Standing on Balloons Without Popping

A student standing on a single balloon will pop it, but standing on a board supported by many partially inflated balloons spreads their weight and allows the balloons to hold without bursting.

1. Inflate 10–14 balloons to about 75% full (not tight).
2. Spread a towel on the floor and place the balloons on top.
3. Place a sturdy board, tabletop, or door flat over the balloons.
4. Assign two volunteers to stand at the board’s sides to stabilize it at all times.
5. Invite one student to step gently onto the board. Emphasize: no jumping or bouncing.
6. Add more students one by one until balloons begin to pop.
7. Compare with what happens if a student tries to stand on a single balloon.

📄 Balloon Boarding - Science World: https://www.scienceworld.ca/resource/balloon-boarding/

🎞️ Fun Science Experiments with Kevin Delaney - Kevin Delaney: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1582195218563911

• Relate to a bed of nails model—using a balloon pressed against a small nail board to show weight distribution in action.

• Always have two mature volunteers hold the board steady.
• Use an inverted table so that fingers won't get crushed if the balloons burst.
• Keep order—students must step on and off one at a time.
• Do not allow running, rushing, or jumping onto the board.
• Stop the demo if balloons begin popping rapidly.
• Use a towel underneath to prevent slipping.

• Why do the balloons pop if one student stands on just one balloon?
• How does the board spread the force across all the balloons?
• Why do partially inflated balloons work better than fully inflated ones?
• What do you think is happening to the air and rubber inside each balloon when compressed?
• How is this similar to lying on a bed of nails?