Why Build with Marshmallows and Toothpicks?

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Surprisingly, one of the most popular activities at Camp Orion this week was open ended building with marshmallows and toothpicks. Campers were even heard asking to forgo “free time” to continue finishing their creations!  On reflection, it is no wonder this was so in demand…this old school staple is rock solid in terms of child development for children of all ages.
 This activity encourages open ended critical thinking skills, hands  on experimental inquiry, and creative problem solving. It also helps campers explore the principals of structural engineering, physics, design and mathematical concepts including 3-d geometry. Visualization and memory are expanded as campers explore ways to create structures.
 Of course marshmallow toothpick building is perfect for Camp Orion because it addresses the sensory and motor needs of many of our campers. Fine motor skills, bilateral coordination, hand eye coordination, visual spatial skills and tactile discrimination are just some of the areas addressed with this deceptively simple activity. It was a delight to watch one of our younger campers explore the texture of the marshmallows by  smelling, feeling, and then tasting them with  great interest.


The Orion School and Camp Orion both serve children with neurobehavioral  challenges including ADHD, Asperger’s and anxiety...so all our campers benefit from high interest activities that encourage attention. Depending on age, campers were so engaged in building that they were able to extend their patience and attention to create structures that ranged from simple to uber complex.
Campers practiced social skills as they shared materials and talked about each other's structures. Although each structure was individual, building was a small group activity that generated many interesting conversations! In addition, campers evidenced the self confidence and self esteem that comes from accomplishing a goal as they used their imagination to create!  This entire week of Camp Orion was filled with dozens of activities like the marshmallow-toothpick building that were also designed to work on different areas of development.  We just keep quiet on this fact for all the campers who just think they are having fun...it is after all summertime :)