Water Balloon Drop
Wednesday April 30, 2025 (8:20AM)
What is water balloon drop?
This is a long-standing JSIS/Latona tradition where each student uses their imagination and recycled materials from home to create a project that protects a filled water balloon that will be dropped from the fourth floor balcony.
The goal is to have the water balloon not break from the fall.
The purpose of this activity is to build school community and to encourage students to think creatively, critically and scientifically as they design their project.
This is an optional at-home project and classroom time will not be available for working on the project.
Rules For Entry
Parents should review this checklist with students before construction begins, then again before students bring projects to school.
Please write the name and room number of the student, on the project.
Each student allowed just one entry.
The water balloon sent home with your student must be filled to a minimum diameter of 3 inches (or circumference of 9 inches). If your child's balloon breaks at home, feel free to substitute with another - it is not important if they are not all exactly the same, but it should be similar in size.
The student must be able to carry the project by themselves to school.
All entries must contain only items that can go directly into the recycling bin. No sorting or separating required.
Please strive to use as many recycled materials for the construction of the project. Do not buy anything new.
Do not use anything that you would like to have returned.
No confetti, wings, parachutes, propellers, Styrofoam, food/food products, cloth (socks, stuffed animals, etc.) or plastics allowed.
Entries should be brought to school the morning of the Balloon Drop and taken directly to the playground. Parent volunteers will be collecting projects at the class lines.
After attendance, all students will reassemble on the playground. Designated adults will drop the projects from the fourth floor balcony.
No balloons will be returned to students. If you attend, please do not take your child's balloon home as this is not fair to other students. (We suggest parents of k-1 students especially; emphasize this with their child to avoid disappointments).
Bonus challenge: Make the balloon partially or entirely visible as it falls!
Balloons will not be dropped if they pose a safety risk to the spectators or if they contain prohibited materials.
Adult volunteers will be on the Kinder and Big playgrounds Wednesday morning, (standing at each class line with collection bags). When the first bell rings, students should line up, and if they have not already done so, put their labeled entry into their class bag.
Want to Volunteer?
We need two parents from each class to help collect the student's water balloon drop creations!
You will pick up a large garbage bag from the Art Room no later than 7:40am then stand out at the class drop off line to collect entries as the students go into class.
The bags will then need to be brought to the attic where the balloons are dropped from the roof of the school and you'll help collect the remains after your class has been dropped to move all recyclable pieces to the recycling bins!
Want to Watch?
Parents are welcome to stick around after school drop-off and watch the balloon drop. The action starts at 8:20am on the lower playground.
John Stanford International School
4057 5th Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98105
Contact the PTSA @ theboard@jsispta.org