The professional children’s entertainer trick to stopping balloons from popping
Burp them.
No I don’t mean hold them to your shoulder and rub their backs. That just creates static (although that can be fun).
What I mean is, just before you tie a knot in a balloon, let a tiny amount of air out. Just for half second will do. The balloon size will barely change, but the chances of it popping will be much, much smaller.
Less (air) is more
By letting a small amount of air out, you’ll relax the latex of the balloon and make it slightly squishy. This means it will be able to take a lot more abuse without popping.
Burping balloons for a children’s party helps them withstand:
- Toddlers laying on them
- Children hitting each other with them
- Changes in temperature from a cold car to a warm hall
- Grandparents accidentally sitting on them
- Contact with pointy objects
And if you’re going to go to all that effort to inflate the balloons, then you might as well give them a fighting chance of surviving the whole party!
Image “Le Voyage des Ballons Multicolores” by ClickFlashPhotos / Nicki Varkevisser is licensed under CC BY 2.0