25+
Years of experience in entrepreneurship, business management, sales and marketing
250+
Hours of facilitating team building and strategic retreats since 2014
500+
Employees who became more engaged through team building workshops
50+
Client organizations from publicly traded companies and government agencies to startups, and nonprofits
The Marshmallow Challenge to Improve Collaboration Dynamics
The Marshmallow Challenge is an engaging, hands-on team-building activity where participants work in small groups to build the tallest freestanding structure possible using simple materials: spaghetti, tape, string, and a marshmallow. The marshmallow must be placed on top, intact, testing both creativity and collaboration under time pressure.
This deceptively simple exercise reveals deep insights into team collaboration, problem-solving approaches, and iterative thinking. It provides a safe and playful way to observe team dynamics in action while reinforcing essential lessons about experimentation, communication, and teamwork.
Benefits & measurable improvements
- Encourage Iterative Problem-Solving: Teams learn to prototype, test, and adjust quickly rather than overplanning—mirroring agile work practices.
- Strengthen Collaboration and Communication: Teams practice clear communication and effective delegation under time constraints.
- Foster Creativity and Innovation: Limited resources prompt creative thinking and push participants to find novel solutions.
- Reinforce Trust and Team Cohesion: Working together toward a tangible, shared goal builds rapport and psychological safety.
- Measurable Outcomes:
- Observable improvement in teamwork and communication during the challenge and debrief.
- Increased willingness to experiment and learn from failure, as measured in post-session feedback.
- Heightened awareness of how team behaviors influence outcomes, leading to better collaboration in workplace projects.
Science and Foundations
The Marshmallow Challenge is supported by research in design thinking, prototyping, and iterative learning:
- Created by Tom Wujec, a fellow at Autodesk and a leader in design thinking education.
- Demonstrates principles studied in innovation and team performance research, including rapid prototyping and reducing fear of failure to enhance creativity.
- Highlights findings similar to those in studies on psychological safety (Amy Edmondson), emphasizing open collaboration and learning from mistakes.
- Often used in design thinking workshops and MBA programs (e.g., Stanford d.school) to teach agile and collaborative problem-solving.
Who it’s for
- Teams of 5 to 50 members looking to strengthen collaboration and creative problem-solving skills.
- Cross-functional groups seeking to break down silos and improve interdepartmental teamwork.
- Newly formed teams or teams experiencing change who need to build rapport and alignment quickly.
Format
- Preparation: Half-day preparation to customize debrief questions and align the activity with your team’s context.
- Workshop Duration: 2 hours, including:
- Introduction (15 min): Overview of the challenge, rules, and purpose.
- Challenge – round 1 (18 min): Teams build their marshmallow towers using provided materials.
- Debrief and Reflection – round 1 (30 min): Discussion of team dynamics, problem-solving approaches, and lessons learned.
- Challenge – round 2 (18 min): Teams build their marshmallow towers using provided materials.
- Debrief and Reflection – round 2 (30 min): Discussion of team dynamics, problem-solving approaches, and lessons learned.
- Delivery: In person (ideally).
- Language: English or French.
Better understanding the Marshmallow Challenge
Discover our other Team Building activities and workshops
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Overcome the Five Dysfunctions of a Team
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Define your team culture with the Culture Canvas
Clarify or align your team’s culture with your organization’s values using a clear and participatory framework.
The collaborative Marshmallow Challenge
Boost creativity, collaboration, and iterative thinking with this fun challenge that reveals team dynamics in action.
Request a free discovery call to find out how I can support your growth.
