Jumbo Jenga is a wooden blocks stacking game that is based on the classic game of Jenga. The game is played with a tower of wooden blocks, each 9 inches long, that are stacked in rows of three. The players take turns to remove a block from the tower and place it on top, without making the tower fall. The game can be enjoyed by people of all ages and is perfect for outdoor parties, picnics, or camping trips.
Jumbo Jenga Rules
Jumbo Jenga is similar to the original Jenga game, but with a twist. The blocks are bigger and heavier, which makes the game more challenging and thrilling. The players can use two hands to move the blocks, but they have to be careful not to disturb the tower or knock it over. The game can be played with any number of players, from one to many, and can last from a few minutes to several hours.
Here are some basic rules for Jumbo Jenga:
- The tower should be built to 27 inches high. You have to start with a tower of 9 layers of blocks, with each layer perpendicular to the previous one. The tower will grow taller as you play, and can reach over 4.5 feet high.
- The Jenga is set up as 20 rows of 3 blocks. You have to use 60 blocks to build the tower, and arrange them in 20 rows of 3 blocks each. Each block should be aligned with the edges of the tower, and not sticking out or overlapping.
- You can only take a block from the tower anywhere apart from the top 2 full rows. You have to leave the top two layers of the tower intact, and only remove blocks from the lower levels. You can’t take a block from a layer that is incomplete or has gaps.
Here are some steps for building a jumbo outdoor Jenga set:
- Measure and cut the 2×4’s. You may need to buy 10 pieces of 2×4 lumber, each 8 feet long. You should cut them into 60 pieces, each 9 inches long.
- You can use a circular saw, a miter saw, or a handsaw to do this. You can also ask the store to cut them for you, or buy pre-cut pieces online or in stores.
- Sand and apply boiled linseed oil to the blocks. You may need to sand the blocks to make them smooth and splinter-free. You may need to use a sandpaper or a sander to do this and start with a coarse grit and then move to a finer grit.
- You may need to apply some boiled linseed oil to the blocks, using a rag or a brush, to seal them and make them water-resistant. You should let the oil dry for at least 24 hours before playing with the blocks.
- Build the tower. Place the blocks in a vertical tower, with three blocks per layer, alternating directions. The player who built the tower goes first, and then the game continues clockwise.
- On your turn, carefully remove a block from anywhere below the highest completed layer, using only one hand. Read the rule or the challenge on the block aloud, and do what it says.
- Then, place the block on top of the tower, completing the layer before starting a new one. Your turn ends when you have placed the block on top of the tower, or when 10 seconds have passed since you removed it, or when the next player touches the tower, whichever happens first.
- The game ends when the tower falls, or when any block falls from the tower, other than the one that a player moved on their turn. The player who caused the tower to fall, or who moved the last block before it fell, loses the game. The player who completed the last successful turn before the tower fell, wins the game.
