French Day / Newspaper Iron Tower Challenge
Newspaper Iron Tower Challenge
Teams roll newspaper into strong tubes and build the tallest freestanding tower they can, using the triangles that hold up the famous iron tower in Paris.
How to run it
- Show a photo of the Paris tower and point out its criss-cross triangles and wide base.
- Demonstrate rolling a sheet of newspaper tightly around a pencil and taping the end.
- Give each team the same number of sheets and a strip of tape.
- Allow 20 minutes to build, then measure each tower that stands on its own for 10 seconds.
- Discuss which shapes made towers stronger and why the real tower is wider at the bottom.
You will need
- newspaper
- masking tape
- pencils
- tape measure
- photo of the Paris tower
Make it easier or harderYounger children can build with pre-rolled tubes and no time limit; older children must make their tower hold a paper cup on top.
My Time Our Place · Outcome 4, Outcome 5Children plan, test and explain a structure as a team, building problem-solving and communication.
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