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Team relay

Egg Drop Challenge

Also called Great Egg Drop, Protect the Egg

Teams build a contraption from straws and tape that keeps a raw egg from breaking when dropped from a height.

people
6–60
time
40 min
energy
Medium
materials
Cheap to buy
Kids-safeHR-safeChurch-safe
Watch it played
What you need6
How to play4

Before you start

Lay the tarp under a safe drop point 2–3 metres up, such as a stair landing or balcony. Form teams of 3–5 and hand out kits.

  1. 1Teams have 20 minutes to build a protective structure around their egg.
  2. 2Only the kit materials may be used.
  3. 3One by one, the host drops each team's build from the same height.
  4. 4Unbroken eggs survive to the next round, dropped from higher. Last egg standing wins; tie goes to fewest straws used.
What to say3
  1. 1“Twenty straws, one egg, one chance. Build!”
  2. 2“Team three's egg goes from the balcony… three, two, one, drop!”
  3. 3“It survived! Let's crack it open to be sure!”
Host tips3
  • Do the drops yourself from a fixed, stable spot. Letting each team pick its own drop point causes arguments, and someone ends up standing on a wheeled chair.
  • Crack every surviving egg into a cup after the drop. Hairline cracks are invisible and decide the winner.
  • Debrief: ask how much time each team spent planning versus building, how they divided the work, and what they would change with a second egg. It shows whether the team plans together or follows the first loud idea.
Variants2

  • Sealed design

    Give 5 minutes to plan with no touching the materials, then 10 minutes to build with no talking.

  • Budget market

    Teams buy their materials from a price list with a fixed budget; cheapest survivor wins.

Safety3
  • Raw egg can carry salmonella — wash hands after handling and wipe surfaces.
  • Check for egg allergies; use a water balloon instead if needed.
  • No one stands on chairs or tables to drop. Keep the landing zone clear of people.
Good for

Occasions

Team buildingSchoolRetreat

Venues

Indoor, largeOutdoorOfficeChurch hall
If this one dies early3