Inkless Tales

You’ll need:

• ruler
• glue
• any kind of paper (different colors are fun, but you can color white paper, looseleaf paper, or notebook paper in yourself.)
• toothpicks -- the kind with a pointy bottom

Keep in mind: any paper will work, but the thinner the paper you start with, the more paper you will have to use to get a good-size top. Card stock -- thicker, heavier paper -- will roll up faster and thicker than looseleaf.

Step one:

Draw lines on the long side of the paper: about a half-inch wide. You'll want about three lines each of three or four different colors to make two tops: one for you and one for a friend.

Step two:

Cut out the strips along the lines you just drew.

Step three:

Begin by attaching the first strip to the toothpick about a half-inch from the bottom of the pointy end. Use glue stick because it dries quickly and sticks tight.

Start wrapping, as tight as you can.

You might find it starts to slip a little.

If that happens, try a dab of white school glue. Wait for it to mostly dry. That ought to hold it enough so you can pull the strip enough to wrap tightly.

You may also want to try GLUE STICK. Glue stick works FAST. It dries much faster than white school glue, and since it isn't wet, you don't have to wait for it to dry.

Keep wrapping, and keep glueing -- every few layers. You can switch colors any time you like. You want to end up with a disk about an inch and a half wide.

Step four:

There you are! A finished top. You can press on the disk a bit to shape it however you like -- maybe more of a dome shape to make it look a little more like a top.

Try different color combinations: black and white, maybe. Try different sizes -- does bigger work better? Experiment.

Have top races. See whose top spins the longest.

It really spins, too!