There are some ingredients you can bring to the table without anyone noticing. Marshmallows aren't one of them.
The bag isn't even open yet, and the kids already want in.
A few tumble into the bowl. They know these soft, squishy things. They've dropped them into cups of hot chocolate, toasted them over fires, and eaten plenty straight from the bag.
But today, we're going to find out what happens when we don't eat them.
Soon they will puff and stretch and stick to just about everything. And somewhere in all that mess, the marshmallows will stop being a treat waiting in a bowl and become something little hands can really get into.
Marshmallow play dough.
For more homemade doughs that begin in the kitchen and end up on the play table, explore our Play Dough Recipes for Kids collection.
And if this has the kids looking at the pantry a little differently, our Play Recipes for Kids collection is full of more ingredients that don't stay ordinary for long.
What You'll Need
This one starts with six marshmallows and a few pantry basics.
- 6 large marshmallows
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch, plus more as needed
- 2 teaspoons coconut oil
- Food coloring, optional
- Microwave-safe bowl
- Spoon
These amounts make one color, so gather another set of ingredients for each color the kids want to make.
How to Make Marshmallow Play Dough
1. Watch the Marshmallows Grow
Add 6 marshmallows, 3 tablespoons of cornstarch, 2 teaspoons of coconut oil, and a few drops of food coloring to a microwave-safe bowl.
Microwave on high for roughly 25–30 seconds, watching closely.
It happens fast.
The marshmallows begin to puff, and almost as soon as the kids notice, they are huge, crowding into each other and filling the bowl.
Carefully remove the hot bowl from the microwave and set it well out of reach while it cools.
They'll get their turn soon.
2. Stir the Sticky Mess
Once the marshmallows have puffed, an adult can begin stirring while the mixture is still hot.
At first, everything clings to the spoon. The marshmallows stretch through the color and cornstarch, pulling into sticky strands before folding back into the bowl.
Keep stirring until the color and cornstarch are worked through as much as possible.
Then comes the hard part for little hands.
Waiting until it's cool enough to touch.
3. Get Your Hands In
Once the mixture is cool enough to touch, the kids can finally take over.
They pull the sticky dough from the bowl and begin squeezing and kneading, working in a little more cornstarch as they go. At first, some of it follows their fingers.
Keep kneading.
With each turn, there is a little less left behind on their hands and a little more staying together between them.
Soon, someone gives the whole thing a squeeze.
This time, it's play dough.
Make Another Color
One color barely makes it onto the table before someone starts thinking about another.
Make the recipe again with a different color, and keep going if they want more. Soon, the same white marshmallows that tumbled from the bag are sitting on the table in handfuls of bright color.
And somewhere along the way, making the play dough gives way to playing with it.
Little fingers press into the middle. A piece gets rolled beneath a palm, another gets stretched between two hands, and eventually two colors find their way together.
You can bring over cookie cutters or a few favorite play dough tools.
Or don't.
Sometimes something you've just made is interesting enough all by itself.
Getting the Texture Right
Marshmallows can be sticky, so don't worry if the dough needs a little adjusting once everyone starts kneading.
If it is still clinging heavily to their fingers, add a small amount of cornstarch and work it through. Keep adding a little at a time until the dough stays together without coating their hands.
If the dough becomes too dry or crumbly, work in a small amount of coconut oil and knead again.
Give each addition a chance to disappear into the dough before deciding whether it needs more.
How Long Does Marshmallow Play Dough Last?
This one is best on the day you make it.
You can store the dough in an airtight container, but we found that it wasn't nearly as nice to play with later. It becomes harder, drier, and more crumbly as it sits.
For us, this is a make it, play with it, and enjoy it for the afternoon kind of recipe.
When play is finished, we simply let this batch be done.
When They're Ready to Mix Again
If one batch only makes them curious about what else can happen in the mixing bowl, there are plenty more play recipes waiting in the kitchen.
PEEPS Play Dough
Give another marshmallow favorite a turn at the play table.
Kool-Aid Play Dough
Mix a bright batch with the fruity color and scent of Kool-Aid.
Cloud Dough
Pack it into a shape, crumble it apart, and start again.
Find the rest in our Play Dough Recipes for Kids collection.
Marshmallow Play Dough FAQ
Can kids help make marshmallow play dough?
Absolutely. They can measure ingredients, choose the colors, and watch the marshmallows puff in the microwave.
An adult should handle the hot bowl and mixture after heating. Once the dough has cooled enough to touch safely, they can take over the mixing and kneading.
Is marshmallow play dough taste-safe?
This recipe uses ordinary food ingredients, but we make it for play rather than eating.
If a curious child sneaks a small taste, that's different from serving the dough as food. Use ingredients appropriate for your child, and keep allergies and individual dietary needs in mind.
Do we have to add food coloring?
Not at all.
The dough works without color. Leave it plain, or add food coloring when the kids want another color in the mix.
The Next Bag of Marshmallows
By the end, there isn't much left on the table that looks like the marshmallows we started with.
The bright pieces have been pressed into shapes, folded back together, and mixed along the way. The neat pieces that first came out of the bowl aren't quite so neat anymore.
Eventually, play winds down and the last pieces are gathered from the table.
But the next time a bag of marshmallows appears, the kids already know they can do more than drop them into hot chocolate, toast them over a fire, or eat them straight from the bag.
They can play with them, too.
