Kimmel Education and Research Center

 

Date of this Version

3-25-2013

Citation


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The Marshmallow Challenge exercise developed by Tom Wujec and written about by Dr. Tina Seelig in her book, inGenius

Abstract

I discovered the Marshmallow Challenge when taking an online course through Stanford called, “A Crash Course in Creativity” with Dr. Tina Seelig (http://venture-lab.org/creativity).

The exercise has been used with groups of all ages from around the world by Tom Wujec, who Seelig calls an, “award-winning designer and innovator” (p. 144).

How do you use the Marshmallow Challenge? I use it in a number of different ways:

  1. As an icebreaker
  2. As a teambuilding exercise
  3. To stimulate creativity and innovation
  4. As an experiential exercise that adds FUN to learning!

Seelig and I have the same thoughts on the importance of fun when leaning and building teamwork. She sums it up wonderfully:

In fact, play is an important variable for successful creative teams. Simply put, when you play, you are having fun. When you have fun, you feel better about yourself and your work. And when you feel better, you are much more creative and deliver more. (pp. 144-145)

Questions? Please contact me, Connie Reimers-Hild, PhD, CPC, via email (connie.reimers-hild@unl.edu) or the University of Nebraska Kimmel Education and Research Center blog (KimmelTV.org). Also, let me know how you use it (I am always looking for new ideas) and how well is works for you! We can all learn from one another!!

Reference:

Seelig, T. (2012). inGenius: A crash course on creativity. New York: HarperCollins.

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