Marshmallow dough

With the air crisp and leaves falling, now is the perfect time to gather together and spend fall nights cozied around a fire sharing stories, sipping warm cider, and roasting marshmallows. In our nature play this last week, we did just that. The kids collected, hauled, and stacked firewood which we “lit” with fire-colored ribbon, scarves and yarn. Transporting wood is a great heavy work activity for kids which activates the muscles, engages proprioception, or body awareness, and helps those with sensory processing disorders to calm and regulate.

The mostly exciting part of our campfire play was roasting pretend marshmallows. This dough resembles the look and texture of marshmallows so perfectly without the sticky mess. As an added bonus, it is moisturizing to the skin and incredibly satisfying to squish and shape. The perfect stress reliever!

This marshmallow dough is super simple and easy to make. All you need is corn starch, hair conditioner (I used dollar store conditioner), and a mixing bowl. Mix together 1/2 cup conditioner for every 1 cup of corn starch. Mix with a spoon or hands and then knead until fully blended and dough-like in texture. Next, shape dough into a marshmallow, place on a roasting stick and have fun around your pretend campfire.