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60-second

Defying Gravity

Also called Three Balloons Up, Balloon Juggle

Keep three balloons in the air for a full minute by tapping them. One touches the floor and you're out.

people
2–20
time
8 min
energy
High
materials
Cheap to buy
Kids-safeHR-safeChurch-safe
Watch it played
What you need2
How to play4

Before you start

Mark a 2 × 2 m (6 × 6 ft) square on the floor for each player, well apart from the next. Inflate all balloons to the same size beforehand.

  1. 1Player starts holding all three balloons. On go, they toss them up.
  2. 2Keep all three in the air by tapping them. No catching, holding, or resting a balloon on any part of the body.
  3. 3Stay inside your square.
  4. 4Any balloon touching the floor ends your turn. Last full minute with all three up wins; otherwise longest time wins.
What to say3
  1. 1“Three balloons, sixty seconds, no catching!”
  2. 2“Tap, tap, tap — watch the one behind you!”
  3. 3“Thirty seconds and all three still flying!”
Host tips3
  • Ceiling fans and aircon wreck this game. Turn fans off for the minute, or every balloon drifts to the same corner.
  • Over-inflated balloons pop when tapped hard and the bang makes everyone flinch. Inflate to about three-quarters.
  • Players back into each other while looking up. Mark the squares and keep the gaps generous; one spotter per two players.
Variants2

  • Two-balloon start

    Children and seniors start with two balloons, using one hand only.

  • Escalation

    Everyone who survives a minute goes again with a fourth balloon.

Safety3
  • Latex allergy: ask before the game and keep latex-free (foil or synthetic) balloons for anyone who needs them.
  • Popped balloon pieces are a choking hazard for small children — pick up fragments immediately.
  • Players looking up can trip on bags and cables; clear the floor first.
Good for

Occasions

ChristmasBirthdayTeam buildingSchoolFiestaReunion

Venues

Indoor, largeOfficeChurch hall
If this one dies early3