Ollie's Magic Balloon Tricks

What you need

• Paper, 1 sheet of tissue paper, torn into tiny pieces
• Water, a thin stream from the tap
• Balloon, 1
• Towel, 1
• Wool sweater, 1, for rubbing (optional)

How to do it

Grown-up prep: Blow up one balloon and tie it off. Tear a sheet of tissue paper into tiny bits, about fingernail size. Balloons and popped balloon pieces are a choking and suffocation risk, so with younger kids you hold and rub the balloon yourself, and gather up any pieces right away if it pops. Skip latex balloons if anyone has a latex allergy and use a foil or latex-free one instead. Watch little ones so tissue bits stay out of mouths. Keep a towel by the sink to wipe up drips so nobody slips.

1. Sprinkle the tiny tissue bits onto a table.
2. Rub the balloon fast on dry hair or a wool sweater for 10 seconds. Ask for help if you need it
3. Slowly hold the balloon just above the tissue bits and watch them jump. Ask for help if you need it
   Ask: How close does the balloon have to get before the paper starts to jump?
4. Rub the balloon again, then lift it slowly above someone's head. Ask for help if you need it
5. Turn on the tap so just a thin trickle of water flows.
6. Rub the balloon again and bring it close to the water. Watch it bend! Ask for help if you need it
   Ask: What happens if the balloon gets wet? Does the trick still work?
7. Turn off the tap and wipe up any drips.
8. Talk about it: the balloon's invisible charge pulled paper, hair and water.
9. Now show a friend! What else can your balloon magic lift?
   Ask: Which trick will you teach first?

Play it again

• Rub count: rub for 5, 10, then 20 seconds and count how many tissue bits jump each time.
• Hair wizard: take turns being the wizard and see whose hair rises the highest.
• Water bender: see how far you can bend the water stream without getting the balloon wet.