Water balloon

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Exploding water ballon

Several water balloons lying on pavement

A water balloon, or water bomb, is a simple small latex rubber balloon filled with tap water. The user may then throw the water filled balloon at a desired target and the balloon pops leaving the target soaked with water. They are commonly used by children in water fights, and by others in carrying out practical jokes.

Water balloons are typically used as 'grenades' in water gun fights, and are just as typically used by themselves in water balloon fights. In water balloon fights, there are either two sides, or free-for-all. Before the fight, each team or individual fills up water balloons and places them into a container, such as a bucket or a plastic tub. In some water balloon fights, a water balloon filled with water may be frozen for a more painful and bigger blasting balloon.

Normal balloons (that are typically filled with air) may also be used as water balloons, but are not typically preferred because they are not specially designed for water. A traditional water balloon is designed to be filled up at about the sized of a baseball and to the point of them becoming the traditional pear shape (so as to be thrown more easily), whereas an air balloon, when filled with water, can get to about the size of a basketball; this is disadvantageous because they're are harder to handle and usually require two hands. Water balloons are designed to be thick enough to be handheld without exploding, yet thin enough to explode upon impact. Although traditional balloons can carry more water, they're typically more cumbersome because they don't explode as easily when thrown at a target, bounce off and explode on the ground. Sometimes they don't explode at all, allowing the target to pick up and use the balloon.

Another form of the water bomb is a sheet of paper folded to form a roughly spherical container (see Origami) capable of holding water for some time.[1] These are then filled and thrown in a similar way to the latex version.

Water balloons have one main accessory known as the "water balloon launcher". This can be bought at a toy store or homemade with surgical tubing and a piece of soft leather. The launcher can be used to project the water balloon several hundred feet onto an unsuspecting target.