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Exercises/Reflection and Learning/Fun Team Challenge to Build Trust & Cooperation Marshmallow River
Team Reflection · Reflection and Learning

Fun Team Challenge to Build Trust & Cooperation Marshmallow River

Fun Team Challenge to Build Trust & Cooperation Marshmallow River is a team reflection exercise for reflection and learning: it helps participants reflect on experience and turn observations into learning.

15 to 30 minutesTIME
Pairs, Small group (4-8)GROUP SIZE
ActiveENERGY
In person, RemoteSETTING
High cognitive loadCOGNITIVE LOAD
Strengthens Learning Transfer This reflection and learning exercise strengthens Learning Transfer, one of the eight Gathering Effectiveness pillars.

How to run it

  1. In advance, randomly distribute dozens of ‘marshmallows’ between two lines spaced about 10-15 metres apart.
  2. Place many ‘marshmallows’ close enough so that people can step from one to another easily.
  3. Gather your group behind a line identified as the Start zone.
  4. Challenge your group to traverse the area between the two lines by stepping only on the marshmallows.
  5. Invite individuals to traverse the area first, using any path they choose.
  6. If a person happens to touch the area outside of the marshmallows, invite them to restart.
  7. Next, invite two people to cross together while keeping physical contact at all times.
  8. Again, if someone touches the ‘no-go’ zone, invite the pair to restart.
  9. Marshmallow River Fun team challenge to build trust & collaborative problem-solving.
Live facilitator

Run this exercise live

The facilitator console stays in this browser. Its QR handoff is a short-lived participant snapshot containing only public exercise instructions, phase, prompt, and timer state.

Prompts to use +

Place many ‘marshmallows’ close enough so that people can step from one to another easily.

Gather your group behind a line identified as the Start zone.

Invite individuals to traverse the area first, using any path they choose.

If a person happens to touch the area outside of the marshmallows, invite them to restart.

Next, invite two people to cross together while keeping physical contact at all times.

Again, if someone touches the ‘no-go’ zone, invite the pair to restart.

Run this with your AI assistant +

Works with Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, or your own local model: paste this prompt and your AI will co-facilitate this exercise with you.

Adapt this exercise for my exact room. Exercise: Fun Team Challenge to Build Trust & Cooperation Marshmallow River. Readiness: Publishable Draft. Core moves: Place many ‘marshmallows’ close enough so that people can step from one to another easily.; Gather your group behind a line identified as the Start zone.; Invite individuals to traverse the area first, using any path they choose.; If a person happens to touch the area outside of the marshmallows, invite them to restart.. Return a concise facilitator script with timing, wording, safety notes, and remote/in-person adjustments.

Origin unverified

  • Where we observed it: The strongest current observations come from Playmeo; aggregators are listed as additional observations, not origin proof. (1 source observed, including Playmeo.)
  • What that means: we track where an exercise has been observed in public sources. We do not claim to know who created it, or how popular it is.
  • No efficacy claims: appearing in this library is not a claim that the exercise is proven effective. Facilitator judgment and context decide whether it works for a given room.
  • Corrections: if you have evidence of an earlier or more accurate source, read our methodology and trust boundary and tell us.

Pairs well with