Marshmallow Tower Challenge
Innovators rarely find the perfect solution on their first try. They explore a problem, imagine different possibilities, test their ideas, learn from what happens and try again.
Your challenge is simple: build the tallest free-standing tower you can, with the marshmallow sitting at the very top.
But the real challenge isn't the tower—it's how your team gets there.
Form a small team and collect your materials.
Before building anything, discuss the challenge and investigate the problem.
Generate several possible tower designs—the bigger and more creative the ideas, the better! Choose an idea to test, decide how you will build it and assign roles within your team.
Now start building. Your finished tower must stand on its own and support the marshmallow at the top.
If your first design falls, don't stop. Look at what happened, change your design and test it again.
When time is up, measure the towers and see which team built the tallest successful structure.
Finish by looking back at the process: Problem → Ideas → Solution → Plan → Action → Reflection.
These are the six stages of creative problem-solving introduced in the Impact Innovators Challenge.
NRN2O