• 60 ideas
  • Checked October 2026

Things to Draw on a Balloon

Three ideas at a time, each with the balloon color and the marker to use.

Things to Draw on a Balloon

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  1. A three-eyed alien with the knot as an antennaGreen balloon, black marker. Hold it knot up. Three eyes in a row and a zigzag mouth.
  2. An octopus on purplePurple balloon, black marker. Knot down. A face near the top and eight arms curling down toward the knot.
  3. A surprised face with its hair standing on endAny color, black marker. Wide eyes, a round mouth, eyebrows high. Hair is short lines round the top.

Next step Feelings to draw as facesAnimals to paint on rocks

All 60 ideas

Faces 12

  • A baby with one curl Pink or yellow balloon, black marker. Knot down. Two dot eyes low on the face and one spiral curl on top.
  • A face in big round glasses Any color, black marker. Two large rings joined by a bridge, a dot eye in each, and a small smile.
  • A face in sunglasses Yellow balloon, black marker. Two filled lenses with a white glint left in each, and a sideways grin.
  • A face with the knot as its nose Pink balloon, black marker. Knot in the middle of the face: eyes above it, a wide grin below.
  • A gentleman with a curled mustache White balloon, black marker. Knot down as the chin. A mustache with curled tips and one raised eyebrow.
  • A grumpy face that is happy upside down White balloon, black marker. Eyes in the middle, the same downturned curve above and below. Flip it.
  • A pufferfish with the knot for a mouth Yellow balloon, black marker. Knot toward you. Round eyes just above it and short spikes all over.
  • A sleeping moon in profile White or yellow balloon, black marker. A nose and a closed eye along one edge, three stars behind.
  • A sleepy face that yawns when the balloon is squeezed Any color, black marker. Two closed-eye arcs and a small O mouth. Press the sides gently and the mouth stretches.
  • A surprised face with its hair standing on end Any color, black marker. Wide eyes, a round mouth, eyebrows high. Hair is short lines round the top.
  • A three-eyed alien with the knot as an antenna Green balloon, black marker. Hold it knot up. Three eyes in a row and a zigzag mouth.
  • A winking face with its tongue out Any color, black and red markers. One eye a curved line, one open. The tongue pokes out to one side.

Animals by color 12

  • A bumblebee on yellow Yellow balloon, black marker. Three thick bands round the body, colored in. Wings are two loops on top.
  • A crab on red Red balloon, black marker. Knot down. Two eyes on stalks at the top and a claw drawn at each side.
  • A frog on green Green balloon, black marker. Two bulging eyes at the top and a mouth line most of the way round.
  • A goldfish on orange Orange balloon, black marker. Knot is the mouth. An eye beside it, scales in rows of U, a tail at the far end.
  • A ladybug on red Red balloon, black marker. A head cap at the knot end, a line down the middle and spots on either side.
  • A panda on white White balloon, black marker. Two eye patches, two round ears and a nose, all colored in solid.
  • A penguin on black Black balloon, white or silver marker. A belly outline, two dot eyes, a small beak and two feet.
  • A pig on pink Pink balloon, black marker. Knot is the snout: draw a ring round it and two nostrils. Ears flop forward.
  • A tiger on orange Orange balloon, black marker. Knot down. Stripes in threes on the brow and both cheeks, a triangle nose.
  • A turtle on green Green balloon, black marker. The shell covers the balloon: six-sided plates in the middle, small ones at the rim.
  • A whale on blue Blue balloon, black marker. Knot is the tail. A long smile, a small eye and a spout drawn at the top.
  • An octopus on purple Purple balloon, black marker. Knot down. A face near the top and eight arms curling down toward the knot.

Names and numbers for a party 12

  • A cake balloon with candles round the top Pink balloon, black marker. Knot down. A wavy icing line round the middle, candles above it, the name below.
  • A guest's name in bubble letters Any color, black marker. Fat letters round the widest part, a shine mark on each. One balloon for each guest.
  • A name spelled one letter to a balloon Any colors, black marker. One tall capital on each. Tie them in a row along a string in order.
  • A place marker with a name on one side and a portrait on the other Any color, black marker. The name in capitals; turn it round for a simple face with that guest's hair.
  • A portrait of the birthday child in a party hat Any color, black marker. Knot down. Their hair, their smile, and a striped cone hat with a pompom.
  • A thank-you balloon to take home Any color, black marker. The guest's name and thanks for coming, with a ring of small stars round both.
  • An arrow and the words party this way Any color, black marker. A fat arrow that wraps a third of the way round, the words inside it.
  • The birthday number wearing a crown Any color, black marker. One huge outlined number with a three-point crown tipped over its top.
  • Medal balloons for first, second and third Yellow, white and orange balloons, black marker. A big 1, 2 or 3 in a ring, two ribbon tails to the knot.
  • One initial ringed by small stars Any color, black marker. One capital in the middle; small five-point stars in a ring all round it.
  • Table balloons with a number and a small picture Any color, black marker. 1 with a star, 2 with a fish, 3 with a hat. Guests find the matching card.
  • Team balloons with a big letter and a mascot face Two colors, black marker. A or B on one side, the team's animal on the other. One for every player.

Games 12

  • A dice balloon White balloon, black marker. Six patches with one to six dots. Catch it: the patch under your thumb is your roll.
  • A feelings balloon to act out Any color, black marker. Six faces: happy, sad, angry, scared, sleepy, silly. Act the one that faces you.
  • A globe to keep in the air Blue balloon, green marker. Rough continents, colored in. Tap it up and do not let the world touch the floor.
  • A hot potato with a worried face Orange balloon, black marker. Potato eyes as small dots, a wobbly mouth. Pass it round until the music stops.
  • A question balloon Any color, black marker. Six short questions written round it. Answer the one nearest your right thumb.
  • A race car to fan across the floor Any color, black marker. Wheels low on both sides and a number on the door. Fan it over a tape finish line.
  • A tennis ball for balloon tennis Yellow balloon, black marker. Two long curved seams. Bats are paper plates; the net is a line of tape on the floor.
  • A two-faced balloon that swaps as it spins Any color, black marker. Happy on one side, grumpy on the other. Spin it and call which face will stop toward you.
  • A volleyball for a game over a string White balloon, black marker. Curved seams from the knot to the top in three bands. Tie a string between two chairs.
  • An action balloon Any color, black marker. Hop, spin, clap, freeze, each in its own box. Do the one your hand lands on.
  • Planets to orbit a yellow sun Mixed colors, black marker. Stripes on one, rings on another, craters on a third. Walk them round a yellow balloon.
  • Twin balloons hidden in a bunch Any colors, black marker. Give two balloons the same pattern and all the rest different ones. Find the pair.

Seasons 12

  • A back-to-school apple with a worm waving Red balloon, black and green markers. Knot up as the stalk, with a leaf. A worm leans out of a small hole.
  • A balloon covered in hearts of three sizes Red or pink balloon, black marker. Large hearts first, then medium, then tiny ones in the gaps.
  • A beach ball in six wedges White balloon, colored markers. Six lines from the top to the knot. Color every other wedge.
  • A chick hatching, its shell line drawn right round the balloon Yellow balloon, black marker. A zigzag eggshell line round the lower half, two eyes and a beak above it.
  • A firework sky for New Year Dark blue balloon, silver marker. Bursts of lines from five or six points, long strokes and short ones.
  • A friendly ghost on white White balloon, black marker. Knot up. Two tall oval eyes and an O mouth. Hang it by a thread from the knot.
  • A patterned egg for spring Pink or yellow balloon, black marker. Knot down. Bands right round: zigzags, then dots, then waves.
  • A pumpkin on orange Orange balloon, black marker. Knot up as the stalk. Curved ribs from top to bottom, triangle eyes, a grin.
  • A reindeer with the knot for its nose Any warm color, black and red markers. Knot toward you, colored red. Antlers branch up both sides.
  • A snowman's head on white White balloon, black and orange markers. Dot eyes, a dotted smile and a carrot nose seen from the side.
  • A summer sun in sunglasses Yellow balloon, black marker. Sunglasses and a smile in the middle, short rays all round the edge.
  • A tree ornament on red Red balloon, black marker. Draw a cap and a hook at the knot and a band of stars round the middle.

How it works

A balloon is round, brightly colored and ends in a knot, and the best things to draw on balloons use all three. An adult blows up and ties each one first.

Read the full guide

Let the color do the work

Pick the animal the balloon already is. Red is a ladybug or a crab, orange a goldfish or a tiger, green a frog or a turtle, and a black balloon with a white marker is a penguin. Animals by color holds twelve, and each needs only a few lines.

Use the knot

The knot can be a nose, a pig's snout, the mouth of a pufferfish, a whale's tail or the stalk of a pumpkin. Decide which way up the balloon will hang or be held before the first line, then draw the face to suit.

  • Uninflated balloons and pieces of a popped one can choke a young child. Keep spares out of reach and discard every piece at once.
  • Hold the balloon by the knot, draw with a light touch and give the ink a moment before passing it on.
  • Start with the eyes. They fix where everything else on a round face goes.

Questions and answers

What can you draw on a balloon?

A face comes first: sleepy, winking, in big round glasses, or grumpy one way up and happy the other. After that, an animal that matches the balloon's color, a guest's name in bubble letters, or a pumpkin on orange.

Are balloons safe for young children?

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission warns that uninflated balloons and pieces of broken ones are a suffocation hazard, and recommends that children under eight do not play with uninflated balloons unsupervised. It does not believe a completely inflated balloon is a hazard.

What can you draw on balloons for a birthday party?

One balloon for each guest with their name in bubble letters, the birthday number wearing a crown, table balloons with a number and a small picture, or medal balloons for the games. Names and numbers for a party holds twelve.

What games can you play with a balloon you have drawn on?

Draw a globe and keep the world off the floor, or six faces and act the one that ends up facing you. A dice balloon gives the number under your thumb. No game here pops a balloon.

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