Hot Air Balloon

Materials Needed:

Small styrofoam cups
Brown tempera paint
2-4 Pipe cleaners (per project)
4-Drinking straws (per project)
Modeling clay
Balloons

What to Do:

Cut four straws to the length of about 5.5-6 inches.

Instruct children to:

- Paint cup brown. (Use a cotton swab to make vertical and horizontal lines making it look like a basket.)
- Push enough clay into the bottom of the cup so it is about ½ inch deep.
- Place straws, evenly spaced, into the clay at the bottom of the cup.
- Place the inflated balloon so it is resting in between the straws.
- Bend the pipe cleaner(s) into a "U" shape over the balloon and insert the ends into the straws opposite each other. Repeat this process for the other two straws. (Creative tip: you can use four pipe cleaners. Twist two different colored pipe cleaners together and follow the instructions above.)