KIDS BALLOONING with Magical Balloon-dude Dale
Caution: Balloons are fun toys but can be dangerous like all toys…Would you please make sure small children do not chew balloons or have access to broken bits? We want all our kids to grow healthy and happy. I ask you to be responsible like a professional balloonist. Adult supervision is recommended.
The first trick to making a balloon animal is to blow up the balloon. This is hard. You can buy a hand pump or use a football pump to help blow up the balloons. Do not blow the balloon up all the way… you only need 1/2 a balloon.
Carefully tie the balloon. When twisting a balloon, always start at the end with the knot. Do not worry, it will not break if you twist it, but you must hold on to both ends of the balloon. Otherwise, the balloon will untwist. The balloon will not stay twisted by itself. You have to twist the balloon together.
Balloon Animals – Star
Step 1–Blow up one balloon less than halfway.
Step 2–Starting at the knot and measure a 1/2″ and make a twist. Twist three or four times around to make a good bubble. Now make two more bubbles giving you a total of three.
 | Make sure you hang on to both ends of the balloon. Otherwise, it will untwist. Do not worry. It will not break. Why didn’t it break? There is space at the end of the balloon for the extra air. That is why we only blow the balloon up halfway. |
Step 3–Take the balloon’s nozzle and wrap it around the last bubble and through the bubbles. This will lock the bubbles together. Take the middle bubble and pinch twist this bubble.
 |  | If yours looks like this, very good; if not, try it again. Practice makes perfect. |
Step 4–Make a new 1/2″ bubble (altogether, 20 1/2″ bubbles). This will be the space between the points. Make sure you hang on to this new bubble; otherwise, it will untwist.
Step 5–Like in the first step, make three more 1/2″ bubbles. This time twist the bubble after the spacer bubble around the last bubble. Then a pinch twists the middle bubble. Then repeat until you have five arms.
 |  | Spacer, three bubbles, 1 and 3, are twisted together, then pinch twist the center balloon. |
Step 6–After the last arm (5 total), wrap the previous spacer around the first arm. Carefully, force the air to the end of the balloon and make a little bubble. This is the bubble you will break and let out the extra air.
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Step 7— Wrap the rest of the balloon around the first arm and tuck in between the bubbles. You have just made your first star. A STAR has been born!
