Stress Balls

Making stress balls

Setting: kitchen, dining room, or classroom

Materials:

Regular Balloons

Permanent Marker

Funnel

Cornstarch or Baking Soda

Instructions:

1.Take a regular balloon and blow it up a little bit.

2. Pinch the top of the balloon shut and place a funnel inside the hole of the balloon.

3. Fill the funnel with cornstarch or baking soda and slowly let go of pinching the balloon.

4. Keep adding filling until your balloon is filled about 3-5 inches.

5. Pinch out any air in the balloon and tie the balloon tight.

6. Decorate your stress ball with permanent markers.

Purpose: Stress balls demonstrate healthy sensory play. A stress ball strengthens hand muscles both in fine motor skills and in grasp. Fine motor skills are demonstrated in pinching the balloon shut before filling & drawing faces on the balloon. If the individual can pour the cornstarch or baking soda in the funnel this too furthers fine motor ability. Depending on the level of fine motor activity tying the balloon after filling could also expand strengthening fine motor skill ability. Holding the stress ball can also improve the individual’s grasp of the object. Incorporation of emotional expression could be involved if they had the individual make a face that describes how they felt at the moment.

Denman, C. (July 28, 2012). Stress Ball Balloons. Pre-School Play Activities. [Blog Post].

Retrieved from: http://pre-schoolplay.blogspot.com/2011/07/stress-ball-balloons.html