Introducing your preschoolers to the magical world of hot air balloon crafts is a fantastic way to spark their creativity, develop fine motor skills, and ignite their imagination. From simple coloring and painting activities to intricate weaving and 3D construction projects, there’s a hot air balloon craft idea suitable for every preschooler. Your young learners can experiment with watercolors, tissue paper, yarn, and even recycled materials; making each creation a one-of-a-kind masterpiece.
1. Paper Plate Hot Air Balloon Craft
Have kids start this colorful craft by cutting one paper plate into a rectangle to form the basket before making vertical cuts and weaving small strips of paper through the cuts before securing them with glue. Next, have them attach paper straws to the basket’s sides using glue before painting the basket brown.
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2. Create Your Own Hot Air Balloon Art
Preschool-aged children will have fun decorating their own hot air balloons and person figures provided in this printable craft. Download the free resource and guide your child as they decorate their hot air balloon, enhancing their creativity and developing fine motor skills.
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3. Hot Air Balloon Painting Activity
This delightful craft is based on a printable template that can be enhanced with designs of kids’ choices such as making a patchwork with colored tissue paper squares, using paints or markers to create a zigzag pattern, or arranging rows of colored buttons on the balloon.
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4. Hot Air Balloon With Leftover Supplies
This adorable craft involves coloring the template, cutting strips of colorful paper, and gluing them inside the balloon circle to create a dome-like shape. It’s not only a fun preschool activity but also promotes creativity, fine motor skills, and color recognition.
Learn More: Easy Peasy and Fun
5. 3D Paper Craft
For this three-dimensional craft, have kids cut out hot air balloon shapes from paper in various colors of their choice before folding them, and gluing each side to another piece of paper to give it a 3D appearance. The small “basket” can be made by cutting a piece of a paper roll and attaching twine or string inside.
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6. Three-Dimensional Hot Air Balloon
To make this textured paper-mâché craft, guide kids to cover a blown-up balloon with tissue paper dipped in glue and a water mixture. Next, have them create the small basket by painting a cardboard cup and attaching it to the paper-mâché shell using wooden sticks and glue.
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7. Colorful Hot Air Balloon Idea
By tearing colored paper and gluing it onto a hot air balloon template, kids can practice their fine motor and pasting skills. After letting the glue dry, the completed hot air balloon craft provides a colorful and fun result that they can show off with pride!
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8. Hot Air Balloon Activity for Preschool Kids
Using a pom pom attached to a clothespin as a paintbrush, kids can create a unique dotted pattern on a hot air balloon template. The process is not overly messy, making it an excellent choice for indoor crafting sessions.
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9. Tissue Paper Art Activity
To create a tissue paper hot air balloon craft, have kids attach straws to a paper cup and cover an inflated balloon with layers of tissue paper using a glue mixture before attaching the paper mache to the straws, and adding fringed tissue paper to create a beautiful piece of art.
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10. Colorful Hot Air Balloon Craft
For this polka-dotted creation, have kids decorate a paper plate with various craft supplies like pipe cleaners, washi tape, or tissue paper for added texture. Next, have them cut a square from brown construction paper for the basket and paint it before using string to connect the separate parts.
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11. Fun Craft for Preschoolers
Challenge preschoolers to create these dazzling suncatchers by cutting out a template from white cardstock and attaching colored tissue paper squares on the white side with glue. Next, have them layer and overlap colors for brighter hues before filling the space between the basket and balloon with white tissue paper and covering it with colored cardstock.
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12. Bubble Wrap Craft
Have kids begin this craft by painting bubble wrap and pressing it onto craft paper to create a textured pattern. Next, they can staple balloon shapes together before filling them with newspaper strips to create a 3D effect. Finally, have them attach a cut paper lunch sack as the basket using halved paper straws.
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13. Cupcake Liner Craft
Kids will have a blast creating this adorable craft with flattened cupcake liners by cutting cloud shapes from white cardstock and gluing them to a blue background. Next, have them attach a brown square to the bottom, and connect it to the cupcake liner balloon with white string.
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14. Simple Preschool Craft
Kids can begin this colorful hot air balloon craft by gluing white paper clouds onto light blue cardstock. Next, have them attach a printed cardstock balloon, overlapping it with other clouds. Finally, they can add two strings to the balloon, and glue a beige felt rectangle at the bottom to complete their vibrant creation.
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15. Fingerprint Hot Air Balloon
Kids will be thrilled to get messy with finger paint to form the shape of this hot air balloon! After doing so, have them draw a basket with a pen, and connect it to the balloon with lines.
16. Hot Air Balloon Craft With Paint
Guide kids to make this unique hot air balloon craft by dipping an inflated balloon in the paint and pressing it onto blue cardstock. Next, have them cut clouds and a Sun from colored paper and glue them to the cardstock. Finally, guide them to create a basket from a cardboard box and connect it with a painted string.
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17. Paper Plate Craft
Creating this hot air balloon craft requires kids to print and cut heart templates, fold smaller hearts, and glue them onto the largest heart for a 3D effect. Next, they can assemble the basket and cords, and create a paper plate background using blue and green craft paper.
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18. Doily Hot Air Balloon
To create this doily hot air balloon craft, guide young learners to glue a doily onto light blue cardstock as the sky. Next, have them fold another doily, gluing its seam on the first doily for a 3D balloon effect. Finally, have them cut a cardstock basket, and attach it below the heart-shaped balloon with string.
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19. Heart-Shaped Hot Air Balloon Craft
To make this heart-shaped hot air balloon, kids can glue cloud shapes on blue paper before creating a basket with mini popsicle sticks. Next, they can cut a big heart from colored paper, decorate it with small tissue paper hearts, and glue it with a gap underneath for a 3D effect.
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20. Coffee Filter Hot Air Balloon
After painting their coffee filters, have kids cut them into a half-balloon shape before gluing the cutout onto construction paper and adding details with a black marker or crayon. As a final step, have them draw a basket below the balloon and include extra details like clouds, trees, or birds.
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21. Hot Air Balloon Spin Art
Kids can develop their fine motor skills by cutting a balloon shape from the blank paper before splattering paint onto it and spinning it in a salad spinner for a unique effect. Once dry, they can attach a cut-out basket and draw lines to represent ropes, and add additional background details of their choice.
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22. Hot Air Balloon Watercolor Art
To make this hot air balloon watercolor art, have kids cut heavy white paper into a hot air balloon shape before cutting bleeding tissue paper into small pieces and placing them on their shape. Finally, spray the tissue paper with water and let it dry before removing it to reveal the watercolor effect.
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23. Woven Hot Air Balloon Craft
To make this hot air balloon weaving craft, guide kids to weave rainbow threads in and out of the slots on the template, creating a colorful pattern. Once finished, they can add a ribbon loop for hanging. This craft helps children develop fine motor skills and creativity.
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