As if being a parent isn’t enough of a circus, eh?

These squishy juggle balls are incredibly simple to make. Not only is this a fun thing to do one-on-one, but it also makes an ideal activity (and take-home) for a children’s birthday party.

Older kids can use these to practice juggling (here’s a great video tutorial to get them started), and the younger ones can use them to play simple games like ring toss and hot potato. Or how about setting up a bowling alley with toilet paper tubes and hosting a tournament? Whatever you decide, these balls are easy to grip and have a satisfying degree of squishability.

You will need:
• Round balloons (Two balloons for each ball.)
• Dried lentils, split peas, or rice
• Scissors

Directions:
1. Cut one balloon off at the neck as pictured. Set aside.

2. Blow up the other balloon and let the air out to stretch the balloon a little. Give yourself a solid twenty minutes for this part as the kids will undoubtedly want to do this step over and over again and will need to retrieve escaped balloons from behind the couch.

One snipped balloon, one whole balloon, and a whole lot of lentils are all you need!

3. Fill the stretched balloon with your “stuffing” (we used lentils). When it is nearly overflowing, blow into the balloon. The balloon will expand and the lentils will fall to the bottom end and pack in tighter.

4. When you’ve achieved your desired size, tie off the balloon and snip off the excess.

5. Use the other balloon (the one you trimmed in step one) as a second layer. Make sure the tied off end is well hidden.

And there you go! Two-toned juggle balls! Perhaps the best thing about this craft is that when the kids are in bed you can steal them away for use as stress balls. Who knows, you might need them after your indoor circus!

Andrea Tomkins is a mother of two imps, and wife of one. She’s a freelance writer who is often found with camera in hand or scribbling madly in her notebook. She is passionate about arts and culture, travel and healthy living, and gets an extra big thrill out of helping parents and kids discover all the hidden treasures Ottawa has to offer. You can follow her adventures on her blog, a peek inside the fishbowl, where she’s been writing about family life since 1999. She’ll be sharing a great new craft idea here at CF.ca every Friday.