If you have some extra wood and a little bit of time, you can easily make a DIY Giant Jenga Game, which will be a big hit with the entire family.
For more crafts, check out all of our DIY posts.
We have people over all the time in the summer. We barbecue and hang out outside until way after the sun goes does. When we started this summer routine, we thought it would be great to have a bunch of yard games for everyone to play. That way, if our friends brought their kids (or if our friends got bored of chit chat, they could play games. One of the first games we made was DIY Giant Jenga.
It’s really easy to make at home with scrap wood you might have lying around. That’s what we used to built ours.
Jenga, in my opinion, is the perfect yard game. Game play is really simple, each round doesn’t last very long, and you can play with an infinite number of people so your entire party can be involved. Plus, you don’t have to keep score.
And, actually, Jenga is so much fun with a large group of people because the pressure is off you. Your turn takes a while to come back, so you can just enjoy watching everyone else play (and potentially collapse the tower).
We love spending time outside and are always looking for a fun game to play. If you are too, check out our list of Fun Outdoor Games For Families. Of course, this Jenga game is on the list along with cornhole, ladder ball, and a bunch of others.
DIY Giant Jenga Game Supplies:
- 8 8-foot long 2″x4″ pine boards (for a total of 64 feet)
- Miter saw
- Pencil
- Measuring tape
- Mineral spirits
- Spar Urethane
How To Make A DIY Giant Jenga Game:
Okay, before we actually start, we need to have a little lesson. A 2×4 actually isn’t 2-inches by 4-inches when you buy it at the hardware store. That’s a misnomer. Sort of. A 2×4 is 2-inches by 4-inches originally. When it’s cut, a half inch is removed from each side. So when you purchase it, it’s actually a 1.5×3.5.
So, when you are doing projects like this at home, you need to keep those numbers in mind.
Mark 10.5 inches with a pencil, then cut with a miter saw to create one Jenga piece.
You want to make sure you’re getting a nice square cut on these, so you may want to use a square tool to extend your line across the entire width of the wood.
You’ll need to do that 72 times.
Quick math: A full giant Jenga set is 24 rows of three blocks, which is 72 wood blocks total.
When three long pieces are laid next to each other, they form a square. The next level is the same three blocks, rotated a quarter turn, back and forth until you hit 24 rows. The entire giant Jenga game ends up being 3-feet tall.
Sand the edges and ends of each block with sand paper (or an orbital sander, if you have one) to smooth the rough edges.
Rub the wood pieces with mineral spirits to remove any sawdust from cutting and sanding.
Spray each giant Jenga game piece with spur urethane.
You’ll want to spray three layers of the spar urethane to seal it completely if you are using it outdoors like us. If you are keeping it indoors, you can spray it with a layer of polyurethane instead. Just keep in mind that poly is good for the indoors only.
You’ll want to spray three layers of the spar urethane to seal it completely if you are using it outdoors. If you are keeping it indoors, you can spray it with a layer of polyurethane instead.
Let the spar urethane dry completely before playing.
DIY Giant Jenga Game: Frequently Asked Questions
You need a flat surface for your game.
We set up ours up on a table in the backyard. A picnic table would also work because if it gets high, you can stand on the seats to put the pieces on top.
You could also build a small base for it to lift it off the ground. But, you’re already spending a lot of time building the blocks. Do you really want to build a base?
Wood is expensive. So, if you’re making this on a budget, you can make less pieces. You still want to make sure they’re 10.5-inch pieces. You can’t change the length of each block because you still need to make a square out of them, but you can make less pieces. Instead of 72, go for 54. That’s two less 8-foot pieces of pine wood, which will save you some money.
Just make sure that when you’re doing your math to make less jumbo Jenga pieces, you still have enough to make a number that’s divisible by three.
Since this Jenga set is intended to be used as a backyard game, spraying it with spar urethane will help to protect it from rain and moisture in the grass. Polyurethane isn’t water-safe, which is why you only want to use polyurethane if you set is going to stay indoors.
What you really need to keep in mind, when you’re sealing these, is they still need to slide really well in order for the game to actually be playable. So, you want thin, non-sticky layers.
If you wanted, you could use craft paint on the blocks and paint each block a different color. These wooden blocks will fall onto the ground and bounce a lot, so the paint will chip and ruin eventually.
If you’re not planning on leaving it outdoors at all times, you’ll want to purchase a large box to store the giant Jenga pieces. One with handles, like a carrying case, to lift it is ideal because this can get very heavy.
Purchase A Giant Jenga Game Online:
If you love this Giant Jenga Game, but you don’t have all the tools for this DIY project, you can just purchase one online at the following stores:
Be mindful of a store’s minimum cart total to qualify for free shipping. Also, consider instore or curbside pickup, where available, to avoid shipping charges.
More DIY Outdoor Games:
If you love spending your time outside, we have a few other homemade games that you might like. Check our out DIY Yard Dice, which are a great way to play Yardzee, and our DIY Giant Beer Pong game too.
DIY Giant Jenga Game
If you have some extra wood and a little bit of time, you can easily make a DIY Giant Jenga Game, which will be a big hit with the entire family.
Materials
- 8 8-foot long 2″x4″ pine boards (for a total of 64 feet)
- Mineral spirits
- Spar Urethane
Tools
- Miter saw
- Pencil
- Measuring tape
Instructions
- Mark 10.5 inches with a pencil, then cut with a miter saw to create one Jenga piece.
- You’ll need to do that 72 times.
- Sand the edges and ends of each block with sand paper (or an orbital sander, if you have one) to smooth the rough edges.
- Rub the wood pieces with mineral spirits to remove any sawdust from cutting and sanding.
- Spray each giant Jenga game piece with spur urethane. Let the spar urethane dry completely before playing.
Notes
A full giant Jenga set is 24 rows of three blocks, which is 72 wood blocks total. You can make less as long as it's multiples of three.
Have you made this DIY Giant Jenga Game yet? Let us know how it went in the comments.
Paula
Friday 5th of July 2024
Hey you guys! This is awesome! I think I need this. LOL.
Steph@CrazyLittleLovebirds
Wednesday 12th of June 2024
Fantastic idea and fun for the whole family!
Joanne
Friday 7th of June 2024
We love playing giant Jenga in the summer; we have family that own a set. Thanks for the idea and how to for making our own.
Jennifer Wise
Tuesday 4th of June 2024
What a fantastic idea! I love this! So fun. I need to do this.
Princess Quinn
Monday 6th of May 2019
Jenga is definitely one of my favorite games. It is honestly so good. This is pretty creative as well.