A laboratory demonstration for a Stability of Structures course is presented, consisting in the buckling test of two cylindrical shells: a 3 D-printed and a composite cylinder. The learning outcomes have been formulated by comparing what can be learnt from theoretical lessons and buckling tests. The activity follows the Interactive Lecture Demonstration approach. Main results show that the activity helped students' understanding of shell buckling and it increased their enthusiasm for the topic. This demonstration is easily implementable, and the presented step-by-step development methodology provides guidelines to develop similar activities for different engineering subjects.