Celebrating hot air balloon history the Crafty Parent way
Fun fact: On November 12, 1981, three men crossed the Pacific in a hot air balloon, traveling from Japan to California (About.com). Not exactly Columbus sailing the ocean blue, but it’s still pretty cool. Have some fun with this random bit of history, by turning it into a kid’s craft project.
Photo by Samantha Dellinger via yorkblog.com
Paper-maching a balloon, and decorating it is a great way to get kids excited about learning the history associated with these colorful wonders. With a simle mixture of water and flour, kids can have a balloon covered in newspaper in no time. Once that first layer in on, they can cover it in brightly colored tissue paper, in any pattern they choose. Another option in to cover the balloon in white tissue paper, and then carefully draw on patterns when it has dried.
To go a step further, parents can help kids find a small, lightweight basked to attach to their balloon. There’s no doubt that dolls and action figures will have a great time riding around in style! After making this craft, challenge your kids to learn more about the history of the hot air balloon. Have them guess how many days they think it took the men in the hot air balloon to complete their journey. Get out a map and trace their path. Ask your little ones to describe how think a hot air balloon stays up in the air. Find out the answers together by going online or reading a book from the library.
Posted by Erica Lauren
Tags: hot air balloon craft, paper mache balloon
