The Marshmallow Challenge – A team building activity
The Marshmallow Challenge – A team building activity
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- Last Updated: 28 July 2023
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The Marshmallow Challenge – A Team Building Activity
Overview: This is a hands-on team-building activity that requires groups to work together to build the tallest freestanding structure using only spaghetti, tape, string, and a marshmallow. The goal is to promote collaboration, creativity, and innovation.
Time: 18 minutes
Tools/Items Required: 20 sticks of uncooked spaghetti, one yard of masking tape, one yard of string, and one marshmallow for each group.
Directions & Setup:
- Divide participants into groups of four.
- Provide each group with the materials listed above.
- Each group has 18 minutes to build the tallest freestanding structure with the marshmallow placed on top.
- The structure must be freestanding and cannot lean on any support.
- Give a signal when there are 5 minutes and 1 minute remaining.
- Measure the height of each structure when time is up. Celebrate the tallest one!
Rules:
- The marshmallow must be placed on top of the structure.
- The structure must be completely freestanding.
- Only the materials provided may be used.
Learning Outcomes:
Participants will understand how effective collaboration, communication, and creative thinking drive team success. The exercise demonstrates that constraints can foster innovation, and that teamwork is often more productive than solo efforts.
Alternative Activities:
1. Spaghetti Tower with Constraints
This variation of the marshmallow challenge introduces additional constraints: for example, no talking for the first 5 minutes, or teams can only use one hand per participant. These adjustments simulate real-world limitations and add a layer of difficulty that encourages adaptive thinking.
2. The Paper Bridge Challenge
Provide teams with paper, tape, and a few coins. Their task is to construct a bridge between two tables that can support the weight of as many coins as possible. This activity focuses on planning, engineering thinking, and precise execution under time constraints—while still emphasizing collaboration.
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