Amaze kids with simple balloon crafts like this rocket made from househould items. There's nothing quite like watching the awe on a young child's face when a parent presents him or her with an amazing new toy that does something. That awe isn't diminished in the slightest when the toy is something cobbled together from household objects either. You may choose to spend big bucks at a toy store for a birthday or Christmas surprise, but you can produce gratifying results on a daily basis with things scrounged up from kitchen drawers and cabinets.
By way of example, consider the "Slow Rocket To Nowhere." A soda straw, an elastic band and a party balloon make a toy that can be reused over and over.
The "Slow Rocket To Nowhere" is a simple variation on one of the discoveries that kids delight in: if you blow up a balloon and then let go without knotting the end, it will dart erratically about the room for a half-second or so until all the air is out of it. As much fun as it is to let full balloons spurt about, however, the flight is all too brief usually so fast as to be nearly invisible.
By using the soda straw, you can slow down the flight and make it last longer. Young eyes can follow its progress, and young legs can even run to catch it as it falls. Here's how it's done:
First, blow up the balloon to its full diameter, holding onto the end and releasing the air, then repeating this step several times. This will stretch out the balloon's rubber, making it easier to inflate when you've made the rocket. If you skip this step, the chances are that the balloon will blow right off the straw when you attempt to inflate it for flight.
Next, insert the soda straw into the mouthpiece of the balloon. If it's a long, cylindrical balloon, insert it so that half the straw is in the balloon and half projecting outside it; this will help the balloon to make relatively straight flights. If it's a spherical balloon, it's not likely to travel well in a straight line, so you can leave most of the straw projecting on the outside.
Fasten the balloon to the straw by using the elastic band. The bigger the band, the more friction it will exert to hold the balloon to the straw. Loop and twist, loop and twist over and over until you can't stretch the rest of the band over the end of the straw anymore, then tie a simple overhand knot to keep it from slipping. Construction is complete.
Put the exposed end of the straw in your mouth, hold onto the mouth of the balloon where the elastic is wrapped around it, and blow up the balloon. Put your finger over the end of the straw, hand it to your child and the flights can begin.
A gentle forward launching motion when releasing the finger from the end of the straw is all that is needed; alternatively, point the straw to the floor and the balloon upward and it will act like a helicopter, rising, hovering and descending. If the air is being expelled too quickly, simply pinch the straw partially closed.
Don't forget that balloons themselves are dangerous for young children, who can choke on them. Don't give your child a balloon unattached to the straw, because it might be accidentally inhaled. If a balloon bursts, pick up and dispose of all the pieces immediately. And don't leave your child unattended with a balloon. By staying right there, you'll be providing a safe environment while sharing the fun.
When playtime is over, put the rocket away for the next time a few minutes of diversion are needed. You've created fun for your child out of next to nothing, an admirable accomplishment.
Article provided by Homesteader
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