Marshmallow Challenge
Time for the team building activity: 18–20 minutes
Setup effort: Easy
Estimated cost: Very low
Business value: Strengthens rapid collaboration, encourages experimentation, and reveals real team dynamics in team building activities
What is the Marshmallow Challenge?
The Marshmallow Challenge is one of the most famous team building activities in innovation and leadership workshops.
In this challenge, small teams must build the tallest free-standing structure possible using a limited set of materials, with a marshmallow placed at the very top.
The typical material kit includes:
20 spaghetti sticks
1 meter of tape
1 meter of string
1 marshmallow
The twist is simple but powerful: the marshmallow must sit on top of the structure.
What appears to be a playful construction game quickly becomes a powerful lesson about collaboration, experimentation, leadership, and problem-solving.
The exercise is widely used in:
business schools
innovation labs
leadership development programs
corporate team building workshops
Interestingly, research from design workshops has shown that kindergarten students often outperform business executives in this challenge because they prototype quickly instead of over-planning.
How do you play the Marshmallow Challenge?
Divide participants into teams of 3 to 4 people.
Give each team an identical kit containing:
spaghetti
tape
string
one marshmallow
Explain the objective clearly:
Build the tallest free-standing structure possible with the marshmallow placed on top.
Important rules:
The structure must stand on its own.
The marshmallow must be at the very top.
Teams may break the spaghetti, tape, or string.
The structure must be completed within the time limit.
Set a time limit of 18 minutes, which creates urgency and forces teams to move quickly.
Teams typically go through several phases:
Planning — deciding on a design strategy
Construction — assembling the tower
Testing — verifying stability
Adjustment — fixing weaknesses before time runs out
At the end of the time limit, measure each structure and determine which team built the tallest stable tower.
Why it’s great for a team
The Marshmallow Challenge is widely considered one of the most insightful team building activities for understanding real collaboration dynamics.
In a very short time, it reveals several key workplace behaviors:
Planning vs experimentation
Many teams spend too much time designing the “perfect” solution instead of testing ideas early.
Leadership dynamics
Different leadership styles emerge naturally during the activity.
Communication clarity
Teams that communicate clearly and adjust quickly tend to perform better.
Adaptability under pressure
When structures collapse, teams must quickly rethink their approach.
Because the activity is fast, playful, and visual, it produces strong learning moments that teams remember long after the exercise ends.
It is particularly effective:
in innovation workshops
during leadership training
in newly formed teams
at corporate offsites
Many organizations use it to illustrate the value of rapid prototyping and iterative thinking.
How to organize it effectively
The success of the Marshmallow Challenge depends largely on clear instructions and strict time management.
Start by preparing identical kits for each team so that the challenge is fair.
Make sure the rules are explained clearly, especially the requirement that the marshmallow must sit on top of the structure.
Use a visible countdown timer during the build phase to create a sense of urgency.
As facilitator, observe the teams without interfering. Pay attention to:
how teams distribute roles
whether they test early prototypes
how they respond when the structure collapses
At the end of the challenge, run a short debrief discussion.
Ask questions such as:
When did your team place the marshmallow on the structure?
Did you test your design early or late?
What would you do differently next time?
These reflections help connect the exercise to real workplace dynamics.
When well facilitated, the Marshmallow Challenge becomes one of the most memorable and insightful team building activities, demonstrating how experimentation, collaboration, and adaptability lead to stronger results.