Marshmallow Spaghetti Tower (IMI-M4-01-EN)

• To engage in dialogue for practice
• To teach problem-solving and collaboration
• To stimulate creativity
• To urge reflection on the factors that facilitate and hinder dialogue in life

• Students
• Adolescent youth
• Educators, trainers, councillors, youth workers
• Any citizen

This is a popular activity based on a simple concept that challenges participants to communicate and co-operate to achieve a common goal. It was invented by Peter Skillman (2006) and have been widely used in training both adults and children resulting in interesting and diverse outcomes.

Introduction (10 minutes)

The facilitator divides the participants into teams of 3-5 persons. Each team is given exactly the same set of materials – 20 sticks of spaghetti, 1 meter of tape, 1 meter of string and 1 piece of marshmallow.

Competition (20 minutes)

Within a span of 20 minutes, teams are required to construct the tallest self-supporting structure using all the materials given to them. The marshmallow, which must be placed on the top. The team with the tallest structure wins.

Debriefing (10 minutes)

The facilitator asks the participants to compare the structures. The group reflects together why the common task was not achieved and what strategies they could follow to come out with a different result e.g. better structure.

(NB. Experiments have shown that children in kindergartens tend to perform better than university students).

• 4- 5 Tables – one per team on the average
• 20 sticks of spaghetti per team
• 1 m of tape per team
• 1 m of string per team
• 1 pair of scissors pre team
• 1 piece of squishy Marshmallow per team
• Ruler – for measuring the height of the structures

• Guidance
• Experimentation
• Reflection
• Discussion

• Start the activity with a 5-munute introduction, explaining the mode of conduct within the group and instructions
• The goal of the game isn't merely to construct the tallest structure; it also needs to support a Marshmallow on top. While this may seem straightforward, integrating character dynamics, time constraints, and the ever-present element of competition makes the task more complex, mirroring real-life situations

Peter Skillman, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1p5sBzMtB3Q

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