Planning Your Tower
Design and build a small tower using blocks, cardboard, or marshmallows and toothpicks. Test stability, measure height, and improve your design.
Step-by-step guide to plan your tower
Step 1
Pick which materials you will use: blocks OR cardboard pieces OR marshmallows and toothpicks.
Step 2
Clear a flat workspace so your tower has room to stand.
Step 3
Lay down a cardboard base or placemat to protect the table.
Step 4
Set a height goal for your tower.
Step 5
Sketch a simple plan on paper showing the base shape and tower type.
Step 6
Gather the pieces you will need into small piles.
Step 7
Build a wide sturdy base using your chosen pieces.
Step 8
Add a strong second layer using a stable pattern like interlocking or triangles.
Step 9
Continue building upward toward your height goal while keeping layers aligned.
Step 10
Measure the tower height from the tabletop to the top with your ruler.
Step 11
Write the height number on your paper.
Step 12
Gently push the top with one finger to test the tower’s stability.
Step 13
Reinforce one weak spot using extra supports or tape.
Step 14
Measure the tower height again with your ruler.
Step 15
Share your finished creation on DIY.org
Final steps
You're almost there! Complete all the steps, bring your creation to life, post it, and conquer the challenge!
Help!?
If I don't have marshmallows and toothpicks, what can I use instead?
If marshmallows and toothpicks are hard to find, use small balls of clay or playdough as connectors with uncooked spaghetti or craft sticks to join pieces when you build the wide sturdy base and upper layers.
My tower keeps tipping when I gently push the top—what should I check and fix?
If the tower tips when you gently push the top, check that the wide sturdy base is level on your cardboard base or placemat and reinforce the weak spot by adding extra supports or tape to the base or second interlocking layer before realigning and measuring again with the ruler.
How can I adapt this activity for younger or older children?
For younger kids, use large blocks on a placemat and simplify the sketch and height goal, while older children can set taller goals, draw detailed plans with base shape and interlocking triangle layers, and track precise measurements with the ruler.
What are simple ways to extend or personalize the tower project after finishing the basic build?
To extend the project, decorate the cardboard base, experiment with different base shapes and interlocking patterns to compare which reaches the height goal best, and then photograph and share your finished creation on DIY.org.
Watch videos on how to plan your tower
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Tallest Tower: 2021 Engineering Challenge
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Facts about structural engineering for kids
⚖️ A tower will tip when its center of gravity moves outside its base footprint — wider bases and lower high-up weight help prevent falls.
🧱 Cross-braces and internal 'floors' hugely improve stability — even tiny toy towers benefit from the same tricks real engineers use.
🍬 In the Marshmallow Challenge, kindergarten teams often beat business-school teams because kids prototype fast and iterate.
🏗️ The tallest man-made tower is the Burj Khalifa at 828 meters — a cool real-world example of designing for height and stability.
📐 Triangles are the strongest shape in building — they keep structures from wobbling, so builders love trusses.
How do you plan and build a small tower with blocks, cardboard, or marshmallows and toothpicks?
What materials and tools do I need to plan and build a small tower?
What ages is the Planning Your Tower activity suitable for?
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