Water Balloons

Since the weather has been so beautiful this week I thought I would write about something we got up to a few weeks ago (when the weather wasn't so nice) that would be perfect to do in this heat.

Water balloons are so much fun for children, they are perfect for this hot weather and they make fun games for the whole family. With Tom I wouldn't want to throw water balloons around the room as this isn't much fun for Tom and he could get hurt but I still want him to experience the fun of a water balloon.

A very cheeky Chappy!

Whilst Tom was in his standing frame I filled some water balloons with warm water. I used warm water because at the time we did this activity it wasn't as hot as it is this week and Tom isn't a huge fan of cold water so I wanted to ensure he would enjoy the activity and get the most from it.

When the balloons are full of water they make a great sensory tool. You can roll them along the skin, the weight gives them a very therapeutic feel and Tom found it very relaxing when I rolled them up his arm (I had everything crossed they wouldn't burst all over him!). You can also transmit vibration through them, for us this meant I made a low pitch hum onto the balloon and Tom had the it resting on his hand so he was able to feel the vibration and therefore adding an extra sensory aspect for him. He also responded very well using his own vocalisation back to me, this was then incorporating a little bit of 'intensive interaction' (See the link below for more details about 'intensive interaction')

We spent a good amount of time exploring the water balloons, shaking them and listening to the sound, pressing them, wobbling them and feeling the texture, how smooth they were. Then came the fun bit.

A water balloon isn't so much fun if you can't burst it. So we used a pin and one by one burst the balloons into a bowl that Tom had his hands in. This element of surprise was very funny for Tom. I think if it had been cold water he wouldn't have found it so funny! We then explored the water. This activity was great because it was two different activities all on one. I really love doing activities with Tom in which something changes into something else. I love watching Tom during these activities because you can see him working it all out in his head.

You could adapt this activity in so many ways. Next time I want to put different materials inside the balloons as well as water. For example I may add rice and water in one and see how Tom reacts when this one burst. If the child is happy with cold water you could add a mix of warm and cold water to add an extra talking point to your activity.

Give it a go, its a great way to cool down in this beautiful warm weather.