Team Resources Archives - Destination Imagination

5 Steps to Tackle Your First DI Challenge

Tina Shaffer — Tue, 02 Sep 2025 17:16:24 +0000

So your team has selected a Destination Imagination (DI) Team Challenge—congratulations! That’s a big step. Now comes the exciting (and sometimes overwhelming) part: figuring out how to approach it.

Every DI Challenge is packed with creativity, problem-solving opportunities, and details that guide how your team builds a solution. The key to success is making sure every team member understands what the Challenge is asking for—and what it’s not.

Below, we’ll walk you through some best practices and quick tips to help your team break down the Challenge and start strong.

Step 1: Read the Challenge—Then Read It Again

The first read-through of a Team Challenge is just the beginning. Chances are, your team will need to read it multiple times. Each time you revisit it, you’ll catch something new. Encourage every team member to be part of this process so everyone develops the same level of understanding.

Pro Tip: Assign different sections of the Challenge to different team members for a group read-through, then come back together to share highlights and questions.

Step 2: Learn the Language of the Challenge

Certain words in the Challenge have very specific meanings. Understanding these will save your team time and prevent mistakes:

Must – A requirement. Your team must do this, or you risk losing points or not meeting the Challenge.
Must not / Will not / No / Not – A restriction. Your team is not allowed to do this.
Will – Procedural or scoring information. Pay attention—this is how your solution will be evaluated.
Should – Helpful suggestions. These can improve your solution or make it easier for Appraisers to score your work.
May – Options and choices. This is where your team gets to make your own decisions.

Step 3: Break Out the Highlighters

One of the simplest ways to unpack a Challenge is by color-coding it. Try this as a team:

Highlight “MUST” in yellow – These are the non-negotiable requirements.
Circle “MUST NOT / WILL NOT / NO / NOT” – These are your red-flag restrictions.
Highlight “WILL” in pink – These give your team procedural, scoring, or other information about the Challenge.
Highlight “SHOULD” in blue – These are helpful tips that can strengthen your solution and/or help Appraisers to better score your Presentation.
Highlight “MAY” in green – These show you where you have the freedom to make creative decisions.

When you’re done, your Challenge will look like a rainbow of requirements, tips, and opportunities. This makes it much easier to see what absolutely has to be included, what’s optional, and where your team can let imagination lead the way.

Step 4: Connect Requirements to Creativity

Once you’ve highlighted the Challenge, work together to create a checklist of requirements and choices. Ask:

What are the must-do elements our solution needs to include?
Where are the creative opportunities (the “may” sections) where we can really make our project unique?
What rules and restrictions do we need to avoid breaking?

This turns a dense Challenge document into a roadmap your team can actually use.

Speaking of roadmaps, don’t forget to check out our Roadmap resource in the DI Resource Area. It’s designed to help teams plan a successful season and includes worksheets, templates, and step-by-step guidance for building your Challenge solution. Many teams find it helpful to use Roadmap alongside the Challenge as a practical guide for scheduling team meetings, organizing ideas, and keeping track of requirements.

Step 5: Keep Revisiting

As your solution evolves, go back to the Challenge again and again. It’s easy to get carried away with creative ideas and forget an important requirement—or accidentally include something that isn’t allowed.

Think of the Challenge as both your instruction manual and your score sheet. The better you understand it, the more confident your team will be on tournament day.

Final Tip: Make It Fun

Remember, DI is about creativity, teamwork, and learning by doing. The Challenge is not just a set of rules but an invitation to experiment, collaborate, and solve problems in your own way.

By following these steps, using the highlighter method, and taking advantage of tools like the Roadmap, your team will be better equipped to navigate your first Challenge with clarity and confidence.

For more tips, ideas, and inspiration throughout the season, be sure to follow Destination Imagination on Facebook, Instagram, and X.

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24-25 Tournament Guide: What to Expect

Amanda Potter — Wed, 04 Dec 2024 17:19:08 +0000

Get ready for the 2024-25 Destination Imagination tournament season! Our Tournament Guide for Teams is here to help you prepare for an exciting and creative tournament experience. Packed with essential details and helpful advice from seasoned Team Managers and teams, this guide is your go-to resource for a smooth tournament day.

Here’s what you need to know as you gear up for your tournament:

Your Tournament Team is Cheering You On!

Every tournament is a team effort, with dedicated volunteers working tirelessly to create a day filled with fun, creativity, and celebration of your hard work. Your Tournament Team includes Tournament Directors, Challenge Masters, Appraisers, Team Managers, parents, and others committed to making the event memorable. While things might not always go perfectly, remember that everyone is rooting for you and your team to have an amazing experience.

Feedback That Fuels Your Creativity

Tournaments are a fantastic opportunity to showcase your Challenge solution and receive thoughtful feedback from Appraisers. These trained volunteers are excited to see your ideas come to life, ask questions about your process, and reward creativity in all of its forms. They’re here to ensure scoring is fair and to make sure every team is awarded as many points as they have earned. Remember, they’re excited to see what you’ve made!

Understanding Scores and Appeals

Sometimes, you might notice a score or deduction that doesn’t align with your expectations. While Appraisers are trained to be thorough and fair, mistakes can happen. Here’s what to do:

For deductions or objective scores: You can request clarification or appeal by speaking with the Head Appraiser or Challenge Master.
If your team is still unhappy with the resolution: You can request a Dialogue. This process involves a review by tournament officials to ensure all concerns have been addressed appropriately. For more details about the Dialogue process, refer to the Rules of the Road.

Download our Tournament Guide for Teams today to help your team prepare for a successful day! You can also find a copy in the Resource Area.

We can’t wait to see what you’ve created this season! Be sure to share your journey with us on social using #DestinationImagination. Best of luck!

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Build Your Own Weight Transport Test Course

Tina Shaffer — Wed, 14 Aug 2024 02:57:28 +0000

Calling all Destination Imagination Engineering teams! Are you ready to take your High-Wire Act Challenge to new heights? We’re excited to announce the release of a step-by-step guide to creating your own Weight Transport Test Course!

This comprehensive guide will walk you through everything you need to know to build a practice course right at home or school. Whether you have access to a full workshop or limited space and resources, we’ve got you covered.

Here’s what you can expect from the guide:

Detailed instructions and diagrams for building the test course
A list of materials you’ll need
Tips and tricks for success
Alternative testing methods for teams with limited space, time, and/or resources

Important to remember:

All tournaments will provide a Weight Transport Test Course similar to the one shown in the guide and in the Challenge.
However, we understand that building a full-sized course might not be feasible for every team. That’s why we’ve included alternative testing methods.
When using alternative methods, it is important to check that several things are consistent with the Challenge.

Ready to get started? Head over to the Resource Area to download the guide.

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Tournament Checklist for DI Teams

Tina Shaffer — Fri, 02 Feb 2024 16:41:04 +0000

Whether you’re participating in your first Destination Imagination tournament or you’re a seasoned DI-er, it’s important to create a checklist to make sure you have everything you will need on your team’s big day. Below is a basic checklist that includes many of the items you will need to bring (and a few you should bring) to your Regional or Affiliate Tournament. Be sure to print the list and add any other items that are specific to your team’s Challenge solution.

Tournament Data Forms, Expense Report and Declaration of Independence: Most tournaments require teams to submit their forms online through the Resource Area. You can learn more about submitting online forms in our 21-22 Tournament Guide for Teams.
Lunch and Water: During a full day of excitement, it’s important to stay fueled and hydrated. If you don’t pack food, make sure you fit a meal into your schedule for the day.
The Props: Before you walk out the door, make sure you have every single piece of your Challenge solution.
Your Team Identification Sign: The sign helps the Appraisers and audience members identify who they’re watching.
Team Clarifications: If your team requested any Clarifications, you need to bring them to the tournament.
Appropriate Clothing: Sometimes it can get really chilly or really warm at the venue, so be sure to pack appropriate clothing.
Umbrella or Tarp: Your props and materials may be perfect inside the car, but the rain outside may be disastrous.
Extra Scripts or Notes: In case of an accident, extra copies will allow your team to keep practicing.
Instant Challenges: Bring a few Instant Challenges to get some last-minute practice in.
Fix-It Kit: A kit full of useful items could help you fix damaged materials for your solution. Kit items may include duct tape, theatrical makeup, fabric, markers, tools, paint, rope/string, a glue gun or anything else your team will need to do touch-up work.

We wish you the best of luck and cannot wait to see your solutions! Be sure to share your tournament photos with us on Facebook, X, and Instagram.

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Instant Challenge: Exploring Material Properties

Tina Shaffer — Fri, 13 Oct 2023 16:41:53 +0000

The Instant Challenge component of the Destination Imagination Challenge Experience helps your team learn how to quickly assess a situation, make a plan, and work together to create a solution in a very short period of time. A variety of our Instant Challenges require your team to use certain materials to solve the Challenge. When selecting materials to solve your Instant Challenge, it’s important for your team to understand key material properties. Check out our Exploring Material Properties Cards to help your team explore the following:

Malleability – Can the material be easily given a new shape?

Hardness – Is the material resistant to scratching or indentation?

Elasticity – Is the material able to return to its original shape?

Plasticity – Is the material able to be molded or altered into your desired share?

Density – What is the ratio between mass and volume? For a material to float, its density must be equal to or less than the density of the liquid.

Not sure how Instant Challenge works? Be sure to review our Roadmap resource and visit our YouTube Channel to check out a few Instant Challenges in action.

For more free Instant Challenges, visit our Free Resource Library or check out the STEAM Activities section of our blog.

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Exploring Your Future Through the Agilities

admin — Fri, 06 Oct 2023 11:06:00 +0000

By Dr. Leigh Anne Taylor Knight, Executive Director and COO, The DeBruce Foundation

It is time to kick off another amazing Destination Imagination (DI) season! The DeBruce Foundation is proud to partner with Destination Imagination to bring resources to students, Team Managers, and volunteers to expand career literacy and build confidence among young people involved in DI!

At The DeBruce Foundation, we’ve identified work skills that are used in every job throughout the workforce. These work skills, which we call Agilities, can be learned, practiced, and cultivated over time. They can also be very helpful as you build and develop your DI teams over the next months.

Destination Imagination plays a critical role in helping young people grow and develop their Agilities while encouraging, empowering, and expanding each student’s network.

Get to know more about the Agilities, then consider how you leverage them in your life, work, and extracurricular activities. By knowing the Agilities you are using day to day, you’re more prepared to help your students name and explore the Agilities they’re using, learning, and developing every day. Also, check out our latest video on mentoring with the Agilities for more ideas.

We have set up a link to the Agilities Work Profiler that is just for Destination Imagination teams. Early in your DI season, have your team members take the AWP and have their results sent to their email address (or print the results). Your team members can share the results and use what they’ve learned to divide the tasks and responsibilities as they plan, design, and build their Challenge solution. Your team will be able to take the AWP again at the end of the DI season and see how team members’ Agilities grow and develop during the DI experience.

Our team has truly enjoyed partnering with Destination Imagination during the 2022 and the 2023 Global Finals in our hometown of Kansas City, Missouri. We followed up those interactions with virtual training during your Team Manager IGNITE sessions in June. We are getting great feedback on how students are using their Agilities during their work in DI, and we want to keep that momentum going!

We wish you a wonderful Destination Imagination year ahead! Thank you for investing in the students you serve. The future is bright!

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Famous Landmarks STEAM Challenge

Tina Shaffer — Mon, 09 Jan 2023 13:33:00 +0000

From the Statue of Liberty to The Great Wall of China, there are many famous landmarks that attract people from all over the world. For this Challenge, we want kids to use their creativity, quick thinking, and problem-solving skills to recreate famous landmarks.

Challenge: Using materials you have on hand (see Materials list below for suggestions), create a famous landmark that is located outside of the country you reside. You may choose from the following landmarks or research other famous landmarks.

The Golden Gate Bridge (U.S.)
Eiffel Tower (France)
Statue of Liberty (U.S.)
The Great Wall of China (China)
Stonehenge (England)
Sydney Opera House (Australia)
Leaning Tower of Pisa (Italy)
Taj Mahal (India)
Chichén Itzá (Mexico)
Machu Picchu (Peru)
Great Zimbabwe (Africa)
Colosseum (Italy)
CN Tower (Canada)
Easter Island Statues (Chile)
Hagia Sophia (Turkey)
The Pyramids of Giza (Egypt)
Tower of London (England)

Materials: Construction paper, chenille stems, toothpicks, cardboard tubes, paper clips, index cards, marshmallows, aluminum foil, tape, LEGOs and markers

Time: 45 minutes

For more activities like this, check out our collection of STEAM activities on our blog.

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Ping-Pong Problem-Solving STEAM Challenge

Tina Shaffer — Thu, 16 Sep 2021 17:35:48 +0000

Ping-Pong balls make for great STEM challenge materials. Our Ping-Pong Problem-Solving STEAM activity challenges students to build a structure that will hold a Ping-Pong ball cantilevered as far away as possible. Have them work together in groups to solve the challenge in under 8 minutes and see which group can earn the most points!

Ping-Pong Problem-Solving Challenge Instructions

Challenge: Build a structure with a base inside of a taped square to hold a Ping-Pong ball cantilevered as far as possible from the taped square.

Setup: On the floor, use masking tape to create a 12in x 12in square.

Materials: 6 straws, 6 index cards, 6 inches of masking tape, 3 paper clips, 3 feet of string, 1 Ping-Pong ball, 1 pair of scissors
*The scissors may not be damaged and may not be used as part of the solution

Time: 8 minutes

Scoring:
A. 4 points for every inch of cantilever of the Ping-Pong ball from the taped square (Up to 80 points max)
B. Up to 20 points for the creativity of your structure
C. Up to 20 points for how well your group works together

Need more STEAM for your week? Download our Parent’s Guide to the Creative Process and get 10 free STEAM challenges to unlock your child’s power to create and innovate. Are you a teacher? Download our Teacher’s Guide to the Creative Process for 10 inquiry-based activities you can use in your classroom.

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Team Building with Virtual Improv Games

Tina Shaffer — Tue, 09 Feb 2021 16:06:40 +0000

Are you Destination Imagination Team Manager and need more activities to keep your team members engaged while they work together remotely? You’re not alone!

We put together this guide, which includes some recommended improv games and activities.

But what if I don’t manage an improv team? That’s a great question.

Improv games are great for all teams, not just improv teams. Improv can help kids become better active listeners, learn how to be more open to ideas, improve their communication skills and self-confidence, be more flexible to change, and learn how to think quickly on their feet.

They’re also a great way to get the sillies out!

Click here to check them out.

DI relies on supporters like you to ensure that we can continue providing free educational content and creative stay-at-home activities for kids and families. If you’re enjoying our activities or if you believe in the power of creativity and self-expression, please consider making a tax-deductible donation to DI today through our secure donor portal.

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Questions About Virtual Instant Challenge?

Tina Shaffer — Tue, 17 Nov 2020 18:21:23 +0000

Instant Challenge for the 2020-21 Challenge season may look very different for your team! Some tournaments may be presenting Instant Challenge virtually, while others may be planning to present Instant Challenge at an in-person event.

In order to understand the process for Instant Challenge, your team will need to know the format of Instant Challenge (virtual or in-person) for your tournament. This will be determined by your Regional, Affiliate, and/or Tournament Director.

Once you know the format, be sure your team takes time to thoroughly review all of the information about Instant Challenge in the 2020-21 version of Rules of the Road. Keep in mind that section headers are color coded. Section headers in teal include rules for all teams. Section headers in navy include rules for teams participating in virtual tournaments. Section headers in orange include rules for teams participating in tournaments with in-person events.

Since the process for virtual Instant Challenge is new for this season, Destination Imagination has created a new email address, InstantChallenge2021@dihq.org, to which your team should direct all of your questions regarding the process for virtual Instant Challenge. When your team sends your question to this email address, it will be answered by the Instant Challenge International Challenge Masters.

The virtual Instant Challenge process questions your team sends to this email address are NOT considered official Clarification questions since they are not related to the specific rules of the Instant Challenges. Therefore, your team may ask as many questions about the virtual Instant Challenge process as you wish.

All questions regarding the virtual Instant Challenge process must be received by January 1, 2021 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time. The Instant Challenge International Challenge Masters will answer your questions before the first Instant Challenge release date (January 15, 2021).

Your team may ask about the following topics through InstantChallenge2021@dihq.org:

General procedures for virtual Instant Challenge
General release dates and deadlines for virtual Instant Challenge
Recording and editing rules for virtual Instant Challenge
Materials that can be used in virtual Instant Challenge solutions
Submission requirements for virtual Instant Challenge
The Prep process for virtual Instant Challenge

Your team may NOT ask about the following topics through InstantChallenge2021@dihq.org:

Tournament-specific format questions
Tournament-specific dates, including which particular release date and submission deadline will be used for your tournament
Specifics about a particular Instant Challenge
In-person Instant Challenge process questions
Scores, deductions, and appeals for your tournament
Instant Challenge awards

All tournament-specific questions, including questions about the process for in-person Instant Challenge, should be directed to your Regional, Affiliate, and/or Tournament Director.

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