Drop Egg

Defend the Egg.
Defend the Egg (also known as the Great Egg Drop) is a teambuilding activity that
involves collaboration, problem solving, and creative teamwork. Groups build a structure out of ordinary
materials and try to protect a raw egg from breaking when dropped from a high elevation.
Egg Drop
This team building task gets teams working together, thinking creatively and managing their time.
Overview
Teams of between 3 and 5 participants are asked to make a structure from limited materials, which will
prevent a raw egg from breaking when it is dropped by the facilitator from a height of 10ft.
Key themes: Teamwork, Creativity, Time Management.

Participants:6 – 50
Timing: 15 – 30 minutes
Prework and Equipment

 Buy enough eggs for one per team plus two spare.
 Buy straws (the thin ones if possible), enough for approx. 50 per team.
 Buy gaffer/cloth tape.
 Two rolls of kitchen towel (just in case someone makes a mess!).
Running the Activity

1. Split the group into small teams (of 3 – 4).
2. Introduce this as a creative challenge with very few rules.
3. State that the objective is that each team must design and build a structure that will prevent their egg
from breaking when dropped from a height of 10 feet onto a solid floor (do not give any guidance as
to the style of design, if questioned simply restate the objective).
4. The teams have just fifteen minutes in which to build their structure.
5. Should more than one team succeed in protecting their egg, the winner will be determined by the
fewest straws used.
6. Issue each team with approximately 50 drinking straws, one egg (not boiled obviously) and a 1 meter
length of gaffer/duck tape.
7. Encourage the teams to work out of sight of one another.
8. During the exercise walk around the teams giving time checks and monitoring progress.
9. After 15 minutes call the teams together around the drop area.
10. As the facilitator, you should drop the eggs but make sure you insist that the teams are satisfied with
how you aim and make the drop or you may get the blame for a breakage. For a bit of fun you may
also want to include a rocket launch countdown before you drop the eggs.
11. Give a prize if necessary.
Review and Conclusions

 Ask the teams what happened during the design and construction phase.
 Ask whether their design changed and why.
 Identify any positive individual contributions that you noticed during the task.
 Ask what each team (starting with the least successful) would do differently if they were to repeat
the exercise.
 The infinite variety of solutions to this exercise it make it an excellent creative energizer, after which
teams are likely to be more open to creative thinking.
HOW TO PLAY EGG DROP TEAMBUILDING ACTIVITY
Teams of 3-5 take materials and build something to protect a raw egg. The eggs that survive a 10+ foot drop
successfully completes the challenge.
 Materials Required: Raw eggs (one for each group plus extras in case of accidents), cardboard, duck
tape, several thin straws (at least 40 per group), paper towels for cleanup, a way to enable a high drop
 Participants: 6 to 50, enough for at least a few groups.
 Time Required: 15 – 30 minutes
How Do You Play the Egg Drop Teambuilding Activity?
Setup
 Obtain all the materials listed above. These are resources to be used by teams to try to protect their raw
egg.
 Buy straws (the thin ones if possible), enough for approx. 50 per team.
Playing the Game

1. Divide the group into small teams of 3 – 4. Give each team one raw egg, 40 straws, 1 meter of duck
tape, and other materials as listed above.
2. Explain the rules of the teambuilding activity. Tell them that the goal is to design and build a structure
that will prevent their raw egg from breaking from a high drop. Teams will be given about 15 minutes
to make the structure. If more than one team is successful, then the team that uses the least amount of
straws wins. Should more than one team succeed in protecting their egg, the winner will be determined
by the fewest straws used.
3. Separate the teams so they are not very close to each other (to prevent copying ideas).
4. Say GO! and give teams 15 minutes or so to build their structure, with an egg inside.
Winning the Game

At the end of the time limit, bring everyone back together. Drop each structure in a consistent way. After
dropping all structures, open them up and figure out which eggs have remained intact. The winning team is
the one with the least number of straws used.
Debrief and Reflection

The goal of this teambuilding activity is to build chemistry, teamwork, and creative thinking. It is useful to
ask debrief/reflection questions afterwards.
 Ask the teams about their experiences; what went well and what was effective in terms of teamwork.
 Ask whether their designs changed or evolved over time.
 Ask about traits or characteristics of good leadership or teamwork, or meaningful contributions during
gameplay.
 Ask if teams would do anything differently next time.
Summary: A team building exercise in which groups build structures and try to prevent an egg from
breaking. A judge tosses all structures (with the eggs inside) from a high elevation at the end. The winners
are the groups that successfully protect the egg.

Drop Egg

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Defend the Egg.

Key themes: Teamwork, Creativity, Time Management.

Prework and Equipment

Running the Activity

Review and Conclusions

How Do You Play the Egg Drop Teambuilding Activity?

Playing the Game

Winning the Game

Debrief and Reflection

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