# Balloon Ant-Mobile
> Tie two leftover party balloons together, draw on a face, and you have an 'ant-mobile' to sit between, drive around and use as a puppet for pretend play. It's a fun way to use up balloons after a party.
- URL: https://www.funlittles.com/ant-mobile/
- Ages: 3–7 yrs · Difficulty: easy · Mess: low
- Time: prep 10 min, activity 30 min
- Works for: one-on-one, small group · one batch serves about 1 kids
- Skills: pretend-play, storytelling, fine-motor, creativity
- Cautions: ingestion-risk

## Materials (one batch)
- 2 piece Balloons (leftover party balloons work great)
- 1 piece Marker (household)

## Substitutions
- Instead of balloons: Latex-free balloons (Not from the post; a general suggestion for kids or classrooms with latex allergies.)

## Safety
- Uninflated balloons and pieces of popped balloons are a serious choking hazard for young children. An adult should supervise at all times and pick up any broken pieces right away.
- An adult should inflate and knot the balloons. Don't let young children blow up balloons or put them in their mouths.
- Most party balloons are latex. Check for latex allergies before using them, especially with a group.
- Keep play gentle: no hitting with the balloons, and keep balloons away from sharp objects.
- Use a non-toxic marker for drawing faces, and let the ink dry before play.

## Before you start
- Save leftover balloons from a party, or have an adult blow up and knot a few balloons.

## Steps
1. Pick two balloons, one bigger and one smaller.
2. Tie the two balloons together by their knotted ends.
3. Set the balloons on the floor so they look like an ant's head and body.
4. Draw some eyes and a smile on the head balloon.
5. Sit between the two balloons and take your ant-mobile for a drive.
6. Use your balloon ant as a puppet and make up a story.
7. Tie on more balloons to make other creatures, like butterflies, spiders or bumble bees.

## Tips
- Don't let leftover party balloons get forgotten under the bed or in a corner, shrinking away. Turn them into an ant-mobile!
- Tying two balloons together is great fine motor practice for little hands. Go fine motor skills!
- Our balloons did not break after taking all that abuse from a 4-year-old and a 9-month-old. They stayed healthy for a good 4 days before starting to shrivel up.
- Let your imagination take you places. The kids may come up with their own creature ideas.

## The original post by TurkeyMom (2012)

What do you do with all the balloons left over after a party? The kids bounce them around for a couple of days and then they are forgotten and hidden under the bed or in a corner shrinking away. But here's what we did... Big S had her big birthday party and we blew up a lot of balloons. As much as Lil’ S loves to bounce them, I thought she's going to freak out when she hears them pop! But it really didn't bother her much. Anyways, after the party I had a few left and the girls were having balloon fight. Big S had managed to tie 2 balloons (go fine motor skills!) and holding one in the hand she was using it as a whip stick for her horse - played by lil’ S Me: What are you girls doing? Lil’ S: Da- da- da- ba ! Of course she has something to say too. Big S : (My translator) Mmooom … shes saying she wants to play more. She doesn't like it when you disturb us mom ( all the while, she's hiding the balloons behind her, and it was hilarious to see these huge balloons sprouting out from her back and she's trying hard to hide them from me ) ROFL moment ! Me : ( Controlling my laughter ) Well, Were you girls playing rough? Lil’S (busy blowing raspberries at me) She loves to do that. Big S : No mommy. Hands are not for hitting .. remember? I only hit her with the balloons. It didn't hurt her. I was doing it very gently. She was so convincing that I had my “lost for words” moment. Me: Okay what do you girls want to do? Big S took the balloons and put it on the floor and sat between the two balloons and she had an instant ‘ant-mobile’. Big S : mmooom look this looks like an ANT !  I was astonished and it really did. We drew some eyes and a smile and we had our own puppet .  Endless hours of ‘Ant mobile’ drives and fun! Would you be surprised if I told you that those balloons did not break after taking all that abuse from a 4 yr old and a 9 month old !!!?!? The balloons stayed healthy for a good 4 days before starting to shrivel up. We have since made them into butterflies, spiders and bumble bees. Let your imagination take you places. Big S has her own set of ideas, we are going to make them into aliens, monsters and porcupine ! Will update the page with the pictures when we get to them .