So there you have it, a group of at least 3 people that take marshmallow shooters and shoot them at a life size (who knows, perhaps the stand up picture is even bigger than life size) picture of Hannah Montana.  I can't believe that the Disney channel is too happy that such a thing  is going on, but what do I know.  Perhaps Miley Cyrus will find a way to get it removed from Youtube's airwaves.

The similarities with paint ball gun courses

Let’s start here.  There are some great things that you can take directly from a paint ball gun course and apply to your marshmallow gun course.  First and foremost is the hiding aspect.  If you have ever been to a paint ball gun course you definitely have seen a lot of places to hide and rest while attempting to determine your next path to the goal.  Turned over picnic tables, trees, miscellaneous forts and buildings all are a major aspect of a paint gun course.  In addition, the occasional small hill with hole behind it and similar type aspects of the ground are taken into account.  The key premise being that it is imperative that there is a place to hide while avoiding being hit by the paint balls.  This is a key aspect that can be brought over to the marshmallow gun course.  A grove of trees is a great place to start.  Intersperse certain inanimate objects such as a turned over picnic table, perhaps a garbage barrel, even an old car or other lawn contraption and you will have more than enough places to hide and contemplate your next course of action.  One other key similarity is the fact that you can bring a large supply of ammo with relative ease.  Allow a backpack for all people and you can have a crazy amount of marshmallows at the ready at all times.

The differences with paint ball gun courses

Of course we need to consider the key differences with paint ball. First and foremost is the fact that the projectiles going a much shorter distance than a paint ball gun.  With a paint ball gun you can shoot over 50 yards easy and even can reach out farther than that.  For this reason the courses are often sprawling out among many acres in area and with a large area to cover during “battle”.  With a marshmallow gun you would be happy to get 10 yards of distance with a marshmallow projectile.  For this reason you must make the “battle” area much smaller.  Thankfully most people’s back yards can accommodate a small game between 4-6 people.  If you want to go larger, even the local city parks have sufficient space to accommodate a game.

A great way to get the entire family involved and still have fun, an impromptu marshmallow gun course is both fun and a great way to get that physical activity that everyone seems to be lacking these days.  Try some of the tips above and add some of your own to make for a great day of fun for the entire family and even a large group of friends.

After watching this it is pretty funny to see the kids trying to wait with all of their might to stop from eating the marshmallow sitting right there in front of them.  I love watching the kids having such a hard time not eating and then trying to get it in their mouth on the sly.  Some kids tried to take the smallest bits off the marshmallow in the hopes that no one would notice.  Others just licked the marshmallow to get the marshmallow goodness on their tongues.

As an aside and some commentary on what I have seen over the years from adults and not just kids, the waiting game is something that human beings are not very adept at doing.  Sure we can reason that it is in our best interest to wait and get rewarded, but temptation usually wins out in the end.  I don't care if you are talking marshmallows or saving for retirement.  Why save when we can charge it on plastic and have fun now!  But enough about that, back to the point of this site, marshmallow guns.

Instead of subjecting kids to an experiment like this, simply give everyone in your family a marshmallow gun, a package of Jet Puffed marshamallows and go to town.  That is what I would call the great marshmallow gun experiment! Feel free to comment here on what the outcome was!

This video below is a great example of the ambush.  Granted it is a complete parody, it is none the less very funny and a joy to watch.  A dude is walking down the hall with the premise that he needs to deliver a package to a company.  Think of it like UPS or FedEx has one of their guys making the rounds and deliver on his normal route.  From there he opens the door to deliver the package and the lady, in a sly voice, asks if he wants to be paid in marshmallows.  How sinister, the rest really has to be seen.  Check it out below:

I personally like the final touch of a point blank shot to the groin for the package dude.  To be fair, it looks like it perhaps even hurt for real.  And there you have it, a scene that could be repeated by just about anyone.  Have a group of marshmallow gun toting friends hide behind a desk or similar obstruction and lie in wait, much like the lion in the savannah grasses.  Once your prey comes by, WHAM!  Marshmallows start flying like they are going out of style.  This kind of reminds me of something that would happen on a show like Punked or Candid Camera.  So go out and plan your marshmallow gun ambush today for a round of hilarity tomorrow!

Of course there are commercially made marshmallow guns as well such as the marshmallow popper and others that you can find on Ebay and Amazon if you don't want to make your own.  In fact they have ones that have crazy designs and cool graphics if that is your deal.  No reason to have a run of the mill marshmallow gun when you can have a custom made one or one that you personalize yourself.  The sky is really the limit in customizing the gun.  You can go with a princess type for a girl (or Disney, Hannah Montana, or similar) or a GI Joe one for a boy (or Power rangers, Spongebob Squarepants, or similar).

The beauty of the marshmallow gun is it truly is fun for the entire family.  While it does shoot projectiles, it is a soft marshmallow which is great because it really can't hurt anyone.  Have a marshmallow war with your family or chase each other around outside and make it a game similar to paintball but with soft marshmallows instead.

On top of all this, who doesn't love eating marshmallows?  It seems that just as many make their way into your stomach as those that get shot.  An open bag of marshmallows doesn't stay that way for long it seems.  At least not in my house.  My kids can scarf down a full bag in the time it takes me to walk across the kitchen I swear!

If I haven't convinced you by now I would encourage you to talk to friends, neighbors and acquaintances to see how they feel about it.  The odds are that one or more of them have one at home and will give you a rave review for how fun it is.  If not, go out and make one yourself and see what you are missing out on.  Cheap, happy fun for the entire family can be had with a marshmallow gun anytime.

PR: wait... I: wait... L: wait... LD: wait...