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#13 Medium

Marshmallow Challenge

Build the tallest tower using only spaghetti, tape, and string with a marshmallow on top in 18 minutes. Shows who jumps in vs who plans, and reveals how teams handle failure when towers collapse.

team-building creative hands-on competition innovation collaboration

Group Size:

8-30 people

Duration:

18-30 minutes

Difficulty:

Medium

How to Play:

Marshmallow Challenge - How to Play
  1. 1

    Divide participants into teams of 4-5 people

  2. 2

    Give each team: 20 sticks of spaghetti, 1 meter of tape, 1 meter of string, 1 marshmallow

  3. 3

    Teams have 18 minutes to build the tallest free-standing structure

  4. 4

    The marshmallow must be on top and the structure must stand on its own

  5. 5

    Measure heights and declare the winning team

Marshmallow Challenge

Made famous by TED talks, this deceptively simple challenge has been used by companies like Google and Microsoft to teach lessons about prototyping, collaboration, and creative problem-solving.

Best For:

Innovation workshops, team building, leadership training, design thinking sessions

Pro Tips

  • Emphasize that the marshmallow must be ON TOP when time ends

  • Provide a flat surface for building

  • Debrief afterwards: What strategies worked? What would you do differently?

  • Watch for prototyping vs. over-planning behaviors

Variations

  • Budget Challenge: Add costs to materials, teams must stay within budget

  • Silent Challenge: No talking allowed during building

  • Resource Trading: Teams can trade materials with each other

FAQ

Can we use any type of spaghetti?
Use uncooked spaghetti sticks. Avoid thick or thin specialty pasta as standard spaghetti works best.
What if the marshmallow keeps falling off?
This is part of the challenge. Teams must build structures strong enough to support the marshmallow's weight.
Why exactly 18 minutes?
This time limit creates urgency without causing excessive stress, forcing teams to balance planning and execution.
Should we allow teams to break the spaghetti?
Yes, teams can break or cut the spaghetti and string as needed within the rules.

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