The Marshmallow Challenge
Table of Contents
Overview…………………………………………………………………..…....................1
Marshmallow Challenge Materials List…………………………………..……….2
Staff Set-up Procedures and Gym Layout…………..……………………………3
Marshmallow Challenge Instructions………………………………………………5
Marshmallow Challenge Finalists Form…..………………………………………7
Marshmallow Challenge Photos……………………………………………………..9
Storage Tub Contents List………………………………………………………………10
The Marshmallow Challenge
OVERVIEW
The Marshmallow Challenge is a fun design/build engineering exercise that
demonstrates to students the importance of collaboration, innovation, and creativity
which are important to the engineering process.
The challenge is very simple: in 20 minutes, teams must build the tallest free-standing
structure out of 25 sticks of spaghetti, one yard of masking tape, and one marshmallow.
The entire marshmallow needs to be on top of the structure.
At the end of the day, the winning team of the tallest tower standing unassisted will be
awarded prizes.
At the completion of the activity, students may share some of the valuable lessons of
the Marshmallow Challenge and secrets to a successful free-standing tower.
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Marshmallow Challenge
Marshmallow Challenge
Materials List
Request School to Provide These Items
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5 tables (long or round) each with 6 chairs
2 chairs for volunteers
1 long table for supplies
Garbage can
JA Staff to Bring These Items to School
For easier set up at the school, place all supplies required for the Marshmallow
Challenge in a large storage tub (30 gallon size).
Label the outside of the tub “Marshmallow Challenge”. On the inside of the tub lid,
tape a laminated list of all items kept in this tub. Having this list ensures all
necessary items are returned to the tub at the completion of the day; and this is also
a reference to JA staff when restocking the tub for the next STEM Summit day.
*A copy of the tub label, Contents List and Marshmallow Challenge forms are
available for download from our website’s STEM Summit Resource page (refer to
Getting Started tab).
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One clipboard with a copy of Marshmallow Challenge Competition Finalists
form*
2 sets of laminated Volunteer Instructions*
90 One gallon bags of 25 spaghetti pieces (9 groups of 10 bags)
Note: For easier set up, it is recommended that the spaghetti bags be prepared
ahead of time and placed in the tub.
90 marshmallows, extra bag of marshmallows
Extra box of spaghetti
Extra gallon size baggies
One roll of masking tape
2 Large garbage bags
6 pens
5 Yardsticks (one for each table)
1 Timer, watch or stopwatch
1 container of wipes
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Marshmallow Challenge
The Marshmallow Challenge
Staff Set-up Procedures
For each team:
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25 full-size pieces (not broken) uncooked spaghetti (regular, not angel hair or thin
spaghetti) in a sealed gallon baggie.
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1 fresh marshmallow (standard fluffy variety, not mini or jumbo size, and not stale
or hard)
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3 ft. of masking tape
For the contest:
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5 Yard sticks (one for each table)
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1 Timer, watch, or stopwatch
Student table setup
Supplies table setup
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Marshmallow Challenge
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Marshmallow Challenge
The Marshmallow Challenge
Instructions
Time Allowed: 20 minutes total
Objective: To construct a tower as high as possible using only spaghetti and masking
tape. The marshmallow must be placed on the top of the tower. The tallest tower still
standing unassisted wins.
Opening Instructions:
Divide the students into groups of 3. If you have an uneven number you may have a
group of 4, but no more than 4 students per group. Two groups can share a table.
“One of the keys to starting a successful business is teamwork and problem solving.
This requires creativity, innovation and thinking outside the box, but also being able to
develop a plan and execute it as a team.
In the Marshmallow Challenge your team is going to have 20 minutes to work together
to construct a spaghetti tower that has a marshmallow on the top. The winning team will
have the tallest tower standing unassisted. Here are the rules:
1. Your team may only use the materials provided. This includes one yard of
masking tape, 25 sticks of spaghetti, and your marshmallow.
2. You may not use any other materials to assist in the support of your tower.
3. You will have only 20 minutes. Marshmallow must be on the top of the tower
when time is called and your tower must be standing unassisted.
4. Measurement is a vertical measurement from the table top up.
5. You may stick masking table tape to the table top.
6. Spaghetti may be broken into smaller pieces. However, once broken, pieces may
not be replaced.
Ok, remember 20 minutes, tallest tower wins, marshmallow must be on top, and no
cheating! You may begin”
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Marshmallow Challenge
During team activity: Monitor team progress and remind tables of the rules if
necessary.
Completion of team activity: When two minutes remain, give an announcement that
there are two minutes remaining. Then also at one minute. When time is called,
measure the height of each teams’ tower. Declare a winning team.
Summary: You may want to ask a couple of teams that were successful, what was
their secret? Discuss challenges and things they would do differently next time.
Close with this wrap up.
“The Marshmallow Challenge is an activity done to help business leaders realize the
power and challenges of team problem solving. Thousands of groups have done the
activity and there have been some interesting statistics that have come out of these
studies.
1. One of poorest performing groups on average are College graduates with
Business Majors (an average of 20 inches.) The reason…they have been told
that problem solving is a linear solution where you plan, and then execute a plan.
They work to the very end, place their marshmallow on top and have either an
“aha moment” or more often an “oops moment”.
2. One of the best performing groups is another group of graduates…graduates
from Kindergarten. Kindergarteners average 30 inches. Why, because they
have a natural instinct to prototype. Much like when playing with blocks as a
toddler. They start with the marshmallow and build up. Plus they don’t have
the natural power struggle within their teams that adults develop.
Clean Up: Bring a trash can around and pick up all the materials.
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Marshmallow Challenge
MARSHMALLOW CHALLENGE
COMPETITION FINALISTS
For each Session of students, please record the names of the students on the
winning team and their time on this form. At the end of the day, record the
overall winner at the bottom on the back of this sheet.
Session 1: Height:__________
Student Names:
Session 2: Height__________
Student Names:
Session 3: Height:__________
Student Names:
Session 4: Height:_________
Student Names:
Session 5: Height:_________
Student Names:
Session 6: Height:_________
Student Names:
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Marshmallow Challenge
Session 7: Height:_________
Student Names:
Session 8: Height:_________
Student Names:
Session 9: Height:_________
Student Names:
OVERALL WINNER
Height:_________________
Student Names:
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Marshmallow Challenge
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Marshmallow Challenge
Marshmallow Challenge
Storage Tub Contents
 One clipboard with one copy of Competition Finalists Marshmallow
Challenge form
 2 sets of laminated instructions
 90 bags of spaghetti (25 pieces per bag)
18 bundles of 5 bags each
 90 marshmallows
 Extra bag of marshmallows
 Extra box of spaghetti
 Extra gallon size baggies
 One roll of masking tape
 2 Large garbage bags
 6 pens
 Container of wipes
 Scissors
 Timer or stopwatch
Bring 5 yardsticks (one for each table)
Note: After the completion of EACH STEM Summit day, the storage tub
should be restocked with the above items for the next STEM.
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Marshmallow Challenge