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Great Egg Drop

Engaging and very messy small group activity (4 or 5) as part of larger group (e.g., 20 up to 100)

	Can be run as a competition between teams
	Task is to build a single egg package that can sustain a fall of 8ft (top of a supermarket shelf)
	Can be used to highlight any almost aspect of teamwork or leadership
	Lends itself to building a dramatic large group scenario/finale for the Egg Drop Off
	Can include the task of presenting a 30-second advert for the egg package. This increases the complexity of the activity.
	Lends itself to production line or project management metaphors

Equipment

For each group of approx. 4., straws, masking tape, egg and/or any other items you want to give for creating the egg package. Can use only natural materials - harder, but saves cost/waste.

Time

~30-45 minutes to build package

~15-30 minutes for Great Egg Drop

~15-45 minutes cleanup & debrief

Brief Description

Small groups design an egg package to save an egg from breaking when dropped. Plus a 30 second jingle to sell their package. Followed by the Great Egg Drop-Off.

Alternative: Egg Catcher

Tell the participants "You will design and build, using the provided materials, an egg catcher. You will put the egg catcher on the floor at this point, then drop an egg into your catcher. The team that protects the egg from the highest height will be the winner."

ROUND ONE: Have the participants write down the height that they feel they can safely drop the egg from. Have them stand over the drop point, with a measuring tape, and you record the results for each group.

ROUND TWO: Tell them that the objective is now to improve their height as well as cost. Have them figure the cost of their current egg catcher (how many materials they used) and now they need to record the height (higher than last time) as well as the cost (lower than last time).

Source: Wilderdom