(www.balloonhq.com/faq/making.html)
Grades 3-12, with parental supervision
Ever wonder how latex and Mylar balloons are made? You can find out by taking a virtual field trip to this site.
When you get there scroll down a little and you can read a general overview and some Q&A’s about how balloons are manufactured. There are some photographs that help illustrate the text. You will discover how balloons are molded, how the rolled lip is formed, how they are colored and imprinted, and there is even information on how to make latex balloons at home! (Parental supervision is required!)
But don’t stop with the tour. This site has all kinds of fascinating and educational information about balloons (some more appropriate for high school level and beyond). When you finish the “tour” click on “The Guide” on the menu at the top of the screen. Look under the headline: The How’s and Why’s of Balloons. You will see a menu that offers:
- How balloons are made – click on it to repeat the tour.
- How helium-filled balloons float – includes a discussion of “Archimedes’ Principle.”
- How balloons pop – an in-depth discussion of the effects of static electricity on balloons, an engineer’s explanation of stress on balloons, the molecule arrangement of balloons, and much more.
- Balloon Science 101 – includes science discussion about balloons from the simple to the highly technical (for example: Stupid Human Tricks with balloons to Entropy and the 2nd law of thermodynamics as applied to latex).
- Balloons and Teaching – a complete 6-week sample curriculum that covers balloon safety, twisting balloons, connecting balloons, making balloon sculptures, hats, and critters – and some interesting suggestions/experiments with balloons and dry ice.
You can also read all about the history of balloons and much more! This is a delightful site for the balloon aficionado in your family.
We also found a YouTube video of how balloons are made. Be sure to have a gross of balloons handy – the urge to inflate and pop will be overwhelming!
