Spaghetti Marshmallow Tower Challenge

Can you build a tower out of noodles? This is an awesome STEM challenge for young kids and older ones too! Build the tallest spaghetti tower that can hold the weight of a jumbo marshmallow. Test out those design and engineering skills with a few simple materials. Which tower design will be the tallest and strongest? We love easy and fun STEM activities for kids!

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BUILD A SPAGHETTI MARSHMALLOW TOWER

STEM CHALLENGES FOR KIDS

So you might ask, what does STEM actually stand for? STEM is science, technology, engineering, and math. The most important thing you can take away from this, is that STEM is for everyone!

Yes, kids of all ages can work on STEM projects and enjoy STEM lessons. STEM challenges are great for group work, too!

STEM is everywhere! Just look around. The simple fact that STEM surrounds us is why it’s so important for kids to be a part of, use, and understand STEM.

Interested in STEM plus ART? Check out all our STEAM Activities!

From the buildings you see in town, the bridges that connect places, the computers we use, the software programs that go with them, and the air we breathe, STEM is what makes it all possible.

CHECK OUT THESE STEM RESOURCES

BUILD A SPAGHETTI TOWER

DESIGN CHALLENGE:

Build a tower of spaghetti noodles that will hold a jumbo marshmallow. Make the tallest tower possible from the materials supplied. The marshmallow must be able to sit on top without falling off.

TIME CONSTRAINT: 18 minutes

SUPPLIES:

20 sticks of dry spaghetti
1 yard or 3 feet of string
1 yard or 3 feet of tape
1 jumbo marshmallow

INSTRUCTIONS

STEP 1. Share design ideas, discuss structures and strength, and even sketch ideas before you begin.

STEP 2. Build your design.

MORE FUN STEM CHALLENGES

Straw Boats Challenge – Design a boat made from nothing but straws and tape, and see how many items it can hold before it sinks.

Strong Spaghetti – Get out the pasta and test our your spaghetti bridge designs. Which one will hold the most weight?

Paper Bridges – Similar to our strong spaghettti challenge. Design a paper bridge with folded paper. Which one will hold the most coins?

Paper Chain STEM Challenge – One of the simplest STEM challenges ever!

Egg Drop Challenge – Create your own designs to protect your egg from breaking when it is dropped from a height.

Strong Paper – Experiment with folding paper in different ways to test its strength, and learn about what shapes make the strongest structures.

Marshmallow Toothpick Tower – Build the tallest tower using only marshmallows and toothpicks.

Penny Boat Challenge – Design a simple tin foil boat, and see how many pennies it can hold before it sinks.

Gumdrop Bridge – Build a bridge from gumdrops and toothpicks and see how much weight it can hold.

Cup Tower Challenge – Make the tallest tower you can with 100 paper cups.

Paper Clip Challenge – Grab a bunch of paper clips and make a chain. Are paper clips strong enough to hold weight?

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Penny Boat Challenge
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Paper Bridge Challenge
Gumdrop Bridge