Spring Game Idea - Butterfly Balloon Pop - No Darts Needed!

Clothespins (Nailed on Board) to Keep Balloon in Place.

Copy the Pros - Hang Your Prizes for Kids to See!

BUTTERFLY BALLOON BURST - SETUP & DIRECTIONS

(Short Carnival Savers video/gif below shows bean bag popping balloon on a large butterfly-shaped balloon game.)

Supplies for Butterfly Balloon Burst Game:

Homemade Butterfly Game (see details below)
Small Balloons (image above shows 5-inch balloons, but 7 or 9-inch balloons work too)
Large, thin garbage sacks to hold inflated balloons (with weights to keep them put)
Bungee Cords - See our Top Pick on Amazon (#CommisionsEarned) for securing the game board to prevent it from blowing over in a breeze.
At least six bean bags (12 or more are recommended)
Stand Behind Lines (tape, cones, or chalk on the sidewalk)
Ticket Box and Game Sign
Consolation Prizes and Top Prizes for the winners - Butterfly or spring themed or make this game extra fun - our suggestions below!

Make This Game:

1 Large Piece of Plywood (we used 1/2 inch plywood)
Acrylic Paint in assorted bright colors
25 - 50 Medium Clothes Pins
Ordinary Tacks (25 - 50)
Hot Glue Gun and glue sticks

Days/weeks before your carnival, draw a butterfly design on your board and paint with assorted acrylic paint. After the paint drys completely, have an adult attach the medium-sized clothespins to the board (on their sides - see image above) about 8 inches apart using 1-inch long, thin nails.

Note: We tried attaching the clothespins flat to the board, but found sometimes, when players tossed bean bags, they hit a clothespin and released a balloon! Attaching the clothespins on their side using a nail through the metal part of the pin does not tend to happen!

To attach the tacks to the board. Each tack should be about 4 - 5 inches below each clothespin, again using the hot glue gun. If the tack is "dead center" under the balloon, the balloons will be too easy to pop! You can also make some of the tacks "off center" by about 2 inches to make this game a little bit more challenging!

Game Setup:

A few days before the carnival, volunteers inflate balloons and place them in large garbage sacks (that have weights like baseballs) to prevent them from blowing away at an outside event.

The day of the event, bring your pre-made game to your event and secure with bungee cords around a tree or fence to prevent a breeze from knocking over your game. (See picture below)

Volunteers will clip the balloons on your game, so be careful to watch for the tacks on the board.

Set out your stand behind lines and ticket box and display your prizes!

Bungee Cords to Secure Game

How to Play the Butterfly Balloon Burst Game:

Players are given 3 Bean Bags for a chance to pop a balloon (or more) to win a top prize.

0 balloons popped = a consolation prize
1 balloon popped = a medium prize
2 or more balloons popped = a top prize

Please test this game a few dozen throws to make sure it is not too easy or too hard! Generally, you want 1 in 10 kids to win a top prize. So... when giving three chances for each player, that is 30 bean bag tosses to pop a balloon! If the game is too easy, require that they pop two balloons instead of just 1 to win a top prize!

Kids line up in droves to play this fun alternative dart balloon game!

Additional Hints & Tips:

Note: For younger children, give them four bean bags or let them stand 1 - 2 feet closer to the board so they have a chance to win at this game too!

A toddler is standing a few feet closer to toss the beanbags.

Please follow the guidelines of the Consumer Product Safety Commission with regard to balloons, broken balloons, and young children.Click here to download this child balloon safety pdf.

Allergy Information: We just learned that people who have severe latex allergies can have a reaction to bursting balloons. For schools, it may be wise to talk with administrators to verify all child allergies first. Also, consider changing this game to the "Butterfly Bean Bag Toss." Cut out 4 - 6 holes in the wings for the bean bags!