Mini Minds Hub · Free printable
DIY Straw Tower
- StageEarly Years
- CostFree
- FormatPrintable PDF
DIY Straw Tower is a free printable building challenge. The aim is simple: build the tallest tower you can. It is quick and easy to set up, and it suits children who learn best by making things with their hands.
It comes from the Mini Minds Hub, the free library of printables from Jaques of London, the British games and toy company that has been making games for families since 1795. Gather some simple craft supplies, set the challenge and let your child try their own ideas.
What is on the sheet
The sheet gives children one clear challenge: build the tallest tower they can. There is no single right answer, so every child can try their own ideas. Measuring, testing and rebuilding are our own suggestions for getting more from the activity. They turn a quick build into a small experiment, where children make a plan, try it, notice what happens and decide what to change.
What you could use to build
Straws
Drinking straws are light, cheap and easy to join. Paper or reusable straws work as well as plastic ones. Bendy straws give children extra shapes to play with.
Something to join them
Masking tape is easy to tear and easy to peel off again. Small balls of modelling clay or play dough can hold straw ends together, like the joints in a frame.
Something to measure with
A ruler or tape measure lets children check the height of their tower. A strip of paper marked in hand spans works too.
A flat, steady base
Build on a table or a firm floor. A piece of card under the tower makes it easy to move it without knocking it over.
Why build towers with straws?
Building a tower is a small version of what engineers do. They decide what the structure needs to do, choose materials, build a model and test it. When it wobbles or falls, they work out why and change the design. Children can do the same thing at the kitchen table, using straws and tape, with no special equipment.
Straws are good for this because they are light and all the same length, so children can compare ideas fairly. They are also easy to change. If a tower leans or falls, it can be taken apart and rebuilt in minutes. That makes falling over useful information rather than failure, which helps children stay willing to try again.
Straws should stay out of mouths and away from eyes and faces. If straws need cutting, an adult should use the scissors. Younger children should be supervised with small pieces of tape or clay.
Tower and structure facts
- A wide base makes a tower harder to tip over than a narrow one.
- Triangles are strong shapes. Engineers use them in bridges, cranes and pylons.
- The Shard in London is the tallest building in the United Kingdom.
- The Burj Khalifa in Dubai is the tallest building in the world.
- Engineers often build and test small models before they build the real thing.
Skills and curriculum link
- Planning and designing
- Building and construction
- Problem solving
- Measuring height
- Testing and improving ideas
- Teamwork
Ideas to help towers stand tall
- Start wideA wider base is steadier. Children can build a wide bottom and make the tower narrower as it goes up.
- Try trianglesThree straws joined in a triangle hold their shape well. Square shapes tend to wobble and lean.
- Test and changeWhen a tower falls, ask what happened first. Did the bottom slip, or did the top lean? Change one thing and try again.
- Measure fairlyMeasure from the table to the highest point, with the tower standing on its own. Use the same way of measuring every time.
Key words
- TowerA tall structure that is built upwards.
- StructureSomething that has been built from parts that are joined together.
- BaseThe bottom part of a tower. It holds everything above it.
- StableSteady and hard to knock over.
- JointA place where two parts meet and are held together.
- DesignA plan for how something will look and work before you build it.
How to use it
- Gather your materials. We suggest straws, tape or modelling clay, and a ruler. Clear a flat space to build on.
- Read the challenge aloud: build the tallest tower you can. Ask your child to say how they plan to start before they touch anything.
- Let them build. Try not to fix problems for them. If the tower falls, ask what they think made it fall.
- Measure the finished tower with a ruler or tape measure. Write the height down so it can be compared later.
- Have another go. Ask what they would change to make the tower taller or steadier, then try that one change and measure again.
Help, stretch and game ideas
If it feels too hard
Start with a short, wide tower and make it a little taller each time. Build a flat base first, then add triangles on top. Use plenty of tape or clay at each joint. Ask, "What was the weakest part?" and fix that.
To stretch confident children
Set a limit, such as only twenty straws or one strip of tape. Then challenge your child to build the tallest tower they can. Or ask them to build a tower that can hold a small, light object at the top, like a paper cup.
Make it a game
Build in teams and give each team the same materials. Set a time limit, then measure each tower. The tallest tower that stays standing for ten seconds wins. Swap teams and try again with new ideas.
Talk about it
- What part of your tower is the strongest? How do you know?
- Why did you build the bottom the way you did?
- What happened when the tower fell? What was the first thing to move?
- If you could change one thing, what would it be?
- Which shapes seemed to hold best, and why do you think that is?
- Where have you seen tall buildings or towers? What do you notice about their bottoms?
Take it off the page
Paper tower
Build a tower using only sheets of paper and tape. Try rolling the paper into tubes and compare them with flat folds.
Building shapes hunt
Walk around your home or street and look for triangles, squares and arches in buildings, gates and bridges. Draw the ones you find.
Spaghetti and marshmallow
Use dry spaghetti and small marshmallows to build a different tower. Compare how it stands with your straw tower. Check for any food allergies first.
Who it is for
Parents
Let your child lead. Ask questions rather than giving instructions, such as "What could you try next?" Keep a ruler nearby and record each height so they can see their tower improve. Celebrate every attempt, including the ones that fall.
Teachers
Use it as a design and technology starter, a science lesson on forces and stability, or a team challenge on a rainy day. It links to the strands on building structures and measurement. Give each group identical materials so that results can be compared fairly.
Home educators
This works well with mixed ages. Younger children can focus on building and counting straws, while older children plan, measure and record heights. Keep a box of straws and tape ready and return to the challenge whenever you like.
Where this fits
Before this, children usually enjoy free building with blocks, boxes and construction toys. They learn that some shapes stand up and others fall. Comparing lengths and heights in simple ways helps too, even if they only use hands or cubes.
After this, children can move on to more planned design work. They can draw a plan before building, use a ruler to measure in centimetres, or test how much weight a structure can hold. Later, they can study how real bridges and buildings stay up.
Questions parents and teachers ask
- What do children need for the DIY Straw Tower?
The sheet sets the challenge, and the materials are up to you. We suggest drinking straws, masking tape or modelling clay, and a ruler for measuring. Any similar craft supplies you already have at home or in the classroom will work too.
- What age is this activity for?
It suits a wide range of primary children. Younger children can enjoy simply building and seeing what stands up. Older children can plan, measure, record heights and improve their design. You can change the rules to fit your child.
- Is there a right answer?
No. It is a building challenge, so there is no single correct tower. A taller tower is a good result, but a steady one or a clever design counts too. The best learning often comes from trying again after a fall.
- How long does it take?
It depends on how much testing and rebuilding your child wants to do. A single build can be quick. If they measure, compare and make a second or third tower, it will take longer. Stop whenever interest fades.
- How can I make it harder?
Add a limit, such as a set number of straws or a short piece of tape. You could also ask for a tower that holds a light object, or run a team challenge with a time limit. These are our own ideas.
- Does it link to the National Curriculum?
At strand level, it links to design and technology, where children build structures and explore how to make them stronger and more stable. It also supports measurement in maths and working scientifically when children test ideas and compare results.
- What if the tower keeps falling over?
That is normal and useful. Suggest a wider base, more tape or clay at the joints, and triangle shapes. Ask your child to change just one thing at a time, so they can tell which change made a difference.
Preview the full PDF
Made by Jaques of London, making games for families since 1795. A printable supports classroom learning and does not replace a teacher.