Science Party Fun: Balloon Surfing

Who says you need the beach and waves to go surfing? If your kids are stir crazy stuck inside for the winter, just give them some balloons, a trash can lid and some duct tape. Maui here we come! Great idea for a Luau Party or Science Party.

Theme Parties and Birthday Party line divider

Science Experiment: Balloon Surfing

Swim goggles, won’t need this it’s just to look cool.
4-8 balloons
Duct tape
Plastic lid of a trash can or storage bin. Ideally something that is firm and hold your weight. A piece of plywood is better.

Directions line divider

Science Experiment: Balloon Surfing

Step 1. Blow up 4 balloons first. Stick them to the corners of the lid. Depending on how sturdy your lid is, you may need to add 2-4 more balloons in the center.

Balloon Surfing - add balloons to the corners

Step 2. We tested out our experiment and it seems that the lid was too soft, so we needed extra support on the bottom to prevent the lid from sinking in. So we added a few more smaller balloons in the middle.

Step 3. Once the balloons are attached, grab a chair. Sit on the chair first and position the lid below your feet. Step carefully on the lid and let go of the chair. The lid or “surfboard” will be wobbly so you will need to try to hold your balance and “surf” ! Let kids at the Science Party or Luau Party take turns and surf, do tricks, and do some surfin’!

Balloon Surfing - try to balance and surf

What just happened?

The balloons at the bottom of the lid do not break because they collectively are able to distribute the weight of the surfer among all the balloons. Balloons are made out of polymer chains and these chains are able to stretch and pull a distance from each other without actually breaking or letting go.

Take this further:

Try the surfboard using various weights and see what happens if you have someone much heavier standing on it. What happens to the balloons?
Try to figure out what the maximum weight this surfboard will carry.