Suggest a new activity

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Report a bug

Optional, 1 image up to 5 MB.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Report an error in this activity

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Balloon Tower Building

Balloon Tower Building

Min number of participants 3
Age 6+ yrs.
Safety support by adult Not required
Min duration 20 min.
Cost None (Free)
Environment Indoor / Outdoor

Teams inflate balloons and stack them into the tallest freestanding tower they can using only tape — a bouncy, colorful twist on the classic engineering challenge.

The Essentials

How to play

  1. Give each team the same supplies: a large bag of balloons and one roll of tape — nothing else, no sticks or frames.
  2. Set a build time of 15-20 minutes for teams to inflate balloons and tape them together into the tallest freestanding tower they can.
  3. Balloons may be taped to each other in any arrangement (clusters, columns, pyramids) but the tower must support itself with no one holding it up.
  4. When time is up, all building stops and every tower is measured from the floor to its highest point.
  5. The tallest tower still standing unaided at measurement time wins; if a tower collapses before it's measured, it's disqualified.

Tips

  • Cluster several balloons together at the base for stability — a tower built from a single wobbly column of balloons falls over almost immediately.
  • Underinflate balloons slightly rather than fully; softer balloons tape together more securely and are less likely to pop under pressure.
  • Build a wide base first, then narrow the structure as it rises, the same principle as any stable tower design.
  • Great for team building: it's cheap, colorful, and the inevitable pops and wobbles make for a genuinely fun, low-stakes atmosphere.
Activities

Similar activities (see all)

Report an error in this activity

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Marshmallow Spaghetti Tower

Marshmallow Spaghetti Tower

Teams race to build the tallest freestanding tower out of dry spaghetti, tape, string, and a marshmallow on top — a classic team-building engineering challenge with a strict time limit.

Report an error in this activity

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Family Cooking Challenge

Family Cooking Challenge

Pick a theme — Mexican, Japanese, five ingredients — assign roles, set a timer, and cook together under friendly competition. A fun, educational kitchen game that ends with a meal you made as a team.

Report an error in this activity

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Egg Drop Challenge

Egg Drop Challenge

Teams design a protective contraption from everyday materials to keep a raw egg from breaking when dropped from height — a fun engineering test of creativity and problem-solving.