Marshmallows + Straws = DIY Tinker Toys for $2

Here is a fun activity to do with children of all ages! When I was teaching in an Elementary school, I hosted a math night and one of the stations I set up had toothpicks and marshmallows. The goal was to create shapes with them. I decided to try this with my toddler son since he is learning shapes. We used straws instead of toothpicks for safety reasons.

My son had a lot of fun helping me create shapes. We made a triangle, square, and a rectangle. He enjoyed picking up the shapes and looking through them too. When the shapes were set down in front of him, I asked him to point out each shape... and he did!

Next we created 3D shapes. Here he is with a triangular pyramid. He thought the 3D shapes were so interesting how they stood up on their own.

 

This activity cost a total of $2 to create. I simply bought a bag of marshmallows and a bag of straws at the dollar store. It was an engaging activity for my son and a great learning experience. It was also so much fun to eat marshmallows as we played together too!

 

-Deborah