North Babylon Third Graders Debut Robot-Powered Balloon Parade

NORTH BABYLON, NY — Third graders at Parliament Place Elementary School blended creativity, engineering, and research as part of a cross-curricular project that culminated in the school’s first-ever Balloons Over Parliament Float Parade on Nov. 19.

The event was the result of a collaboration between the art and library departments, giving students the chance to explore the history and mechanics behind parade floats while integrating coding and design skills.

In library class, students learned about Tony Sarg — the engineer and puppeteer who created the original Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade balloons. They also practiced programming Dash robots, gaining experience with sequencing, movement and guiding a robot along a planned route.

In art class, students put their research into practice by selecting a character, sketching initial concepts, and creating colorful balloon floats to attach to the Dash robots. Working in small teams, they refined their artwork, tested their designs and prepared for the big day.

After weeks of planning, designing and coding, students proudly showcased their creations as their robot-driven floats traveled across the cafeteria, cheered on by classmates lining the route.