Kapla model: skyscraper with floors
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Build the Kapla skyscraper step by step
Step 1: lay the skyscraper’s slab
Lay 20 planks flat, side by side, in 4 squares of 5 that make one big square. This is the slab, the solid floor the whole skyscraper will stand on.
Step 2: raise the walls of the first floor
Each square becomes a tower. On 2 opposite sides, stand 3 Kapla: one at each end, one in the middle. On the side facing outwards, add 1 standing plank in the middle. 28 Kapla in all.
💡 Astuce : stand the planks on the edge of the slab, nicely lined up: they will carry everything else.
Step 3: lay the beams
On each tower, lay 3 planks flat from one wall to the other, right on top of the standing Kapla. These are the beams, the pieces that carry the floor. 12 in all.
Step 4: close the first floor
Cover the beams with 5 planks per tower, laid flat across them. This is the floor: it holds the beams together and carries the next level. Your first floor is done!
Step 5: build floors 2 and 3
Build 2 more floors the same way: walls, beams, floor. On each floor, turn a quarter turn: the 3 standing Kapla move to the other 2 sides. One corner tower stops after the 3rd floor.
💡 Astuce : turning each floor crosses the planks, like in a brick wall: the skyscraper is much sturdier.
Step 6: floors 4 and 5
Carry on with the 3 towers left: 2 more floors, still turning. The side the stopped tower leaves uncovered now faces outwards: it gets its standing plank in the middle too. After the 5th floor, the next tower stops too.
Step 7: floors 6 and 7
Build 2 more floors on the last 2 towers. The third one stops at the 7th: the roofs turn around the tallest tower, like a spiral staircase.
Step 8: the top of the tallest tower
Finish floors 8 and 9 on the last tower, the tallest one. Its 9th floor is the roof of the skyscraper.
💡 Astuce : at this height, stand on a stool with an adult next to you, and lay each plank very gently.
Step 9: the skyscraper’s crown
On the roof, stand 8 Kapla in a circle, then cover them with 4 planks laid flat. This is the crown, the hat that decorates the top of skyscrapers.
Step 10: narrow the crown
In the middle, stand 4 planks in a small square, then lay 2 Kapla flat on top. The crown gets thinner towards the sky.
Step 11: raise the skyscraper’s spire
Lay 1 plank flat across, then 1 last one standing at the very top: this is the spire, the point that adds a little more height. Your skyscraper touches the clouds!
Frequently asked questions
It takes 406: 20 for the slab, 366 for the 24 floors of the 4 towers and 20 for the crown and the spire. A box of 280 Kapla is not enough: plan at least 2, or one big box.
From 9 years old. The first floors can be built alone. Above 1 m, better to have an adult nearby: you need to climb on a stool and stand the planks with a steady hand.
A standing plank is 15 times as tall as a flat one: each floor rises in one go, with few Kapla. The floor laid on top ties the walls together and makes the tower sturdy.
More Kapla models and building ideas!
Pinwheel hourglass
Build a Kapla hourglass, with its narrow waist in the middle! Each floor is a pinwheel square that steps in a tiny bit, then out again up to its starting width. This model takes precision but few planks: 76 in all. It can be built from age 6.
Four towers and their arches
Build a square of Kapla that splits into 2 towers, then into 4! A new tower is born on the arch, splits in turn, and the 4 towers rise straight up before everything closes again at the top. This hard model takes lots of planks: 388 in all. It can be built from age 10.
Two towers and their arch
Build a square of Kapla that splits into 2 towers! They move apart floor after floor, an arch links them, they rise straight up, then join again at the top. This model takes patience and lots of planks: 176 in all. It can be built from age 8.
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