Youth Devotional - Marshmallow Games

Youth Devotional -
Marshmallow Games
www.CreativeYouthIdeas.com

Use marshmallows as an object lesson and tie it in to a
well known Harvard study on delayed gratification and
success. Waiting on God is a Biblical concept and
something all youth need to learn. Patience in
relationships, in sexuality, in simply growing up

Make Marshmallow shooters
What You Need
• 9 oz plastic cups
• 12 inch balloons
• LOTS OF marshmallows
• scissors
• Duct Tape

Preparation
1. Place two plastic cups together, one inside of the other,
and then use a piece of duct tape around the top opening
to secure them together and fold over the edge. Cut off
the bottom one third so that both ends are now open. You
might want to use the tape to also fold over the bottom
end and secure the cups together. (You can also use empty
yogurt containers instead of plastic cups)

2. Tie off one uninflated balloon and cut off a strip from
the opposite end.
3. Stretch the balloon over the bigger end of the cup.
4. Place a marshmallow inside the cup on the knotted
center, pull back on the outer knot, and the
marshmallow flies out of the end in the direction you
aim it.

Caution – Do this outdoors or in an
uncluttered room where it is easy to
locate all the marshmallows otherwise
they can attract unwanted crawly critters.

What to do
With the marshmallow launcher you can:
• See who can launch a marshmallow the farthest
• Try to launch them into the mouth of a teammate across the room
• Play target practice with a stack of marshmallows
• Launch a marshmallow up in the air while a teammate runs
around and tries to catch it in a bucket
• launch marshmallows into a trash can or bonfire.
• Play a game of dodgeball with marshmallow launchers

Other marshmallow games
Long-Distance Marshmallow Toss – Youth face a partner and then toss
a marshmallow to the partner. With every successful catch they both
take a step backwards and try again. If dropped the pair is removed.
Continue until one pair survives the toss for the longest distance.
MarshmallowShotput – Who can toss a marshmallow the longest
distance.

Marshmallow Juggle – See which youth can successfully juggle the
most marshmallows
Marshmallow Lick – Each youth on a team licks a marshmallow, sticks
it to their forehead, and run to the finish line and back, to tag the next
person until everyone on the team has done it. If the marshmallow
falls they must stop, lick it and stick it back on, before continuing.
Marshmallow Mind Meld – Put a marshmallow between two people’s
foreheads and race to the finish line.

Marshmallow Porcupines – Each youth holds a toothpick in
their teeth and they must stab a marshmallow with the
toothpick and pass it down the row of youth leaving the
toothpicks stuck in the marshmallow as it moves to the end
of the line. First team to pass the marshmallow to the end
wins. No hands allowed. Alternatively the marshmallow with
the most toothpicks in it at the end wins.

Marshmallow Pyramid – Build the highest pyramid of
marshmallows. Make it tougher by having them build it on a
teen’s forehead. Who can balance the most marshmallows
on nose?
Marshmallow Vacuum – Using straws teams of youth must
suck up the most marshmallows and place them in cups. No
hands allowed.

Marshmallow Walk – Youth balance a marshmallow on top of
their head, tongue or nose, as they walk to a finish line and
back. (If tongue have some replacements available in case they
drop)
Tallest Marshmallow Tower – Marshmallows must be stacked
one on top of the other – straight up without it falling over.
Each marshmallow may rest on only one marshmallow below it.

TAKE IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL
More than fifty years ago, researchers at Stanford University
conducted a study on preschoolers commonly known as the
“Marshmallow test.” They were taken into a room and given a
marshmallow and told that if they could wait 15 minutes, they
would get a second marshmallow. If they ate the marshmallow,
they would not get the second one. They then left the child
alone in the room with a marshmallow and a hidden camera
and waited.

Only about 1/3 were willing to wait. In the following years
they checked up on the kids as the became adults and
progressed in life. Those that were able to wait, that were
able to “delay gratification” were on a whole also able to be
much more successful in life.
There are quite a few repeats of the experiment on youtube.
Here is one of them:
Marshmallow test on Youtube

There were three types of kids in the study:
• Those who waited patiently – delayed gratification
• Those who ate it either immediately or after some time
• Those who tried to get as close to eating it as possible without
really taking an actual bite? (Licked it, nibbled on it, hollowed it
out and hoped no one noticed)

In the Harvard studies, kids who waited:
• had higher SAT scores
• got more education
• less likely to be overweight.

MAKE IT SPIRITUAL
Name some examples of people in the Bible who needed to
wait on God to fulfill something he promised to them?
(Hebrews 11:1-40) – Take note of the last sentence.
(There are many, many Bible characters who had to wait many
years for something that God had promised – Abraham,
Moses, Joseph in captivity, the Israelites in the desert, etc.)

Spiritual Truths
• Waiting on God isn’t easy, but it is worth it!
• God’s answer will come in His perfect timing.
• God’s answer may not be what you were hoping for.
• God’s answers and timing are always better.
• Waiting, patience, and perseverance are one of the keys to life.
• Remember that when God ask you to wait, something better is
coming.

MAKE IT PRACTICAL
• Have the youth make a list of challenges that today’s teens face that
require them to wait. What are the struggles, the difficulties, the tests
that force teens to wait?
After youth have listed their challenges on a large sheet of paper, ask:
• What makes waiting for these things challenging?
• What makes it easier to wait?

• How does experience with God change the way a person
waits for things?
• How could your relationship with God help you handle the
times when you need to wait on him?
• Ask volunteers among the youth to share personal
testimonies of how they have benefitted from waiting on
God for something?

MAKE IT PERSONAL
• Have youth write down something they
have been waiting for God to answer and
continue to trust him for it looking ahead.

SCRIPTURES
Hebrews 11:39-40 “These were all commended for their faith, yet
none of them received what had been promised, since God had
planned something better for us so that only together with us would
they be made perfect.”
Isaiah 40:30-31 “Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the
young men shall utterly fall, But those who wait on the LORD Shall
renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.”

Psalm 40:1-2 “I waited patiently for the LORD; He turned to me
and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the
mud and mire; He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm
place to stand.”
James 5:11 “As you know, we consider blessed those who have
persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have
seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of
compassion and mercy.”

Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean
not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge
Him, and He will make your paths straight.”
Psalm 27:14 “Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and
wait for the LORD.

Need an evangelistic Youth Camp/ Bible
Study Series with an Olympic Theme?
What is salvation all about? What does it
mean to be saved? This sports themed
Bible Study / Camp Curriculum uses the
Olympic Flag to introduce the concepts of
sin (black circle), forgiveness (red circle),
purity (white background), spiritual growth
(green circle), heaven (Yellow Circle) and
(Baptism) blue circle.
Creative Youth Ideas
Go for the Gold
-> Tell me about “Go for the Gold”
www.creativeyouthideas.com/goforthegold.html

Need a Youth Camp/ Bible Study Series
on ”Running the Christian Race”?
The race as a metaphor for the Christian
life is used in several places in the Bible.
This series is a great follow up for new
Christians or to re-emphasize the basics of
our spiritual Journey in the Faith. This
Bible Study / Camp Curriculum has a
sports theme and is great for athletes as
well as a tie in to the youth Olympic
Games.
Creative Youth Ideas
Destined to Win
->Tell me about “Destined to Win”
www.creativeyouthideas.com/destinedtowin.html

Youth Devotional - Marshmallow Games

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