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On this episode of The Children’s Hour, we explore balloons. From party balloons to weather balloons, and from the first hot air balloons in 18th-century France to the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, the Kids Crew dives into the history, science, art, and wonder of ballooning.

We learn how the Montgolfier brothers sent a sheep, a duck, and a chicken up in the very first hot air balloon in 1783, and how gas-filled balloons soon followed. The Kids Crew discover the science that makes balloons float, and we hear how balloons are still used today in weather forecasting, reaching as high as 100,000 feet to collect atmospheric data.

We go behind the scenes at the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, the largest balloon gathering in the world, and experience the magic of “the box,” a wind pattern that allows balloons to return to their starting point. Our crew shares sounds from balloon chases, night glows, and even a ride in a special-shaped balloon.

Then our Kids Crew member, Jena Ritchey got into a hot air balloon at the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, the world’s largest balloon rally held in Albuquerque, New Mexico in early October every year. We also hear a cinquain poem from Mrs. Shannon Estes’ class in 2010 at Manzano Mesa Elementary in Albuquerque, New Mexico. 

We also meet 12-year-old composer Evan Daitz, who turned the sound of hot air balloon burners into his symphony A Balloon’s Breath, performed by professional musicians at Chatter in Santa Fe. 

The kids in the Extinction Diaries at KFOI have a message about releasing helium balloons. It turns out they are catastrophic for animals, who mistake them for food and typically choke or starve after eating them. Balloons bring wonder, beauty, and inspiration, but they also remind us to take care of our Earth.

There are practical scientific applications for releasing balloons into nature, including the enormous weather balloons that you may see floating in the sky in the middle of the day. These are released daily from hundreds of locations worldwide, and help meteorologists predict the weather, and climate scientists see longterm weather patterns. 

Get blown away with us as we learn about ballooning this time on The Children’s Hour.

This episode was written and produced by Katie Stone, with help from Jena Ritchey, Christina Stella, Sarah Gabrielli, Thaniel Lentz. Our learning materials are written by Amber Shiel. Special thanks to David Felberg and the musicians at Chatter for their performance of A Balloon’s Breath. This episode was recorded at KUNM-fm, the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, and the Sunspot Solar Studio, all in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

The Children’s Hour is a production of The Children’s Hour Inc., a New Mexico nonprofit organization. We are distributed by Native Voice One, The Native American Radio Network.

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