First-grade students recently took a colorful journey through the history, creativity, and engineering of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade during the library’s “Balloons Over Broadway” unit.
The class began by reading Balloons Over Broadway, which introduces the story of parade puppeteer and balloon innovator Tony Sarg. The book helped students discover how imaginative ideas and careful design can bring a parade to life. Together, they discussed the history of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and how its famous balloons have become a much-anticipated part of the annual celebration.
Students also researched how parade balloons are made today. They explored the materials and planning involved in creating enormous, carefully shaped balloons that can travel along a parade route. By comparing early parade balloons with those used today, students considered how balloon engineering has changed over the years. They noticed how new ideas, materials, and techniques have helped designers create balloons in different sizes and shapes.
Then it was the students’ turn to be designers. Each student dreamed up and designed an original balloon, putting imagination and what they had learned about balloon design to work. The unit concluded with a robot parade for a lively celebration of invention and creativity.
Through reading, research, comparison, and hands-on design, first graders connected storytelling with history and engineering. The unit offered a joyful way to explore how creative thinking can grow into something larger than life—and how a parade can bring a community together.
