giraffe marshmallows
With some food coloring pens, paper and markers you can make your own giraffe marshmallows.
In my other life I’m earning a PhD in Children’s Literature in England. (Is it too late for me in this life?) That’s a path I started down and detoured into food. But I’ll always have a love of books for children, and I’ll happily grasp any chance to combine food with children’s literature.
Danielle of ThisPictureBookLife.com shares this love of books for children, so we went into cahoots to merge those two worlds. Picture books and fun food are a natural match, aren’t they?
This week Danielle is featuring One Word from Sophia, a charming picture book by Jim Averbeck and Yasmeen Ismail (2015). Sophia wants a giraffe for a pet. She hatches a genius plan to convince the four grown-ups in her life (a plan that skillfully crafts each argument to the individual grown-up) that she must have a giraffe. But her arguments are too “verbose,” “effusive,” and “loquacious.” Don’t worry, there’s a glossary, which word nerds like me appreciate very much. And bonus points for including a glossary in a picture book, by the way.
Sophia figures things out though and simplifies her elaborate arguments to one word, and she is rewarded for her cleverness.
CLICK HERE to see Danielle’s post on the book.
This little girl so devoted to owning a giraffe inspired me to make her marshmallows honoring her beloved. They are easy to make for adults and kids alike. I’ve included a blank printable so you (no matter your age) can draw your own giraffe head and neck to add to the marshmallow body. Create your own giraffe design or follow the illustrations of Yasmeen Ismail. Since only the head and neck of the giraffe appear in the book (check it out, no giraffe tails or feet to be seen at all!) it’s fitting you’ll only need to draw the head and neck of your own giraffe.
how to make giraffe marshmallows
you will need:*
marshmallows
lollipop sticks
yellow food coloring
brown food writer
this printable
letter-size white cardstock paper
scissors
crayons or markers
spaghetti
tape
Styrofoam block
*Find lollipop sticks, food coloring, the food writer and the Styrofoam block in the craft store or online. For food coloring, I recommend Americolor Soft Gel Paste, Egg Yellow. Find more information on choosing food writers HERE. Also see below for supply links.
what to do:
Prepare the marshmallow toppers: Print this printable on a piece of letter-size cardstock or good quality paper. Fold the paper in half so you can cut out two shapes at once. Cut out the shapes and use crayons or markers to draw giraffe heads and necks. Snap a few pieces of spaghetti into 3-inch pieces. Tape a spaghetti piece to the back of each giraffe so about an inch of spaghetti sticks out from the bottom of the neck. Set aside.
Skewer marshmallows with lollipop sticks. Add a few drops of yellow food coloring to a glass of water. Dunk a marshmallow into the colored water and remove. Dab the wet marshmallow on a paper towel and prop it in the Styrofoam block until dry to the touch, about 30 minutes.
With the brown food writer, draw dots on the marshmallow. Insert the printables in the top of the marshmallows. Giraffes!
SAFETY NOTE: You can also use toothpicks instead of spaghetti, but I use spaghetti to insert the printables into the marshmallows in case kids are eating these. Be sure to remove the printables and spaghetti before eating, but just in case little hands run away with these, the spaghetti is safer.
giraffe marshmallows for “One Word from Sophia”
Ingredients
- marshmallows
- lollipop sticks
- yellow food coloring
- brown food writer
- giraffe printable
- letter-size white cardstock paper
- scissors
- crayons or markers
- spaghetti
- tape
- Styrofoam block
Instructions
- Print the printable on a piece of letter-size cardstock or good quality paper. Fold the paper in half so you can cut out two shapes at once. Cut out the shapes and use crayons or markers to draw giraffe heads and necks. Snap a few pieces of spaghetti into 3-inch pieces. Tape a spaghetti piece to the back of each giraffe so about an inch of spaghetti sticks out from the bottom of the neck. Set aside.
- Skewer marshmallows with lollipop sticks. Add a few drops of yellow food coloring to a glass of water. Dunk a marshmallow into the colored water and remove. Dab the wet marshmallow on a paper towel and prop it in the Styrofoam block until dry to the touch, about 30 minutes.
- With the brown food writer, draw dots on the marshmallow. Insert the printables in the top of the marshmallows.
SUPPLIES:
danielle @ this picture book life says
Squeeee! I love what you came up with for Sophia’s giraffe—these marshmallows are adorable! Yup, you’re a food crafting mastermind.
Karen @ Sugartown Sweets says
LOVE your adorable giraffe marshmallows. This is my all-time favorite animal..they are so much fun to feed! Plus, this looks like a sweet book for my little one year old granddaughter. 🙂
Eileen McAlister says
Super cool idea. I’d love to hear more about your getting a PhD in Children’s Literature in England. Books, and especially children’s books, are one of my favorite things, too. =)