Breathe in the baby
Make a small inflatable baby puppet using a balloon, straw, and paper; blow to inflate and watch it wiggle, learning about air pressure.
Step-by-step guide to make an inflatable baby puppet
Step 1
Gather your materials.
Step 2
Fold the paper in half once.
Step 3
Draw a simple baby shape along the folded edge with your colouring materials.
Step 4
Cut out the baby shape through both layers of paper.
Step 5
Open the cut-out and decorate the baby with your colouring materials.
Step 6
Use scissors to cut a small X-shaped hole near the bottom center of the paper baby.
Step 7
Push the straw gently through the X-hole until most of the straw sticks out the back.
Step 8
Stretch the open end of the balloon over the protruding straw end.
Step 9
Secure the balloon to the straw by wrapping clear tape tightly around the seam.
Step 10
Tape the straw flat to the back of the paper baby so the balloon hangs behind it.
Step 11
Hold the puppet so the balloon hangs freely behind the baby.
Step 12
Blow gently into the straw to inflate the balloon.
Step 13
Pinch the straw closed with your fingers to trap the air inside the balloon.
Step 14
Release the straw to let the balloon deflate.
Step 15
Share your finished creation on DIY.org
Final steps
You're almost there! Complete all the steps, bring your creation to life, post it, and conquer the challenge!
Help!?
What can we use if we don't have a drinking straw or a balloon?
If you don't have a straw, roll and tape a small strip of paper into a tight tube to push through the X-shaped hole, and if you don't have a latex balloon you can stretch a finger of a latex glove over the tube and tape it like the balloon in step 9.
The balloon keeps leaking or slipping off—what should we check or fix?
If air leaks or the balloon slips when you blow, make sure the balloon's open end is fully stretched over the protruding straw, then wrap clear tape tightly around the seam and press the taped straw flat to the back of the paper baby as directed in steps 9–11.
How can we adapt the activity for different ages?
For toddlers have an adult do the folding, cutting, and X-hole work while the child decorates the opened baby in step 6, and for older kids let them design detailed outfits and experiment with different straw sizes or multiple balloons during steps 7–12.
How can we enhance or personalize the finished paper baby puppet?
To personalize and extend the craft, add yarn hair, googly eyes, or folded paper clothes when you decorate the cut-out in step 6, or tape a second balloon behind the first to make the puppet inflate longer before pinching and releasing the straw.
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Facts about air pressure
🎈 Balloons stretch a lot — that stretchy latex lets a little breath make a tiny paper puppet puff up and wiggle.
💨 Blowing through a straw concentrates your breath so more air goes into the puppet than a gentle mouth puff.
🛠️ Pneumatics (tools powered by air) use the same idea: moving air can do work, lift, or make things move.
🤹 Puppets are ancient — people used them for storytelling and performance thousands of years ago.
🧪 This toy shows air pressure in action: added air pushes outwards and makes the puppet inflate and move.
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