Marshmallow and Toothpick Snowflake STEM Activity

Give a teacher a bag of marshmallows and she’ll find 30+ Activities to use them in! Ha! Anyone else love using ‘mallows in classroom activities? Today we made marshmallow and toothpick snowflakes to learn more about snowflakes and symmetry!

Supplies for Marshmallow and Toothpick Snowflakes

Marshmallows
Toothpicks

(Also, can I get a “whoot whoot” for short supply lists? Yessssss!!!)

First, I organized our supplies in a small wooden tray. I find that an attractive presentation makes activities much more inviting to kids.

You can use the tray these lacing cards come in, or this toy’s tray. (No tray? Use a piece of construction paper as a workmat. This helps define the space of the activity and helps avoid marshmallows from spreading across the table).

I added a few toothpicks to start off a snowflake and invited my preschooler over to continue creating.

We talked about how snowflake designs are symmetrical, or the same on both sides.

So as my preschooler added a toothpick to one side, he made it even by adding a toothpick to the other side as well.

Pinching and arranging the marshmallows on the toothpicks is a great way for preschoolers to work on fine motor skills, too. (Tip for working with marshmallow- day old ‘mallows are easier to handle as they don’t squish as much).

During a pause from building, we examined the snowflake we’d made. We talked about how many marshmallows we used, how many toothpicks we used, the symmetrical shape, etc.

We also snacked on a few marshmallows and then decided to build another one!

Extend this activity by inviting preschoolers to draw their creations on a piece of paper. Ask how many different designs they can come up with and allow them to work in teams to brainstorm other designs.

Looking for more winter fun ideas? Try some of these activities:

Snow Dough Small World

Ice and Snow Pictures

Melted Snowman Sensory Activity

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Clarissa Hooper

Writer at Munchkins and Moms

Clarissa is a former elementary teacher turned homeschool mom and blogger at Munchkins and Moms. She loves to share creative preschool activities that are both playful and educational. Don’t forget to follow her on Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram for more inspiration!