Games With Marshmallows

Tossing, stacking and building games, and not one eating contest: press Pick 3 new games.

Games With Marshmallows

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  1. Rug Mini Golf With a Wooden Spoon1. Indoor golf on three holes, with a ball that will not roll far. Lay three cups on their sides around the room, each behind a different obstacle: a chair leg, a shoe, a cushion.2. Players putt a large marshmallow with a wooden spoon, taking turns.3. Count the strokes to each cup.4. The lowest total over three holes wins. No marshmallow goes in a mouth, and game marshmallows go in the trash.Youngest player: age 5. Players: 2 to 8. Time: 12 min. Props: a wooden spoon and a large marshmallow for each player, and three cups.
  2. Bridge Between Two Books1. Stand two books a hand span apart for each team.2. Teams build a bridge of mini marshmallows and toothpicks that rests on both books and touches nothing between them.3. After eight minutes, load each bridge with coins, one at a time, in the middle.4. The bridge that carries the most coins before it sags to the table wins. Toothpicks are sharp, so builders stay seated at the table. No marshmallow goes in a mouth, and game marshmallows go in the trash.Youngest player: age 8. Players: 2 to 20. Time: 12 min. Props: mini marshmallows, toothpicks, two books and a stack of coins for each team.
  3. A Stand for a Tennis Ball1. Give each team twenty mini marshmallows, thirty toothpicks and one tennis ball.2. Build a stand that holds the ball off the table.3. After six minutes, place the balls and let go.4. The stand that holds its ball highest for a count of ten wins, and a ball that touches the table is out. Toothpicks are sharp, so builders stay seated at the table. No marshmallow goes in a mouth, and game marshmallows go in the trash.Youngest player: age 8. Players: 2 to 20. Time: 10 min. Props: mini marshmallows, toothpicks and a tennis ball for each team.

Next step More team building challengesGames with a sleeve of cups

How it works

These games with marshmallows treat a marshmallow as a ball that will not bounce, a brick that sticks and a joint for toothpicks.

Read the full guide

Games using marshmallows, by what the marshmallow does

It flies in Toss and catch games and Target and launcher games, where a ball that stops dead suits a small room. It stacks in Stacking and balance games. In Building contests with toothpicks minis join the picks, for builders of eight and up.

Why nothing here is eaten

The American Academy of Pediatrics lists marshmallows among the foods that can choke a young child and says to keep such foods from children until age 4 or older. So no game puts one in a mouth, the youngest player is five, and each game repeats the line.

  • A marker dot on half the marshmallows makes two teams with no extra gear.
  • Keep a second, sealed bag for eating afterward, so nobody is tempted by one off the floor.

Questions and answers

What games can you play with marshmallows?

Tossing games such as Cup Catch Pairs, target games such as Staircase Toss and Tic-Tac-Toe in Nine Cups, stacking games such as Pass the Growing Tower, and toothpick building contests such as Bridge Between Two Books.

How many marshmallows does a party need?

One bag of large ones and one of minis covers most of the list. The building contests are the hungry ones: Tallest Toothpick Tower, Teams of Three takes thirty minis a team.

Large or mini marshmallows?

Large ones for stacking, putting and long throws, because they are easy to catch and stand on end. Minis for flicking, cup catches and every toothpick build, where they work as joints.

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All 35 games

Toss and catch games 7

  • Catch It in the Hat 1. The catcher puts on a wide-brimmed hat, or holds a baseball cap upside down on their head with both hands. 2. The thrower lobs ten mini marshmallows from three steps away. 3. The catcher may bend, lean and step, but hands stay on the brim. 4. Anything that stays on the hat counts. Swap and compare. No marshmallow goes in a mouth, and game marshmallows go in the trash. Youngest player: age 5. Players: 2 to 20. Time: 6 min. Props: a hat and ten mini marshmallows for each pair.
  • Clap Before You Catch 1. Each player holds one large marshmallow. 2. Throw it straight up, clap once and catch it. 3. Then clap twice before the catch, then three times, adding a clap each round. 4. A drop means you start again from one clap. The highest number of claps reached in three minutes wins. No marshmallow goes in a mouth, and game marshmallows go in the trash. Youngest player: age 5. Players: 1 to 20. Time: 5 min. Props: one large marshmallow for each player.
  • Cup Catch Pairs 1. Partners stand three steps apart. One holds a paper cup and the other a bowl of twenty mini marshmallows. 2. The thrower lobs them one at a time, underarm. 3. The catcher may move the cup but not their feet. 4. Count what is in the cup after one minute, swap jobs and add the two counts. No marshmallow goes in a mouth, and game marshmallows go in the trash. Youngest player: age 5. Players: 2 to 20. Time: 6 min. Props: a paper cup and twenty mini marshmallows for each pair.
Show all 35 games (32 more)

Toss and catch games, continued

  • Hot Potato With Tongs 1. Sit in a circle. Every other player holds a pair of kitchen tongs, and the players between them hold a spoon. 2. Start the music and pass one large marshmallow around: tongs to spoon to tongs, never fingers. 3. A dropped marshmallow is picked up with the tool that dropped it. 4. Whoever holds it when the music stops gives a point to the player on their left. The most points wins. No marshmallow goes in a mouth, and game marshmallows go in the trash. Youngest player: age 5. Players: 5 to 15. Time: 8 min. Props: tongs, spoons, one large marshmallow and music.
  • Over the Shoulder Into the Bowl 1. The thrower stands with their back to a partner, who holds a mixing bowl two steps behind. 2. The thrower lobs ten mini marshmallows over one shoulder without turning around. 3. The partner may move the bowl and call directions: shorter, more to the left. 4. Count the catches and swap. The best pair total wins. No marshmallow goes in a mouth, and game marshmallows go in the trash. Youngest player: age 6. Players: 2 to 20. Time: 6 min. Props: a mixing bowl and ten mini marshmallows for each pair.
  • Step-Back Toss Line 1. The egg toss, with nothing to clean up. Pairs face each other in two lines, one step apart, with one large marshmallow a pair. 2. Everyone throws to their partner at the host's call. 3. A pair that catches it takes one step back, and a pair that drops it sits down. 4. The last pair standing wins. No marshmallow goes in a mouth, and game marshmallows go in the trash. Youngest player: age 5. Players: 4 to 30. Time: 8 min. Props: one large marshmallow for each pair.
  • Towel Flip Pairs 1. Partners hold a hand towel flat between them by its four corners, with one large marshmallow in the middle. 2. Together they snap the towel to flip the marshmallow up and catch it again on the towel. 3. Count the catches in a row. 4. After five, each flip has to go above head height. The longest run wins. No marshmallow goes in a mouth, and game marshmallows go in the trash. Youngest player: age 6. Players: 2 to 20. Time: 6 min. Props: a hand towel and one large marshmallow for each pair.

Target and launcher games 7

  • Closest to the Mini 1. Lawn bowls on a rug. One player tosses a mini marshmallow onto the carpet as the target. 2. Each player then tosses two large ones, in turn, trying to stop closest to it. 3. A marshmallow barely rolls, so it stays where it lands unless another knocks it. 4. The closest scores a point. First to five. No marshmallow goes in a mouth, and game marshmallows go in the trash. Youngest player: age 5. Players: 2 to 8. Time: 10 min. Props: one mini marshmallow and two large ones for each player.
  • Finger-Flick Field Goal 1. Two players sit across a table. One makes goalposts: thumbs tip to tip on the table, forefingers pointing up. 2. The other stands a mini marshmallow on the table edge and flicks it with one finger. 3. Through the posts scores three points. Hitting a post scores one. 4. Five flicks each, then swap. No marshmallow goes in a mouth, and game marshmallows go in the trash. Youngest player: age 5. Players: 2 to 8. Time: 6 min. Props: ten mini marshmallows and a table.
  • Rolling Ramp Into the Bowls 1. Lean a baking sheet against a thick book to make a ramp. Set three bowls in a line beyond the top end, scoring one, two and three from near to far. 2. Lay a large marshmallow on its side at the bottom of the ramp. 3. Roll it up with a push of one hand so that it drops into a bowl. 4. Six rolls each. The highest total wins. No marshmallow goes in a mouth, and game marshmallows go in the trash. Youngest player: age 6. Players: 2 to 8. Time: 8 min. Props: a baking sheet, a book, three bowls and six large marshmallows.
  • Rug Mini Golf With a Wooden Spoon 1. Indoor golf on three holes, with a ball that will not roll far. Lay three cups on their sides around the room, each behind a different obstacle: a chair leg, a shoe, a cushion. 2. Players putt a large marshmallow with a wooden spoon, taking turns. 3. Count the strokes to each cup. 4. The lowest total over three holes wins. No marshmallow goes in a mouth, and game marshmallows go in the trash. Youngest player: age 5. Players: 2 to 8. Time: 12 min. Props: a wooden spoon and a large marshmallow for each player, and three cups.
  • Ruler Seesaw Launch, Partner Catches 1. The spoon catapult, with a catcher. Rest a ruler across a marker pen on the table, like a seesaw. 2. Put a mini marshmallow on the low end. 3. The launcher taps the high end with one finger, and a partner across the table catches the marshmallow in a cup. 4. Ten launches a pair. The most catches wins. No marshmallow goes in a mouth, and game marshmallows go in the trash. Youngest player: age 6. Players: 2 to 12. Time: 8 min. Props: a ruler, a marker pen, a cup and ten mini marshmallows for each pair.
  • Staircase Toss 1. Stand at the foot of a staircase with ten large marshmallows. 2. Toss each one underarm so that it lands on a step and stays there. 3. A marshmallow scores the number of the step it rests on, counting up from the bottom. 4. One that rolls back down scores nothing. Add up the ten. No marshmallow goes in a mouth, and game marshmallows go in the trash. Youngest player: age 6. Players: 2 to 8. Time: 8 min. Props: ten large marshmallows and a flight of stairs.
  • Tic-Tac-Toe in Nine Cups 1. Stand nine cups in a three-by-three square on the floor. One team marks its marshmallows with a dot of marker. 2. Teams take turns to toss one from two steps back. 3. A cup belongs to the first team that lands in it, and a second marshmallow in a taken cup comes out. 4. Three cups in a row wins the round. No marshmallow goes in a mouth, and game marshmallows go in the trash. Youngest player: age 6. Players: 2 to 12. Time: 8 min. Props: nine cups, a marker and ten large marshmallows.

Stacking and balance games 7

  • Back-of-the-Hand Flip 1. Put one mini marshmallow on the back of your hand. 2. Flip it up and catch it in the palm of the same hand. 3. Next round, flip and catch two at once, then three, and so on. 4. A miss means you try that number again. The player who catches the most at once in three minutes wins. No marshmallow goes in a mouth, and game marshmallows go in the trash. Youngest player: age 6. Players: 1 to 12. Time: 5 min. Props: six mini marshmallows for each player.
  • Do Not Drop the Big One 1. Heap about forty mini marshmallows on a plate and sit one large marshmallow on top. 2. Players take turns to spear and lift out one mini with a toothpick. 3. The heap may shift, but the large one must stay on it. 4. Whoever makes it roll off the heap loses the round, and everyone else scores a point. Toothpicks are sharp, so builders stay seated at the table. No marshmallow goes in a mouth, and game marshmallows go in the trash. Youngest player: age 8. Players: 2 to 6. Time: 8 min. Props: a plate, forty mini marshmallows, one large one and a toothpick each.
  • Mitten Stack 1. Each player puts on a pair of winter mittens or oven mitts. 2. On go, stack three large marshmallows into a snowman. 3. Then balance a mini marshmallow on its head as a hat. 4. The first snowman to stand with its hat on for a count of three wins. No marshmallow goes in a mouth, and game marshmallows go in the trash. Youngest player: age 5. Players: 2 to 10. Time: 5 min. Props: mittens, three large marshmallows and one mini for each player.
  • One Hand Each, a Stack of Eight 1. Partners sit side by side, and each puts their outside hand behind their back. 2. With the two hands left, they stack eight large marshmallows into one tower. 3. Each partner places every second marshmallow, in turn. 4. The first pair with eight standing for a count of three wins. No marshmallow goes in a mouth, and game marshmallows go in the trash. Youngest player: age 6. Players: 2 to 16. Time: 5 min. Props: eight large marshmallows for each pair.
  • Pass the Growing Tower 1. Sit in a circle. The first player stands one large marshmallow on a paper plate. 2. Pass the plate to the left. Each player adds one marshmallow to the top of the stack before passing it on. 3. The player who is holding or stacking when the tower falls takes a letter of SNOW. 4. Start again from one. Spell SNOW and you become the judge. No marshmallow goes in a mouth, and game marshmallows go in the trash. Youngest player: age 5. Players: 4 to 12. Time: 10 min. Props: a paper plate and a bag of large marshmallows.
  • Tallest Free Tower in a Minute 1. Give each player about fifteen large marshmallows and a flat place to build. 2. On go, stack them one on top of another. Nothing may hold the tower together. 3. A tower that falls may be started again. 4. At one minute, hands come away. The tallest tower still standing after a count of three wins. No marshmallow goes in a mouth, and game marshmallows go in the trash. Youngest player: age 5. Players: 2 to 12. Time: 5 min. Props: about fifteen large marshmallows for each player.
  • Tip the Ruler Seesaw 1. Balance a ruler across a pencil taped to the table. 2. Players take turns to place one mini marshmallow anywhere on the ruler. 3. The ruler may rock, but if either end touches the table, the player who just placed takes a strike. 4. Three strikes and you are out. Clear the ruler after each tip. No marshmallow goes in a mouth, and game marshmallows go in the trash. Youngest player: age 6. Players: 2 to 6. Time: 8 min. Props: a ruler, a pencil, tape and a bowl of mini marshmallows.

Building contests with toothpicks 7

  • A Stand for a Tennis Ball 1. Give each team twenty mini marshmallows, thirty toothpicks and one tennis ball. 2. Build a stand that holds the ball off the table. 3. After six minutes, place the balls and let go. 4. The stand that holds its ball highest for a count of ten wins, and a ball that touches the table is out. Toothpicks are sharp, so builders stay seated at the table. No marshmallow goes in a mouth, and game marshmallows go in the trash. Youngest player: age 8. Players: 2 to 20. Time: 10 min. Props: mini marshmallows, toothpicks and a tennis ball for each team.
  • Bridge Between Two Books 1. Stand two books a hand span apart for each team. 2. Teams build a bridge of mini marshmallows and toothpicks that rests on both books and touches nothing between them. 3. After eight minutes, load each bridge with coins, one at a time, in the middle. 4. The bridge that carries the most coins before it sags to the table wins. Toothpicks are sharp, so builders stay seated at the table. No marshmallow goes in a mouth, and game marshmallows go in the trash. Youngest player: age 8. Players: 2 to 20. Time: 12 min. Props: mini marshmallows, toothpicks, two books and a stack of coins for each team.
  • Earthquake Tray Test 1. Each team builds a tower on its own paper plate for six minutes. 2. One at a time, the plates go on a baking tray. 3. The host slides the tray from side to side for five seconds, the same way for every team. 4. Measure what is still standing. The tallest tower after the shake wins, so a low wide one can beat a tall thin one. Toothpicks are sharp, so builders stay seated at the table. No marshmallow goes in a mouth, and game marshmallows go in the trash. Youngest player: age 8. Players: 2 to 20. Time: 12 min. Props: mini marshmallows, toothpicks, paper plates, a baking tray and a ruler.
  • Longest Reach Past the Table Edge 1. Each team builds on the table, right at its edge. 2. The structure may hang out over the edge but may touch only the tabletop, and nobody may hold it. 3. Teams have eight minutes. 4. Measure how far each one reaches past the edge. The longest reach that holds for a count of ten wins. Toothpicks are sharp, so builders stay seated at the table. No marshmallow goes in a mouth, and game marshmallows go in the trash. Youngest player: age 8. Players: 2 to 20. Time: 10 min. Props: mini marshmallows, toothpicks and a ruler.
  • Shape Card Race 1. Write a solid shape on each of six cards: cube, pyramid, house, triangle tent, ladder, star. 2. Every builder has a pile of mini marshmallows and toothpicks. The host turns over one card. 3. The first builder to hold up that shape, standing by itself, takes the card. 4. Take the shapes apart and turn the next card. The most cards wins. Toothpicks are sharp, so builders stay seated at the table. No marshmallow goes in a mouth, and game marshmallows go in the trash. Youngest player: age 8. Players: 2 to 10. Time: 10 min. Props: mini marshmallows, toothpicks and six shape cards.
  • Tallest Toothpick Tower, Teams of Three 1. The toothpick tower as a team contest and not a one-minute stunt. Give each team thirty mini marshmallows and fifty toothpicks. 2. Teams have two minutes to plan with hands off, then eight minutes to build. 3. The tower has to stand by itself when time is called. 4. Measure from the table to the highest point. The tallest wins. Toothpicks are sharp, so builders stay seated at the table. No marshmallow goes in a mouth, and game marshmallows go in the trash. Youngest player: age 8. Players: 3 to 24. Time: 12 min. Props: thirty mini marshmallows and fifty toothpicks for each team, and a tape measure.
  • Thirty Seconds Each, No Talking 1. Teams of three or four share one pile of mini marshmallows and toothpicks. 2. Only one builder touches the pile at a time, for thirty seconds, and nobody speaks. 3. At the host's call the next builder takes over wherever the last one stopped. 4. After six turns, each team says what it has built, and the room votes for the build that looks most like its name. Toothpicks are sharp, so builders stay seated at the table. No marshmallow goes in a mouth, and game marshmallows go in the trash. Youngest player: age 8. Players: 3 to 20. Time: 10 min. Props: mini marshmallows and toothpicks for each team.

Relays and team games 7

  • Build the Snowman, One Part a Runner 1. At the far end of the room, each team has a plate with three large marshmallows, two pretzel sticks, a mini marshmallow and a marker. 2. The first runner stacks the three. The second adds an arm, the third the other arm, the fourth the mini as a hat, the fifth draws the face. 3. A snowman that falls is rebuilt by the runner who is there. 4. The first team with a finished snowman standing wins. No marshmallow goes in a mouth, and game marshmallows go in the trash. Youngest player: age 5. Players: 5 to 25. Time: 8 min. Props: three large marshmallows, a mini, two pretzel sticks, a marker and a plate for each team.
  • Cup to Cup Down the Line 1. Teams stand in lines, one step apart, each player with a paper cup. 2. The first player has a mini marshmallow in their cup and flips it into the next player's cup without touching it. 3. A marshmallow on the floor goes back in the cup it came from. 4. The first team to get five marshmallows, one at a time, into the last cup wins. No marshmallow goes in a mouth, and game marshmallows go in the trash. Youngest player: age 6. Players: 4 to 24. Time: 8 min. Props: a paper cup for each player and five mini marshmallows for each team.
  • Longest Line in a Minute 1. Each team gets a bowl of mini marshmallows and a starting mark on the floor. 2. On go, the team lays them end to end in one straight line, every marshmallow touching the next. 3. At one minute, hands come away. A gap ends the line there. 4. Measure in shoe lengths. The longest unbroken line wins. No marshmallow goes in a mouth, and game marshmallows go in the trash. Youngest player: age 5. Players: 2 to 20. Time: 5 min. Props: a bowl of mini marshmallows for each team.
  • Paper Plate Rally 1. Partners stand two steps apart, each with a paper plate as a paddle. 2. Bat one large marshmallow back and forth without letting it land. 3. Count the hits out loud. A drop starts the count again. 4. The pair with the longest rally in three minutes wins. Then try it with a plate in each hand. No marshmallow goes in a mouth, and game marshmallows go in the trash. Youngest player: age 5. Players: 2 to 20. Time: 5 min. Props: a paper plate each and one large marshmallow for each pair.
  • Six on a Ruler 1. Each team has a ruler with six large marshmallows standing on it in a row. 2. The first walker carries the ruler flat in one hand around a chair and back. 3. Any that fall are stood up again on the spot before the walker moves on. 4. Hand the ruler over. The first team with every walker home wins. No marshmallow goes in a mouth, and game marshmallows go in the trash. Youngest player: age 5. Players: 4 to 24. Time: 8 min. Props: a ruler and six large marshmallows for each team.
  • Spatula Flip Relay 1. Each team has one kitchen spatula and one large marshmallow. 2. The first runner walks fast to a line with the marshmallow on the spatula. 3. At the line they flip it like a pancake and catch it on the spatula. A miss means flipping again. 4. Walk back and hand over. The first team to finish wins. No marshmallow goes in a mouth, and game marshmallows go in the trash. Youngest player: age 5. Players: 4 to 24. Time: 8 min. Props: a spatula and one large marshmallow for each team.
  • Tongs Brigade Down the Line 1. Teams stand in lines, an arm's length apart, and every player holds a pair of tongs or two spoons. 2. A bowl of fifteen large marshmallows sits at one end of the line and an empty bowl at the other. 3. Pass them down the line one at a time, tool to tool. A dropped one goes back to the start. 4. The first team with all fifteen in the far bowl wins. No marshmallow goes in a mouth, and game marshmallows go in the trash. Youngest player: age 5. Players: 6 to 30. Time: 8 min. Props: tongs or spoons for each player, two bowls and fifteen large marshmallows for each team.

How this list was compiled: Our suggestions, written for this site for a party at home with a bag or two of marshmallows. The wording is ours, and the ages, player counts and times are our estimates. No game here is an eating contest, and none has a player catch, hold or carry a marshmallow in the mouth. The American Academy of Pediatrics lists marshmallows among the foods that can choke a young child and says to keep such foods from children until age 4 or older, so the youngest player in any game is five. Read on 2026-10-08: https://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/injuries-emergencies/Pages/Choking-Prevention.aspx Licence: own work