Marshmallow Challenge
Teams compete to build the tallest freestanding structure using 20 sticks of spaghetti, one yard of tape, one yard of string, and one marshmallow that must be on top.
What You'll Need
20 spaghetti sticks, tape, string, 1 marshmallow per team
How to Play
Divide into teams of 3-5 people.
Each team gets: 20 sticks of dry spaghetti, 1 yard of masking tape, 1 yard of string, and 1 marshmallow.
Teams have 18 minutes to build the tallest freestanding structure.
The marshmallow MUST be on top of the structure.
The structure must stand on its own (no holding!) when time is called.
Measure from the table to the top of the marshmallow — tallest wins!
Facilitator Tips
This is a famous TED Talk activity — you can show the Tom Wujec TED Talk afterwards.
Resist the urge to help — let teams learn by failing and iterating.
Key learning: teams that prototype early (testing the marshmallow weight) outperform those who plan too long.
Variations & Twists
Budget Version: Use toothpicks and gumdrops.
Larger Scale: Use full-size pasta and bigger marshmallows.
More Team Building & Problem Solving Games
Human Knot
Players stand in a circle, reach across to grab two different people's hands, then work together to untangle the "knot" without letting go.
Balloon Tower
Teams compete to build the tallest freestanding tower using only balloons and tape within a time limit.
Lego Replication
One team member views a hidden Lego structure and must describe it to their team so they can replicate it — without seeing it.