For one reason or another, making balloon animals for my kids was always part of the ’40 Things’ list. The ability to conjure up a quirky little character from a length of unremarkable balloon can inspire wide-eyed “what the…?” moments in kids and adults alike, and it made me smile to think of the wowed little faces as I miracled up my own creations with a deftness of hand to match the finest illusionists.
Can you see where this is going?
The fun started in the local toy shop. We went in en famille and although it was a pleasant surprise to find that they did indeed stock the balloons in question, this was offset somewhat by the battles that had to be fought and won just to get the kids out without sacrificing my credit card on the altar of Fisher Price.
By the time we’d got home it was clear that there was a high demand for balloon animals in the Shrubby household. They were expected, nay, demanded, and demanded right now. I allowed myself a nonchalant instant coffee before beginning my work but in reality I was starting to feel the pressure.
The ‘Modelling Balloon Kit’ I’d bought, at £3.99, was looking promising. With a small pump and an instruction sheet included I felt confident I’d be churning out models like a Ford assembly line within minutes.
Half an hour later, surrounded by numerous balloon animal corpses, a failing pump and disenchanted young faces, my future as the Derran Brown of inflatable fauna was looking in serious jeopardy.
And then it happened. I busted out a dinosaur in lime green. My youngest was pretty chuffed, for at least three minutes. That was followed swiftly by a dog (it’s harder than the dino because of the ears, you see), which my eldest seemed suitably impressed by. Enough so that she was still carrying it round with her an hour later. Success!
While it was fun to learn, I’m not sure I’ll ever hit the primetime TV slots with my ‘act’. I’m not sure I’ll even hit the Whitgift Centre in Croydon, or even whether I’ll ever produce another balloon creation once this little pack has been used up. It might be fun to bring out at kids’ parties though – as long as they want dinosaurs and dogs.
Pros: Kind of fun to learn. Made my kids smile.
Cons: I could’ve painted the downstairs loo instead.
Verdict: Nice to know how.
Rating: 7/10
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