Okay, so today I messed around with something called “balloon track.” I’d seen it online and thought, “Why not give it a shot?” It looked pretty straightforward, and I was in the mood for a little DIY project.
Getting Started
First, I needed to gather my supplies. Luckily, I had most of this stuff lying around the house:
- Balloons: Just regular party balloons, nothing fancy.
- String: I used some baker’s twine I had left over from a craft project.
- Tape: Plain old Scotch tape did the trick.
- Straws: I grabbed a handful of plastic drinking straws.
- A fan.
Building the Track
I started by creating the “track.” I took a long piece of string and taped it across my living room, from one wall to another. You want to make sure it’s pretty taut, like, not sagging in the middle. This is the path the balloon is gonna follow.
Prepping the Balloon
Next up, I blew up a balloon, but didn’t tie it off. I had to pinch the end to keep the air in. This part was a little tricky, but I got the hang of it after a couple of tries. I put the balloon aside for safe keeping.
Creating the Carrier
Then I took a straw and cut it in half.I wanted to make sure that the straw was not longer than the balloon.
Putting it Together
This is where it all comes together. I carefully taped the straw piece to the top of the balloon, making sure it was centered and straight. This is important, because if it’s crooked, the balloon’s gonna go all wonky on the track.
The Fun Part: Testing!
I held the balloon (still pinching the end!) up to the string, making sure the straw was resting on the string. Then, with a deep breath, I let go of the balloon! The air rushed out, and WHOOSH, the balloon zipped across the string! It was actually pretty cool to watch. I felt like a little kid again, I ain’t gonna lie.
Making it Better
Of course, I couldn’t just do it once. I experimented with different balloon sizes, different lengths of straw, and even tried angling the string to see if I could get the balloon to go faster.I put a fan at the start point of the string to inflate the balloon automatically and continuously without having to manually inflate it.
It’s definitely a fun little project to kill some time, and it’s pretty satisfying to see something you built yourself actually work. Plus, it’s a good way to use up those extra party supplies you might have lying around.I think kids will love this fun science project too.