Who says balloons are just for birthdays! The helium tank in our garage had some leftover gas from back in the fall, and our gray February staycation day needed a boost; what better way to lift the spirits than balloons!

To start, I simply inflated a few balloons for Travis and Veronika, and attached strings that they could easily reach. I showed Veronika how to tug on the string so the balloon came down to her…

…and then to let go and watch it bop back to the ceiling!

This alone was a delight for a while.

Next we drew puppy dog faces on them. Now the balloons were little friends to take for a walk on a “leash”. Travis turned another one into an alien!

The kids were soon running around, chasing after, and bopping their balloons in glee.

We set them aside for a while, and when we returned, there was just enough less helium that now they hovered in midair. This was double the fun, with the kids setting them to hover and pretending they were making lunar landings on the moon!

I loved seeing their joy for one of the simplest toys out there. Never underestimate a good old balloon.