For the educator:

Building supplies such as: popsicle sticks, paper bowls, paper plates, paper cups, pipe cleaner, rubber bands, paper and/or tape

For each group:

Same building supplies educator used from the list above

","preparation","

This game can be played in an indoor or outdoor space with tables and chairs.

Build the Model: Before the players arrive, build a unique structure out of popsicle sticks, paper bowls, paper plates, paper cups, pipe cleaner, rubber bands, paper and tape. Provide the exact materials that you used for each group.

","worksheets","multimedia","

To learn how to play \"Restructure,\" click the link to watch an easy-to-learn tutorial video.

Restructure Tutorial Video

Restructure Tutorial Video (Captions)

","steps","

This game is a fantastic exercise in memory, teamwork, and creativity. It encourages players to pay attention to details and to think strategically under time constraints. It’s a great way to engage players in a fun and challenging activity. Enjoy guiding your players through \"Restructure\"!
Introduction to Restructure
- Gather the Players: Call together players in an indoor or outdoor space that has tables and chairs and introduce the game as “Restructure.”
- Explain the Objective: The game's aim is to construct a structure using the materials provided by the leader that is different from and better than a model structure shown by the leader.
Materials Needed
- Build the Model: Before the players arrive, build a unique structure out of popsicle sticks, paper bowls, paper plates, paper cups, pipe cleaner, rubber bands, paper and tape. Provide the exact materials that you used for each group.
Game Setup
- Create Teams: Organize players into teams of 3 to 4 members.
- Present the Model: Show all teams the model structure made from colored cups, rubber bands, popsicle sticks, tape, and paper.
- Study the Model: Encourage players to closely observe the model structure to understand how they might improve upon it.
How to Play
- Distribute Materials: Provide each team with materials identical to those used in the model structure.
- Construction Time: Give teams five minutes to create a structure that is different and better than the model structure.
- Explain Improvements: After five minutes, ask each team to present their structure and explain why it is better than the original.
- Examples of Improvements: Teams might say their structure is taller, has additional elements like a shield or a bow and arrow, or is designed with practical features like a catapult or net for rescue scenarios.
- Reveal the True Task: Inform the players that creating the new structures was a distraction from the real challenge. Have teams carefully dismantle their structures and try to recreate the leader’s original structure from memory within five minutes (make sure to hide the original structure).
- Determine Winners: The teams that can replicate the original structure with the fewest errors win.
Conducting the Game
- Encourage Creativity: Prompt teams to be innovative in their designs to improve upon the original structure.
- No Photography: Ensure that players do not take pictures of the original structure.
- Preserve Materials: Make sure teams do not alter the materials given in any way.
Conclusion of the Game
- Summarize the Game: Recap what \"Restructure\" entails and the skills it builds, such as memory, teamwork, and creativity.
Debrief Questions
- How did it make you feel to try to create something better with your team? How did your team decide what would be better? Were there disagreements? Explain.
- Did everyone work on the new structure together? Did all players have a role in creating the new structure? What did that look like?
- How did it feel to find out your team needed to rebuild the structure in its original state by memory? How did your team react?
- Why do you think it was hard to rebuild the structure from memory? Were there disagreements on what the original structure looked like? How did you resolve those issues?
- Can you share an example from home, school or work when you were part of a group that could not decide about an issue? How did your group handle it?

","examples","versions","variations","

Strategic Planning: Allow teams to have a one-minute strategy session before the five-minute construction timer starts.

",[126,130],[135,141,144,147],"facilitationTips",[],"collection",{"_45":176,"_47":153,"_49":177,"_97":178,"_51":179,"_32":53,"_54":180,"_181":182,"_73":-5,"_74":25,"_76":77,"_183":-5,"_90":184,"_194":31,"_39":31,"_78":195,"_202":-5,"_68":-5,"_121":122,"_70":176},"1d4635f7-5c3e-4722-8c13-dc159d34998f","2025-08-13T21:06:06.592Z","PLAYLIST","Catalyze STEM Learning with Kayla Ambesi","f3c582e9-3453-48bf-a918-5399d6672576","introduction","From robots and rockets to quicksand, plants, weather, and wildlife, this playlist ignites curiosity in STEM, inspiring the joy of discovery. Youth will design and test a kite in flight (learning about wind and weight); make rock candy crystals (discovering supersaturation), record and sketch nature (learning about climate and weather); and craft a protective device for a falling egg (exploring momentum and energy).

\"By engaging in STEM activities that go beyond textbooks and lectures, youth can explore their interests, develop critical thinking skills, and gain practical knowledge that transcends traditional education. Investing in these experiences empowers them to become well-rounded individuals equipped to thrive in an ever-evolving world.\" — Kayla Ambesi

Kayla Ambesi is the Supervisor of Community Schools at Schenectady City School District in New York. With a passion for education and engagement, she oversees six community schools and leads districtwide STEAM Camps, K-12 summer enrichment, and a \"STEM Saturdays\" collaboration with Union College. Kayla is the devoted mother of four children and holds a Bachelor's degree in Social Work from the esteemed College of Saint Rose.

","updatedBy",{"_45":185,"_47":186,"_49":186,"_59":187,"_95":-5,"_32":96,"_97":98,"_99":31,"_100":188,"_102":188,"_103":104,"_105":187,"_106":189,"_108":190,"_110":191,"_112":187,"_113":96,"_114":188,"_115":-5,"_116":-5,"_117":192,"_119":193},"0c303d51-494e-430f-b3c1-a36723f9abbd","2025-08-05T18:15:47.959Z","hero-image-clvmj7v4j8cbp0742ow3jla1c","aa3d86a6-18be-4023-8579-eaa695492206","png","image/png",171521,"https://ucarecdn.com/aa3d86a6-18be-4023-8579-eaa695492206/","https://ucarecdn.com/aa3d86a6-18be-4023-8579-eaa695492206/-/resize/1000x/","hideListing",[80,196,81,197,198,199,200,201,87,83],"science","physics","chemistry","plants","weather","nature","exploreOrder","order","activityId","collectionId",[],[208,46,209],"activities","preview","[\"activities\",\"d06353d2-595a-416b-a6bd-9b07164c6c8f\",\"preview\"]","actionData","errors"]

Restructure (Team Building) Game

Restructure (Team Building) Game

Restructure (Team Building) Game

Overview