Marshmallow Challenge

This is a fun and educational way to help teams bond and begin to gel, while at the same time introducing them to the ideas of iterative development and early validation of a design.

Using 20 pieces of spaghetti, a yard of masking tape, and a yard of string, each team is given 18 minutes to build the tallest freestanding structure capable of holding an entire marshmallow on top. The winner is the team whose freestanding structure is the tallest.

Schedule

Supplies

For each team:

• 20 pieces of regular spaghetti (not capellini or fettuccine)
• 1 yard of string or yarn
• 1 yard of masking tape
• 1 regular sized marshmallow (not mini or jumbo, fresh is best)
• scissors (teams can share)

For the facilitator:

• Measuring Tape or yardstick to measure out supplies and finished structures

Rules

• Build the Tallest Freestanding Structure: The winning team is the one that has the tallest structure measured from the table top surface to the top of the marshmallow. That means the structure cannot be suspended from a higher structure, like a chair, ceiling or chandelier.
• The Entire Marshmallow Must be on Top: The entire marshmallow needs to be on the top of the structure. Cutting or eating part of the marshmallow disqualifies the team.
• Use as Much or as Little of the Kit: The team can use as many or as few of the 20 spaghetti sticks, as much or as little of the string or tape. The team cannot use the paper bag as part of their structure.
• Break up the Spaghetti, String or Tape: Teams are free to break the spaghetti, cut up the tape and string to create new structures.
• The Challenge Lasts 18 minutes: Teams cannot hold on to the structure when the time runs out. Those touching or supporting the structure at the end of the exercise will be disqualified.
• Ensure Everyone Understands the Rules: Don’t worry about repeating the rules too many times. Repeat them at least three times. Ask if anyone has any questions before starting.

Facilitator Notes

Questions for Personal reflection:

• What was the strategy of the team?
• What was my role on the team?
• What worked well in my team?
• What would I improve next time in my team's work?

Questions for Team reflection:

• What worked well in my team? What didn't?
• What would I improve next time in my team's work?

Points to highlight during retro:

• Was the task harder than you initially thought?
• Did you make any assumptions during the exercise?
• If you could do this task again, would you do anything differently?
• What lessons does this challenge present to us?
• Kindergarten students outperform MBAs at this activity.
• Kids do better because they jump right in and start building!
• Adults tend to over-plan and not build anything (or not introduce the marshmallow until the end).
• Prototyping matters. Build something small that works, learn from it, and then adjust to make it bigger.
• The marshmallow is a metaphor for the hidden assumptions of the project. It was not as light and fluffy as it appeared. For any project it is important to identify all assumptions first and test them early and often.

Resources:

• playmeo Marshmallow Challenge
• Build a tower, build a team