Balloons

air · fun · invention

Made from stretchy stuff. Modern balloons are made from rubber, latex, or nylon fabric, and they come in almost every color you can imagine. Long ago, people even used dried animal bladders, like from pigs, to make balloons!

Filled with special gases. Balloons are inflated with gases like helium, hydrogen, or just regular air. Different gases make balloons float or behave differently, depending on what job they need to do.

Help scientists and doctors. Balloons aren't just for parties, they're used in meteorology to study the weather, in medicine to help treat patients, and even in transportation and military defense.

Light and cheap. Because balloons are so lightweight and inexpensive to make, people have found hundreds of creative ways to use them, from simple decorations to serious scientific tools.

Filled with anything. While air and helium are most common, balloons can be filled with smoke, water, sand, or even light sources for special effects and purposes.