Spaghetti Structure Competition

How tall can you build with limited materials? In the Spaghetti Structure Challenge, students will work individually or in teams to design and construct the tallest free-standing tower possible using spaghetti, tape, string, and a marshmallow. Success requires creativity, teamwork, planning, and an understanding of structural stability. The challenge encourages students to think like engineers by testing ideas, learning from failures, and improving their designs through experimentation.

Competition Overview:

• Grade Levels: 3-8
• Team Size: 1-4 students
• Build Time Limit: 10 minutes
• Competition Setting: Classroom or engineering design challenge
• Materials Provided: Spaghetti, tape, string, and marshmallows
• Skill Focus: Structural engineering, teamwork, creativity, design thinking, and problem solving

The Challenge:

Students must design and build the tallest free-standing tower possible using a limited set of materials. The tower must support a full-sized marshmallow placed at the highest point of the structure. Teams must balance height, stability, and material usage while working against the clock. Just like real engineers, students will need to test ideas, adapt their designs, and make strategic decisions about how to use limited resources to achieve the best result.

Design Requirements:

Each team may use:

• Up to 20 sticks of spaghetti
• Up to 3 feet of masking tape
• Up to 2 feet of string
• 1 marshmallow

Material Rules

• Spaghetti may be broken into smaller pieces.
• Tape and string may be cut into smaller lengths.
• The entire marshmallow must remain intact.
• The marshmallow may not be cut, torn, or partially consumed.
• Only the materials provided may be used.

Tower Requirements

• The structure must be completely free-standing.
• The tower may not be suspended from any external object.
• The entire marshmallow must be positioned at the top of the structure.
• The structure must support the marshmallow without assistance when time expires.

Materials Provided:

Each team will receive:

• 20 spaghetti sticks
• 3 feet of masking tape
• 2 feet of string
• 1 marshmallow

Teams may use as many or as few of the materials provided as they choose.

Competition Procedure:

Design & Build Phase

1. Teams receive their materials.
2. Teams have 10 minutes to design and construct their tower.
3. Teams may modify spaghetti, tape, and string as needed during construction.
4. Teams may test and adjust their structure during the build period.

End of Build Period

When time expires:

• All hands must be removed from the structure.
• No additional modifications may be made.
• Towers must stand independently.
• The marshmallow must remain supported at the highest point of the structure.

Measurement Procedure:

After construction:

1. Judges verify that the structure is freestanding.
2. Judges verify that the entire marshmallow is positioned on top of the structure.
3. Height is measured from the tabletop surface to the highest point of the marshmallow.
4. The tower must remain standing during measurement.

Only successful towers will receive an official measurement.

Failure Conditions:

A tower is considered unsuccessful if:

• The structure collapses before measurement.
• The marshmallow falls from the tower.
• The tower requires support from a participant or external object.
• Any portion of the marshmallow is removed, cut, or altered.
• The structure is still being held when time expires.

Scoring Formula:

Score = Height of the Tower

Height is measured from:

• The tabletop surface
• To the highest point of the marshmallow

The marshmallow is considered part of the overall tower height.

Winning Criteria

The tallest successful tower will be declared the winner.

In the event of a tie, judges may consider:

1. Structural stability
2. Efficient use of materials
3. Time remaining when construction was completed

ISTE & STEM Connections:

• Innovative Designer
  • Develop and test multiple structural solutions using limited resources.
  • Refine designs based on observations and performance.
• Computational Thinker
  • Analyze how geometry, balance, and load distribution affect tower stability.
  • Use evidence from testing to improve designs.
• Creative Communicator
  • Share design ideas and explain structural decisions.
  • Reflect on successes and challenges throughout the design process.
• Global Collaborator
  • Work together to brainstorm, build, test, and improve a tower.
  • Contribute ideas and share responsibilities during the challenge.

• Engineering Design Process

  • Define the challenge
  • Brainstorm solutions
  • Build and test prototypes
  • Learn from failures
  • Improve designs through iteration