Making this giant lawn Jenga game was actually easier than I anticipated!

Since we refreshed our back patio HERE, we’ve been spending more time out here, so I wanted to grab a few outdoor games.

I saw several outdoor Jenga sets online that were pretty pricey and thought, we can totally make that!  Sometimes those types of projects end up costing more time and money than if you’d just ordered, but as long as you have access to the tools, this one is actually easy and costs about $30.

The standard Jenga game has 54 pieces.  You need at least that many pieces, but you can make more in multiples of 3 if you choose!

Supplies:

6 or 7 8 foot 2x4s- I used pine.  Be sure to pick ones without cracks or knobs.  6 2x4s will give you the exact number you need for the game (54).  I bought 7 to have a few extras.  Ours were under $3 each. 

Saw- We used a circular saw, but a table or mitre saw works great too.

Measuring tape

Sanding blocks or electric hand sander (STRONGLY receommended) and sandpaper

Paint or stain

Paint brush 

Polyurethane (optional)

Directions:

Cut your 2x4s into 10 1/2 inch pieces using your saw.  Again, you need 54 pieces total.

Sand, sand and sand some more.  I sanded allllll the pieces by myself.  It took a couple of hours using a hand sander, so sanding by hand would take significantly longer.  If you had a crew to help, it could be done!  I sanded all sides and slightly rounded the edges.  If your blocks are not sanded enough, they will not slide out the way they need to to play the game. 

At this point you can go ahead and assemble your Jenga tower and leave the wood natural or choose to paint or stain.

To me, the color combos is part of the fun!  Choose school colors, a variety of wood stains or just colors you like!  I did natural, white, wood stain in “special walnut”, teal, coral and yellow…which I then changed to gray because it was more mustard than I thought! 

Another optional step is to paint each block with polyurethane.  I saw this step on many tutorials I read.  The purpose is to make sure the blocks are slick enough to slide out when playing.  I sanded my blocks really well, tried the game and had no issues, so I chose to skip this step.

My boys were so excited about this, and I hope we will be playing it for years to come!  

I also found these fun outdoor games and activities for my boys to enjoy this summer: 

Click any of the pics below:

Or click on the word description link to be taken directly to the item:

Giant dominoes// Giant water balloon, sling shot, water gun set// Slammo// Giant yard dice// Snow Cone Maker// Giant Bubble Wand// Bubble Tubes// Inflatable Body Bumpers// Ring Toss// Fast fill water gun// Wiggle Ride On// Golf set// Sticky Ball Dart Set// Stomp Rocket// Bean bag Cornhole