make a marshmallow garland

This super easy garland project can be whipped up with even your young twos and threes. A plastic needle is extra long and should both prevent poking and swallowing. This project will work those fine motor skills and get the creative juices flowing when given a variety of marshmallows and straws to play with. If you talk to your kiddo about creating a pattern with their straws and marshmallows you've just added math to the mix. Here's what you need.

Marshmallow and Paper Straw Garland

*large marshmallows

*plastic needle

*waxed dental floss

*paper straws

*two pony beads or buttons

*scissors

Gather up your marshmallows and pop them into a pretty bowl or two. Hand your kiddo a pair of scissors (if they're scissors ready) and let them cut up their paper straws. Set the cut straws into their own happy bowl and set aside. I have found paper straws at Michael's, Target, and online. If you cannot find paper straws, plastic straws will work and can be found in many different colors.

 Thread your plastic needle (I found mine at Michael's) with a long length of dental floss that has been double knotted. You want to use dental floss to keep the line as unsticky as possible (it will still be gooey as marshmallows are magically gooey). The plastic needle will easily poke through the marshmallow and is sturdy enoug for little fingers to thread through the cut star pieces. Tie one of your buttons or beads to the end and get to threading. Here is where the patterning comes in. You can ask your kiddo to create  a pattern of two or three and then have them thread it. As they thread the pattern (red, green, marshmallow) talk about repeating and patterning. Use their example but mix it up and see if they can find the mix-up. 

 Once finished, tie off the other end with the remaining bead or button. Hang in a happy place. Merry Christmas!