon and drop it in the centre
- Show your toddler how to bat the balloon along the floor with their tube
- Play together: try to bat the balloon past each other's goal line
- Celebrate goals wildly — do a lap of honour around the room
- For younger players, work together on the same team batting towards one goal
What success looks like
Flushed cheeks, big smiles, and a calmer child afterwards. If they want to do it again, you’ve found a winner.
Tape a masking-tape goal line on the floor, hand each player a cardboard tube, blow up a balloon, and play! The slow float of the balloon gives toddlers time to track, aim, and swing — making this a perfect introduction to stick-and-ball sports. The gentle rallies build naturally into full-speed chasing and whacking.
Why it helps
NHS Best Start in Life recommends practising throwing, catching and kicking a ball as simple activities that teach coordination, balance and agility. Tracking a slow-moving balloon and timing a swing develops visual tracking, hand-eye coordination, and motor planning. Using a tube as an extension of the arm strengthens tool use — a cognitive milestone that requires the brain to integrate the tool into its body schema, the same mental process needed for using cutlery, pencils, and other implements.
Variations
- Use two balloons at once for chaotic, hilarious double-balloon hockey.
- Replace the tubes with wooden spoons or fly swatters for a different hitting sensation.
- Draw a face on the balloon so it 'watches' them play — toddlers find this endlessly amusing.
Safety tips
- Supervise balloon play at all times — burst balloon pieces are a serious choking hazard.
- Ensure cardboard tubes are not crushed or splintered — replace damaged ones immediately.
- Clear breakable items from the playing area before the game begins.
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