What to do
Start by getting into pairs, this activity is easiest when working with another person. Remind the group that working together and cooperating will make the activity easier.
Create Your Juggling Balls
Start with two heavy duty balloons for each juggling ball you want to make. Using a funnel, pour about half a cup of rice into an empty water or soft drink bottle (if you don’t have a funnel, make one from the top of a second bottle). The size of your juggling balls depends on the amount of rice you use – you need it to fit comfortably into the palm of your hand.
Inflate a balloon to about the size of a grapefruit, twist the neck and stretch it over the neck of the bottle. Turn the bottle upside down so all the rice falls into the inflated balloon – then remove the balloon from the bottle and let it deflate.
Cut the neck off the balloon – the rice will stay inside. Now cut the neck off the second balloon and stretch it over the first balloon to seal the hole and keep the rice inside your juggling ball. You could use the ball like this, but they look more exciting if you decorate them.
Decorating Your Juggling Balls
You can decorate your ball by adding another balloon layer in another colour, you can make different patterns by:
• Cutting both the neck and part of the top off a third balloon and stretching it over the ball will give you a single stripe of another colour.
• Cutting lots of very small holes in a balloon by pinching it between your finger and thumb and carefully cutting off the tips will give you spotty patterns. Remove the neck and stretch it over the ball as before to add this layer.
Once every pair has made their juggling balls, bring the group back together and see if anyone can teach the rest of the group to juggle or do tricks with the balls. Can they make up a game using the balls?