Mr. Beat Balloon Man Tutorial. Fun Steady Beat & Rhythm Activity for Elementary Music

This tutorial is designed especially for teachers! All materials used are classroom-friendly, and inexpensive — perfect for creating fun, musical and non musical activities without breaking teacher’s budget. These simple supplies make it easy to build Mr. Beat again and again throughout the year. Materials: 1- 27 Balloons / Head=1 / Neck and body=4 / Arms= 4 each (8 total) / Legs= 7 each (14 total) 2- 2 paper plates for the base. 3- Craft pipe cleaner for hair or/and accessories. 4- Ceiling hook 5- Fishing string 6- Masking tape 7- Velcro string or dots. Note: The material we’ll use to make our fans — the ones we’ll tap on the steady beat, and shake to make Mr. Beat move — is cardboard from boxes. Cut rectangles from the cardboard that are sturdy enough not to bend while tapping on and shaking. If you’d like to add some color, simply glue colored paper on top to make them bright and festive! STEPS 1- Inflate the balloons: Keep them on the smaller side — it makes the balloon man easier to shape and keeps him balanced. The head balloon should be slightly bigger than the others, but don’t overinflate! 2- Build Mr. Beat on the floor: Lay out all your balloons on the floor first — this makes it easier to see the proportions and decide where each balloon will go before you start taping them together. Use masking tape to connect the balloons — it holds surprisingly well! Your balloon man should last at least three days (mine did!), and I was honestly impressed by how effective it was. 3- Create the feet and base: Use paper plates as the base for each foot. Cut a slit from the edge of the plate to the center, then insert the last balloon through the cut so it connects securely to the “feet.” If your classroom floor is carpeted, add a piece of Velcro underneath each plate to help the feet stay in place. If your floor is not carpeted, use masking tape to secure the plates instead. 4- Attach Mr. Beat to the ceiling: Since we’re not using helium, you’ll need to secure Mr. Beat so he can stand tall! Use a hook or strong tape (depending on your ceiling type) to attach the top of the head balloon. Adjust the height so your balloon man can “dance” freely when the air from the cardboard fans hits him. 5- Use fishing string to hang Mr. Beat: Tie a piece of fishing string to the top of the head balloon so it can hang naturally. To keep the balloon from popping, first place a few small strips of tape around the end of the fishing string — this creates a safe spot where you can tape the fishing string securely without direct pressure on the balloon’s surface. 6- Give Mr. Beat a fun hairstyle!: Wrap a colored craft pipe cleaner around the fishing string, close to the balloon’s head — this makes it look like he has fun, wiggly hair! Just be sure the pipe cleaner doesn’t touch the balloon directly (to avoid popping it). You can reinforce the spot with a bit more tape for extra safety. 7- Secure and adjust for movement: Hang to the ceiling: Attach the fishing string to the ceiling hook, then hang Mr. Beat and secure his feet to the floor using Velcro or masking tape. Make sure the string is a little loose — if it’s too tight, Mr. Beat won’t move as much. Leaving some slack allows him to sway and “dance” when the air hit him! Find a free worksheet for an extension activity in my TpT store: Lena Leon - The Crafter Teacher