Marshmallow Sculpture

by Lauri Griffin | More from this Blogger

17 Jan 2007 12:29 PM

Marshmallows are a great art medium for projects. They are inexpensive, they don't crumble or spill, and they're edible. They are even quiet. Building with marshmallows is a great thing to do on snow days or sick days. It's also a fun thing to put out for the kids at family gatherings. Don't be surprised if the adults want to play, too.

Start with clean hands. If you wet a marshmallow just a little, with a drop or two of water, it will stick to another marshmallow. You can build snowmen or igloos. Buy marshmallows in big and little sizes for variety. The colored ones add a little extra fun, too. You can flatten marshmallows, or stretch them taller.

You can also join marshmallows with cut up drinking straws, toothpicks or pretzels. It's very easy to build ants, spiders, or buildings, or even marshmallow castles.

When the kids start to tire of that, add a bag of gumdrops and let them go. Gumdrops will need the sharpness of toothpicks, pretzels don't work very well on them. Or, you can slice off the end of the gumdrop to expose the sticky side. They will then to stick to just about everything! Small children will need help with the toothpicks, and more supervision since toothpicks are sharp. Adults should handle the knives. Think about the brightly colored things your kids can make - monsters and spiders, small dogs or other animals. Faces are fun to make too, with crazy hair, different color eyes, and big smiles.

With gumdrops and marshmallows, the possibilities are endless. I love to see what the kids can come up with. There are no right or wrong ways to do this, it's just fun and creative.

When everyone is done creating, take some pictures. Then, you can eat your art if you want to, or display it on the table for a few days.

More cupboard art:

Peanut Butter Play Clay

Sculpt and Eat Crafts

Learn more about Lauri Griffin

Lauri lives in Colorado with her husband and three sons. Amidst all the laundry and packing of lunches, she tries to keep parenting fun.

View Full Profile | More from this Blogger

Linda Hansen (1796) 17 Jan 2007 01:36 PM

What a great idea for a rainy day project. I look for things for my boys to do instead of "hanging out" on their XBox. They love marshmallows and I am trying to develp their crafting skills. This is a definite, doable activity. Thanks, Artcraft

Lauri Griffin (2703) 18 Jan 2007 09:12 AM

It is a challenge to get them away from those XBox's and Game Cubes!

mama2riley (24481) 18 Jan 2007 03:03 PM

How fun! What a great idea! I will definitely remember that one for a rainy day!

Sherry Holetzky (11404) 19 Jan 2007 11:47 AM

Fun ideas and great tips, Lauri! :o)

*please, remember that marshmallows can be a choking hazard for little ones.

Lauri Griffin (2703) 19 Jan 2007 03:01 PM

Good point - never give your child anything that they can choke on. This activity shouldn't be for little ones.