Two things are real crowd pleasers for any Outreach Event: Balloon Animals (Globos de animales) and Face Painting. This guide will get you started. 1. Blow up the twisty balloon leaving about three inches unfilled. 2. Let out some of the air and twist the end around two fingers of your left hand. Put the end between the crack between your two fingers and tie the knot. 3. Most animals are based on the dog model. Twist three equal pieces about three inches long. Hold on to each piece so they don't come untwisted. 4. Put the two bottom pieces together and twist them together. This locks the form so it won't come untwisted. You have just made the head and ears! 5. Do three more sections and twist the bottom two together. This section becomes the neck and front two legs. 6. Twist three more sections and twist the bottom two together. These become the body and the two rear legs. The end left over is the tail!

You can't make a mistake with the forms really---it just takes creativity on your part! For instance, if the front two parts are really big you have a rabbit. If the body is really long you have a sausage dog. Long rear legs is a rabbit. A long neck is a giraffe. Long tail is a kangaroo! Have fun!!

Face painting should be kept simple. Shown are basketball and football designs. Other favorites are kitty cat whiskers, red noses or flags.

Party City has twisty balloons and pumps. 144 balloons cost about $10. A pump is around $5. Face paints come in two forms: crayons and paints with a brush. Both are worth trying out.