The Peeps Project is a hands-on activity designed to help psychology students apply and understand key social psychology concepts in a fun and interactive way. Each year, AP Psychology students use Peeps, the popular marshmallow candy, to creatively represent and explore different psychological principles.
Bringing Psychology to Life
The project encourages students to think beyond textbooks and apply their knowledge in a tangible way. By using Peeps, students visually represent how psychological concepts affect behavior and social interactions.
“The Peeps Project is about using psychology, interacting with concepts through Peeps, and representing how psychology might apply to people—or even Peeps,” said Lily Liang (‘26).
Students use their knowledge of psychology terms to create displays that illustrate key principles, reinforcing their understanding of the lessons.
“It helps illustrate the concepts better and helps us understand them before our test. We hope to learn more about the terms, memorize definitions, and remember examples,” said Anya Kashiramka (‘26).
A Hands-On Learning Tradition
The Peeps Project has been a long-standing tradition in Amador Valley’s psychology department. Over the years, it has evolved into an engaging way for students to develop critical thinking skills while fostering creativity.
“Miss Murray, the other psych teacher here at Amador, has been doing it for a long time. It’s something we, as a psych department, have continued since I started teaching this class three or four years ago,” said AP Psychology teacher Robert Palmer.
While students enjoy working with Peeps, they do not eat them. Since the Peeps are handled by multiple students and often covered in glue, paper, and decorations, they are strictly for educational use.
“No, they do not eat the Peeps. One, we reuse them, and two, they end up covered in glue, paper, and a bunch of different students’ hands. There is no eating of the Peeps, even at the end,” said Palmer.
An Engaging and Memorable Experience
The Peeps Project continues to be a highlight of AP Psychology, giving students a unique way to explore human behavior, social dynamics, and problem-solving.
Through teamwork, critical thinking, and innovation, the Peeps Project remains a fun and valuable tradition at Amador Valley, making psychology both educational and entertaining.
