Balloon Circle
Balloon Circle: Sharing Power is the Only Way to Keep Afloat is a 30-minute activity where participants collaborate to keep a balloon floating in the air. Participants stand in a circle, close enough so their hands can touch. They can bump it with their hands or other body parts as long as it stays in the air and doesn’t touch the ground. After one person touches it, they cannot touch it again until two other people have touched it. Facilitator uses a timer to keep track of how long the balloon stays afloat, and can add additional balloons for an additional challenge.
Planning and Preparation: This is a 30-minute activity that can be done with 10-12 participants; if you have more, consider splitting into smaller groups. You’ll need balloons of various colors (up to three per group) and a stopwatch or other method of tracking time. An indoor space with a high ceiling is ideal, because wind can make doing it outdoors challenging.
Developmental Relationship Element: Share Power.
CASEL Competencies: communication, negotiating, collaborating, self-management, relationship skills, responsible decision-making.
Objective: Build and strengthen relationships among participants. Deepen understanding of Share Power in Search Institute’s developmental relationships framework.
Activity
Balloon Circle
Resource Audience
Resource Type
Read Time
Participants
# of Participants
Task Group Size
Task Length
More Activities to Build Strong Relationships in Your Classroom or Group

Activity
Marshmallow Towers
Activity where participants work together to construct a tower made of marshmallows and spaghetti and reflect on how they shared power in the experience.

Activity
Pedagogical Partnership
Student Voice Pedagogical Partnership

Video
Relationships Matter: The Five Elements of Developmental Relationships
A short video where Search Institute introduces the five elements of the developmental relationships framework.
Related Resources on Relational Practices

Activity
Co-construct a Lesson Plan
Co-Construct a Lesson Plan

Guide
Mapping Your Community Resources
Mapping Your Community Resources activity

Relational Practice
Approaches to Sharing Power
Ten approaches that can be integrated into classroom or program activities that build the Sharing Power element of the developmental relationships framework.