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60-second

Keep It Up

Also called Keep the Balloons Up, Balloon Keepy-Uppy

A team must keep more balloons in the air than it has players for a whole minute.

people
4–60
time
10 min
energy
High
materials
Cheap to buy
Kids-safeHR-safeChurch-safe
Watch it played
Find a video on YouTube
What you need2
How to play4

Before you start

Teams of 4–8, each in its own taped zone about 4 × 4 m (12 × 12 ft). Hand each team one balloon per player plus one extra.

  1. 1On go, the team throws all its balloons up and must keep every one off the floor.
  2. 2Tap only — no catching or holding. No player may hit the same balloon twice in a row.
  3. 3Stay inside your zone.
  4. 4Any balloon touching the floor ends the team's attempt. Teams that last 60 seconds go to the next round with one more balloon.
What to say3
  1. 1“One balloon each and one extra — sixty seconds, nothing touches the floor!”
  2. 2“Talk to each other! Call your balloon!”
  3. 3“Survived! Next round — one more balloon!”
Host tips3
  • Teams that shout names ('mine!') win; silent teams collide. Say that in the briefing — it's the lesson that makes it team building.
  • Fans and aircon carry balloons out of the zone. Switch them off or face the zones away from the vents.
  • Players chasing a balloon into the next team's zone cause the falls. Tape zones with a 1 m gap between them.
Variants2

  • No hands

    Heads, elbows, knees and feet only.

  • Christmas colours

    Red and green balloons; red ones can only be hit by the left hand, green by the right.

Safety3
  • Latex allergy: ask first and keep latex-free balloons on hand.
  • Popped balloon fragments are a choking hazard for small children — pick them up straight away.
  • Players look up and crash into each other: clear chairs and bags, and keep seniors as judges.
Good for

Occasions

ChristmasTeam buildingBirthdaySchoolFiestaRetreatReunion

Venues

Indoor, largeOfficeChurch hall
If this one dies early3