My three oldest boys recently finished an amazing art camp and on the last day they came home with these simple marshmallow shooters that entertained them for hours! Even my 2 year old got in on the fun and enjoyed shooting the marshmallows out of the cup. Thanks to their teacher Ms. Maria for this awesome idea!
MATERIALS NEEDED FOR SIMPLE MARSHMALLOW SHOOTERS (affiliate links):
- Latex Balloons
- Scissors
- Clear Packing Tape
- Clear Plastic Cups
- Small marshmallows (or pom poms would work well too)
HOW TO MAKE SIMPLE MARSHMALLOW SHOOTERS:
- Start by tying a knot in the bottom of the balloon.
- Cut the top tip of the balloon off.
- Cut the bottom of the plastic cup off.
- Stretch the open end of the balloon over the bottom of the plastic cup.
- Use the clear packing tape, to secure the balloon to the cup.
That’s it! Now you are ready to have fun with your shooters.
Check out the boys in action with their marshmallow shooters in the below video:
LOTS OF WAYS TO USE YOUR MARSHMALLOW SHOOTERS:
- Distance Competition: My boys tested shooting one marshmallow at a time and were amazed at just how far and high the marshmallows would fly! The had a competition to see who could shoot a marshmallow the farthest distance. They actually few halfway across our backyard!
- Multiple Marshmallows: They also tried loading a handful of marshmallows in the shooter at once and found they flew a much shorter distance.
- Shoot & Catch: The most fun they had was probably shooting the marshmallows straight up into the sky and trying to catch the marshmallow back in the cup (or in their mouths) as they came down.
- Trying different sizes: We had some giant marshmallows so they boys tested using large marshmallows but they found they did not go very far at all.
I love this experiment because it plays with the concept of physics, cause and effect, testing different hypotheses and trying to predict outcomes. A perfect STEM activity and tons of fun for the boys!
Check out our other fun, outdoor activities!
