Another page suggested a raw egg/ cream of tartar "mortar" for assembly, but the above link showed elmer's glue, so we tried that. BUT the bottom of the cube just got wet and nudged out of its spot too soon. So little sister and I went for the HOT GLUE! After building one based on just outlines of each level, I decided to build full levels in sticks.
We assembled four sticks of four cubes each, then glued them to the base.
Next came three sets of three, etc.
Big sister was working on her own, trying to just stack them...
If nothing else, she exercised perseverance!
...And, Take Two:
One set of instructions included a recipe for "mortar" made from egg white, cream of tartar, and powdered sugar. Big sister and I tried again and here is the report:
Since we are not precise in our building skills, the "border only" method was a little unstable, so halfway through we made full squares: 5x5, 4x4, etc.
*recommendation: for introducing multiplication, this is a great project, but making 10 levels is TOO MUCH for one sitting. Maybe start with 2x2, let it set up on waxed paper or something. Make 3x3, etc, and just go as far as your endurance lasts. Then you'll have squares for stacking when they're dry. The mortar was great.
Here's the final result:
Yes, there are two popsicle sticks supporting the top levels, so they didn't fall into the hole, but it was a fun project! Maybe we'll paint them...
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