The Great Primate Handshake – Volunteer in Africa, working to conserve monkeys and apes through film and educational content production

Saturday – Day 2

Marshmallow Challenge

Saturday morning was unlike any other for most of the Handshake volunteers, starting with a activity called the Marshmallow Challenge. Designed by Peter Skillman who is Vice President of Design at Palm, this activity encourages the generation of quick ideas and team work. The process involves taking a number of different materials and trying to construct a free standing structure which can support the weight of a marshmellow.

The materials which were used contained:

1. 20 sticks of spaghetti
2. A yard of both tape
3. A yard of string
4. A marshmellow.

A time of 18 minutes was allowed for the construction of the marshmallow topped tower.

The Handshake members where then split into teams of four. What followed was 40 minutes of competetive competition with each team desperate to out do their newly acquired friends.The exercise was performed twice with the tallest structure being acheived by Lauren, Chris, Steph and Phil in the first attempt.

The second time the challenge was attempted the winners were Lauren G, Lucy, Sarah and Carys.

Although in the end the result seems less important than the bonding between team members. Now with a newly found feeling of team work and comradiary, the handshake volunteers could look forward to the adventure which would follow in the next 28 days.

The Link below will direct you to the Marshmallow Challenge website.

http://www.marshmallowchallenge.com/Welcome.html