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Paper Tower Challenge

Paper Tower Challenge

Min number of participants 3
Age 8+ yrs.
Safety support by adult Not required
Min duration 15 min.
Cost None (Free)
Environment Indoor

Using only sheets of paper and a length of tape, teams race to build the tallest freestanding tower they can within a time limit — a quick, low-cost engineering icebreaker.

The Essentials

How to play

  1. Give each team the same limited supply: about 20 sheets of paper and one metre of tape — nothing else.
  2. Set a build time, usually 15-20 minutes.
  3. Teams may fold, roll, or cut the paper any way they like, but can't use outside materials.
  4. When time is called, freeze all building and measure each tower from the floor to its highest point.
  5. The tallest tower still standing unaided when measured wins.

Tips

  • Rolled paper tubes are far stronger than flat sheets — a tower of tubes beats a tower of folded flats almost every time.
  • A wide base matters more than a tall, thin one; most towers fail by toppling, not by running out of material.
  • Tape sparingly at first — save some for last-minute reinforcement once you see how the structure behaves.
  • Great for team building: it's fast, cheap, and shows clearly who leads, who builds, and who improvises under pressure.
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