3D Marshmallow and Toothpicks Shapes
These 3D Marshmallow and Toothpicks Shapes are so much fun for the kids! Using fine motor skills with creativity is a great way to create 3D shapes. You can easily use this as a fun activity or a learning activity, too.
My kids are visual learners. This means that they love to see what they’re going to learn and then learn from that to create. I love that they’re visual learners because building and creating with their hands is a great thing to do.
I think that creativity encourages imagination and I think it’s great that the kids can build these 3D shapes using items that we have around the house as well.
Make certain to check out my Magic Toothpick Star Experiment for another fun activity for the kids.
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3D Marshmallow and Toothpicks Shapes
If your kids love to create and are all about hands-on learning and fun, they’re going to have a blast with these toothpick shapes. Not only are they easy to make but it’s a great activity for all ages as well.
Since this doesn’t require any type of reading at all, younger kids can even join in on the creative fun. This is perfect for an activity for homeschooling or just a really fun weekend craft idea for the kids.
Not only will the kids get to create with their hands but they’ll also get to learn about different shapes, too.
If you like this marshmallow activity, try these marshmallow games too.
Books About Shapes For Kids
Check out these great book ideas for kids. If you’re wanting to focus more on shapes, these are a great place to start. All of these books are great for kids of all ages and it’s always a good idea to talk about shapes and new shapes that they might not even know.
Make certain that you combine book learning with hands-on learning for the best results. I’ve found that when the kids read pages they do fine but when they read pages and then use their hands to create what they’ve read, great things really do happen.
Having books that are all about shapes helps to motivate the kids and help them want to learn more. There are so many great ways for the kids to learn about shapes, too.
Make certain to arrange the books around the house so that the kids can pick up a book anytime that they’re wanting to read. When they’re looking for something to do, having a stack of books handy is a great thing for them to grab and read!
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Why teach about 3D shapes?
Is there even really a need when it comes to teaching your child about 3D shapes? It’s true that not all shapes look or are created the same.
There are 2D shapes, 3D shapes, and then shapes that all kids just know better than others. Teaching kids about 3D shapes is the perfect way to show them how fun shape learning can be.
This is especially important if they’re going to want to be an engineer or a builder when they get older. They’ll be able to find out how all various angles of a shape look and then use that to create more images and shapes in their minds.
Being able to view a shape in 3D is awesome but being able to create a shape in 3D is the best!
Below is just a small sampling of the types of shapes that the kids will learn how to create. This includes octahedron, a prism, and more.
Since all you really need to get started are marshmallows and toothpicks, it can be a really fun and engaging activity that the kids can literally get started on right away.
Encourage the kids to use their creativity as well! The printables will give them the shapes that they need to create but see if they have others in mind that they can build. All shapes have the potential to become 3D if the kids can create them that way to do it!
Recommened Shape Toys
Perhaps your kids just thrive with more hands-on exposure to a new concept. It can be hard to answer questions on paper and to imagine 3D shapes visually so they may need to see the real thing in action. To count the faces and vertices that each shape has and feel it in their hands.
Melissa & Doug Pattern Blocks and Boards – Classic Toy With 120 Solid Wood Shapes and 5 Double-Sided PanelsChildren Hub 46pcs Magnetic Tiles Set – Educational 3D Magnet Building Blocks – Building Construction Toys for Kids – Upgraded Version with Strong Magnets – Creativity, Imagination, Inspiration3D Shapes Guess Game – Solid Figures Geometry Miniature Set in Mystery Bag – Wooden Montessori Toys – Pack of 10pcs – Ages 3 and Upedxeducation Mini Geometric Solids – In Home Learning Toy for Early Math & Geometry – Set of 40 – Multicolored 3D Shapes – Math Manipulative For KidsSkoolzy Geometric Shapes Montessori Toys – 7 Jumbo 3D Geometric Solids Preschool Learning Toys – Math Manipulatives Geometry Set Geo Blocks for Kids | Elementary Homeschool Supplies | Tote & eBookPlay Brainy 101 Pieces Magnetic Cubes for Kids – 3D Building Blocks Set with Transparent Blocks in Varying Shapes and Colors – STEM-Approved Learning Toys for Kids Ages 3 and Up – Storage Box Included
Fun Ideas for 3D Learning
You can also use this as a challenge for the older kids. Have them see if they can create shapes and then see if those 3D shapes are strong enough to stand on their own. Or are they strong enough to hold any type of weight at all?
You can absolutely use this as a way to help them with their STEM building and learning. See if they can create the entire shapes on their own and then challenge them to find new ideas and things to create.
The more that they can do this, the more that they’re start having more of an engineering mindframe as well.
This can help them in the future when it comes to creating and building and also helps with critical thinking skills, too.
Don’t forget to grab the printable below! You’ll need this to get started and to show the kids the shapes that they’re going to want to make!
Have fun with this 3D learning activity. Let the kids be creative with this and let them have fun. You might as well have some extra marshmallows on hand as well because you know that they’re going to be snacking on them and eating some while they’re building.
More STEM Activities
Below are just a few other ideas that the kids might enjoy doing as well. The more activities, the better!