Parade Crown Balloons Over Broadway Activity - Macy's Thanksgiving Parade

Bring the excitement of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade into your classroom with this Balloons Over Broadway STEM Challenge.

This hands-on Thanksgiving STEM activity is perfect for Pre-K and early elementary students, combining creativity, fine motor skills, and storytelling.

Inspired by the beloved book Balloons Over Broadway by Melissa Sweet, this STEM lesson plan helps students design and decorate their own parade balloon crowns while learning about imagination, engineering, and teamwork.

What’s Included:

• Printable balloon crown templates featuring fun Thanksgiving designs
• Step-by-step teacher instructions for easy classroom setup
• Built-in connections to the Engineering Design Process (Ask, Imagine, Plan, Create, Test, Improve, Share)
• Extension ideas like hosting a classroom or school-wide “Parade of Balloons”