Paper Skyscraper

WHAT IT IS: A group building challenge in which the sky's the limit

NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 2 or more

AGES: 3 and up (past the "destroy everything" stage)

WHAT YOU NEED: Newspaper--lots of it!--and dispensers of tape

TO PLAY: The object is to construct the tallest self-supporting structure by rolling, folding, bundling, or stacking newspaper in any way your builders can imagine. (Tip: We found that tubes rolled diagonally from two sheets of newspaper and taped produced sturdy building units that could be slipped together end to end and assembled into impressive tepee-like structures.) A friend of mine calls this game "Singapore," after the nation now in the midst of a competitive skyscraper-building craze. It can be played by individuals or teams, and with or without a time limit, depending on the ages, number, and competitiveness of the players. And once you master this challenge, try doing it the hard way: Players fold, bundle, and stack their newspaper using ingenuity alone--no tape!