I did this activity for Jackson. I swear. 

With a few basic materials I already had in the house (never EVER throw away paper towel or toilet paper tubes), these shooters came together quickly and were So. Much. Fun. Jackson enjoyed them, too. Tee Hee.

I spotted this idea on Simply Learning. To make the shooters, cut the top off of a balloon and tie the other end. Pull the balloon over the end of a tube and attach with tape. That’s it! Now for the fun!

Your kiddo will definitely swipe a few marshmallows. You might, too. I don’t actually know how many Jackson ate, but it was more than a few. (We may try this with pom poms next time. It will be an interesting experiment to see how the change in materials affects the shot.)

Remember, point where you want the marshmallow to go, i.e., NOT at your eyeball. These little buggers can FLY, so watch out!

Jackson LOVED it. “This is a great activity, mama!” I even got a mama instead of mom! Hooray!

One of our lovely neighbors came over and joined the fun. This street is just the best. 

Fine motor practice, social skills development, science discussions, and a snack! Win!

This activity also has lots of opportunities for extending the learning. You could have the kids explore different materials for shooting, measure how far they go, and make comparisons. You can change the length of the tube, and the angle when you shoot. The shooters are a little flukey, so these certainly aren’t concrete conclusions, but it would get the conversation started!