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.
About this activity
Make a small inflatable baby puppet using a balloon, straw, and paper; blow to inflate and watch it wiggle, learning about air pressure.
What you need
Step by step
- 1
Step 1
Gather your materials.
- 2
Step 2
Fold the paper in half once.
- 3
Step 3
Draw a simple baby shape along the folded edge with your colouring materials.
- 4
Step 4
Cut out the baby shape through both layers of paper.
- 5
Step 5
Open the cut-out and decorate the baby with your colouring materials.
- 6
Step 6
Use scissors to cut a small X-shaped hole near the bottom center of the paper baby.
- 7
Step 7
Push the straw gently through the X-hole until most of the straw sticks out the back.
- 8
Step 8
Stretch the open end of the balloon over the protruding straw end.
- 9
Step 9
Secure the balloon to the straw by wrapping clear tape tightly around the seam.
- 10
Step 10
Tape the straw flat to the back of the paper baby so the balloon hangs behind it.
- 11
Step 11
Hold the puppet so the balloon hangs freely behind the baby.
- 12
Step 12
Blow gently into the straw to inflate the balloon.
- 13
Step 13
Pinch the straw closed with your fingers to trap the air inside the balloon.
- 14
Step 14
Release the straw to let the balloon deflate.
- 15
Step 15
Share your finished creation on DIY.org
Fun facts
How do you make the inflatable baby puppet?
Start by cutting a rectangle of paper and decorating it as the baby's body and face. Roll the paper into a loose tube and tape the seam so air can move inside. Stretch the neck of an uninflated balloon over one open end of the tube and secure with tape so it won’t slip. Insert a drinking straw into the balloon neck, and have a child (or adult) blow through the straw to inflate the balloon inside the paper. Remove the straw and let the air escape to watch the puppet wiggle.
What materials do I need for the inflatable baby puppet?
You’ll need: small balloons (latex or allergy-friendly alternatives), drinking straws, paper or lightweight cardstock, tape (clear or masking), scissors, markers or crayons for decorating, and optional stickers. A paper hole punch or stapler can help secure seams. Keep a bowl of water and wipes nearby for cleanup. Use adult supervision and consider non-latex balloons if anyone has a latex allergy.
What ages is this inflatable baby puppet activity suitable for?
This activity suits preschoolers to early elementary ages: roughly 3–8 years. Children 3–4 will need close adult help with cutting, taping, and all balloon handling. Ages 5–8 can usually help assemble and blow through a straw with supervision. Avoid giving loose balloons to children under 3 because of choking risks. Always supervise younger kids and step in for any balloon-stretching or mouth contact steps.
What are the benefits and safety tips for the inflatable baby puppet activity?
Benefits: This craft teaches cause and effect and basic air-pressure ideas, boosts fine motor skills through rolling and taping, and encourages creativity in decorating the puppet. Safety tips: always supervise balloon handling, keep uninflated or broken balloons away from children under 3, and use a straw instead of direct mouth contact when possible. Choose allergy-safe balloons, secure attachments with tape, and have an adult handle scissors and any steps involving stretching or tightening th
Watch & Learn
Need 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.