Balloon Trivia

Skill: Throw
Time Required: 40
Activity Type: Physical, Transition
Group Size: Large Group, Medium Group, Small Group
Age Group: 6 - 9yrs, 9 - 12yrs, 13+ yrs
Play area: Classroom (small indoor space), Gymnasium (large indoor space)
Safety Considerations: Remove any safety hazards and obstacles from the activity area.
Remind participants to be aware of their surroundings and to keep their head up.
Equipment: Balloons
Stickers
Questions to ask (questions can be based on what participants are learning, theme of the week/month, random facts and trivia, etc.). Make sure the questions are at the participants skill levels.
Hoop and beanbags

Objective:
Participants and groups answer questions (which are dependent on the leader and participants), and put their group's sticker on that balloon. After all questions are asked, participants can play a game with the balloons.

Set up:
Blow up the balloons (could have participants help with this task).
Have questions prepared.
Divide participants into groups of 3-4 participants.
Give each group a beanbag (ensure each group has a different coloured beanbag).
Give each group a set of stickers (each group should have a different theme of stickers). Themes could be: SpongeBob, Phineas and Ferb, Transformers, smiley faces, cars, and so on.
Step by Step:
1. Each group will stand in a line, and the first participant in each line will hold their group's beanbag.
2. The leader will place a hoop somewhere in the activity area.
3. First participant in each line for their group will be the first trivia masters.
4. The leader will hold a balloon up, and read a question (questions could be about a subject participants are learning in school, about a theme for the week/month, random questions, math, spelling, geography, food groups, etc.). Please see the attached document for examples of questions given different topics. Make sure the questions are appropriate for the participants.
5. As soon as the leader says, "Go", the trivia masters throw their beanbag trying to get it inside the hoop (or the closest to the hoop).
6. The participant that got their beanbag closest to the hoop, or inside and closest to the centre of the hoop, gets to answer the question first.
7. If they get it right, they get the balloon, and put their group's sticker on the balloon and put it next to their group.
8. If they are incorrect, they get a balloon taken away from them (if they had at least one already), and the participant that was second closest to the hoop gets a chance to answer the question.
9. Then the participants collect their beanbags, and the next participants in line are the new trivia masters.
10. The leader can move the hoop for each question.
11. Play until there are no balloons left, or until a group gets 5 (or another number) balloons.
12. OR only use two balloons, and each time a group gets an answer right, they put their sticker on the "correct balloon". If they get the answer wrong, they put a sticker on the "incorrect balloon". When all questions are asked, they count the number of stickers on the "correct balloon" and the "incorrect balloon".
13. After the trivia is done, play a game with the balloons.
Variations:
Have a bunch of balloons, and each question will only be for one group. If they get it right, they get the balloon and put their sticker on it. If they are incorrect, then the group that answers correctly gets to take a balloon from that group and put their own sticker on that balloon.
Place the balloon somewhere in the activity space, and the first participant to hit the balloon (with a whiffle ball or another lighter object) gets to answer the question.
Sources: Developed for the Leisure Information Network.
Attachments: Download