Make and Decorate Easy Bunny Balloons
04/02/2021
What is the difference between a bunny and a rabbit? And, just as perplexing, what is a bunny rabbit?
To California artist Ivy Chew, whether you call them “bunnies,” “rabbits” or “bunny rabbits, they’re the inspiration for her charming “Rabbit Run” series of archival ink and colored pencil art where her imagination takes us into the clever details of a bunny’s day of activity, from gardening to folding an origami boat to playing solitaire.
I happened by her art opening in Santa Cruz, California, where she was gleefully blowing up animal balloons with a simple hand pump and twisting them with a flick of her wrist into eye-catching bunny-ear balloons in multiple shades of lime, yellow, orange and red. Playfully displayed here and there around the exhibit, they invited guests in to participate in the artful event.
They caught my eye! Ivy’s bunny balloons were my inspiration for this Easter’s creative family activity idea with older kids. They are simple to create with a few inexpensive supplies.
Here’s the fun:
You’ll need a small balloon pump or a pump used for inflating sports or exercise balls, and long, skinny balloons for balloon animals (available online, at toy stores or party supply stores).
Inflate a balloon into the shape of a long sausage, about 38 inches long. Hold it horizontally in front of you with hands outstretched about 8 inches in from each end.
Simply bring your hands together to form a “V” shape, and twist the balloon ends together at that 8-inch point. You have just created a bunny head and two floppy ears (watch a how-to video at www.donnaerickson.com).
Hold it up to frame your face and take a photo!
Make more, and set them around the house, or tie fishing line around the ears and hang in windowsills for Easter weekend.
Extra idea: Make a face for the bunny.
Set a bunny balloon flat on an 8-1/2-by-11 inch sheet of plain paper. Use balloon as a pattern, and use a pencil to outline outside of the oval head shape, minus ears. Cut it out. Use markers and colored pencils to draw and decorate the bunny’s face on the paper.
Use double-stick tape to secure the rim of the paper face to the back of the balloon.
Safety note: Young children can choke or suffocate on uninflated or broken balloons. Adult supervision is required. Discard broken balloons appropriately.
Share with friends!
You might also like:
Stuffed French Toast For Family Gatherings
Make a weekend breakfast extra special with this stuffed French toast recipe featuring oranges and fresh pecans, which are abundant this time of year. The whole family can participate in the preparation the night before, from beating eggs to spooning the cream cheese mixture into pockets in the French bread. When you wake up…
Swedish Cinnamon Rolls
Throughout Sweden, there are a variety of ways to make, shape and bake these delicious cinnamon rolls. There is even a national Cinnamon Roll Day every October! I learned how to make them in friend Inger’s kitchen when I was teaching at a college in Jönköping. Inger always found a little job for my two…
Make An Apron For Kids With A Kitchen Towel
“Look, Mom, muddy hands!” This might be a familiar chorus you’ll be hearing as your kids dig into the joys of outdoor activities. Face it, kids and messes go hand in hand when it comes to being creative and having fun. Let’s start with the kitchen, often referred to as “Mess Central” in…
One-Step Lemon Bundt Cake
Dog-eared recipes deserve some review now and then, and I’m glad I rediscovered this classic from my mom’s recipe box. It’s a never-fail, fabulous one-step pound cake that is a perfect “first” cake baking experience for kids. Read the recipe together, and let them search for the dry ingredients in the pantry, measuring cups from…
Sprout Seeds Indoors In Eggshells
Kids and dirt seem to have a natural attraction for one another. Why not promote a love for a favorite activity this season by giving children a chance for some responsibility and fun by messing with dirt, sprouting seeds and tending their own little plants indoors? They’ll give your family vegetable garden a head start…
Make Seed-Starting Pots With Newspaper
It’s growing season, an ideal time for your family to poke around and play in dirt. Begin indoors! Popular plants are easily started inside during spring months to give a jump-start to your summer garden. While many serious gardeners purchase seed-starting kits, you’ll discover with this kid-friendly activity that you can save money by making…
Stunning Tissue Paper Flower Bouquet
You and your kids will be inspired to create a blooming bouquet of colorful paper flowers to celebrate the arrival of spring. In fact, these flowers can be enjoyed just about anytime and anywhere. You’ll only need basic items such as an empty cardboard egg carton, tissue paper from gift bags, some long, thick pipe…
Force Branches Into Bloom
Bring spring indoors, even if it’s just a handful of sticks, and look for new beginnings as you share your time and talents with those you love. Take a nature walk in your yard and look for young budding branches. With garden shears, clip off branches that are about 20 inches long. Good choices are…
Bake Rustic Fruit Tart
Opportunities for families to experience life’s simplest pleasures abound during summer’s final days. They take minimal planning and yield happy rewards. We enjoy impromptu evening bike rides, or a jaunt in the country to pick berries. On the return home, I choose juicy nectarines, peaches and plums at a roadside stand – a perfect combination…
Watermelon’s Last Hurrah
As summer wanes, I’m all for bringing on one last hurrah for watermelon. It’s such a convenient, “good for you” cool-down snack that quenches thirst and satisfies the sweet tooth, all in one. Refreshing with a squeeze of lime, or kicked up with a dusting of ground chili pepper and salt, it’s versatile and fun…
DONNA ERICKSON
