Game Idea: Jenga Stack Attack

Back in my seminary days, I was regularly asked to teach a seminar at our regional children’s ministry training conference called ‘Using Games as a Teaching Tool.’ I would come in with some ideas planned to share with the group, but always started the seminar by dividing the class into groups of 3-4, reading a familiar passage of Scripture, giving each group some random items (a couple of dice, duct tape, a beach ball, a bean bag, rubber bands, plastic cups, paint stirrers, etc.) and asking them to come up with a review game using those items. It was a fun test to see how well people could think outside of the box/ or outside of the printed curriculum.
Outside of a love for God and His Word, I think the ability to think outside of the box is one of the most necessary skills in children’s ministry. This game came out of such a moment. I was with a group of kids, we had more time than I had activities for and I saw the ‘Jenga’ game. The first time we played I just made up questions as we went along and the game evolved over time. I’ve found that this is a great game to get kids talking and sharing about themselves and is also a great way to review a passage of Scripture.
“Stack & Tell”.
Target age: 5-11
Time needed: 10-15 minutes
For this game, you’ll need:

• a set of “Jenga” blocks (or a similar block game set)
• a permanent marker or stickers you can write on and stick to the blocks
• if using as an ice breaker: the following question/ activity list with your own ideas added on
• if using as a review game: a list of 20 questions based on the passage

Question/ Activity List If Used as an Ice Breaker:

1. What’s the best thing that happened to you today?
2. What’s the worst thing that happened to you today?
3. If you could have any super power for 1 day only, what would it be and why?
4. If you had to give up your sight, your hearing or your taste for a year, what would you choose?
5. If you could appear anywhere in the world for 15 minutes, where would you go and what would you do there?
6. Who is your greatest hero?
7. Who would you like to invite to dinner (anyone in all time)?
8. If you could become any animal for a day what would you be?
9. If money was no object, what would you go buy right now.
10. If you could be instantly famous for doing something what would you be famous for?
11. Tell a joke.
12. Sing a silly song.
13. What is the weirdest thing you saw or heard this week.
14. Who is the funniest person you know? What makes them funny?
15. Who is the nicest person you know? What makes them so nice?
16. If you could only eat one food every day (breakfast, lunch & dinner) for a year, what would it be?
17. If you were your teacher (or boss) for a day what would you do differently?
18. What is your favorite memory of last year?
19. What Bible character would you like to meet and why?
20. If you could have any animal as a pet, what would it be and why?
21. Which person from the Bible would you like to be and why?
22. If all your clothes were one color, what color would they be?
23. What is one thing that scares you?
24. If you could ask God 1 question right now, what would it be?
25. What is the hardest thing you’ve ever done? Did you accomplish it?
26. If you had $1000 (or large sum of money) and only 5 minutes to spend it, what would you buy and why?
27. What’s your favorite song? TV show? Movie? Video game?
28. If you could be any movie, book or TV show character, who would you be and why

Question/ Activity List If Used as a Review Game:
(sample questions for the story of the birth of Isaac – Genesis 12, 15 & 21…create your own questions for your passage)

1. Where in the Bible would you find today’s story?
2. Who wrote the book that this story is in?
3. Who was the main character of the story?
4. What did this passage teach us about God?
5. What do we know about Abraham at the beginning of the story?
6. What promise did God make to Abraham in Genesis 15:5?
7. Did Abraham believe God’s promise? How do we know this?
8. Did Sarah believe God? How do we know?
9. What was the name of the promised child?
10. What baby born years later would completely fulfill all of God’s promise to Abraham?
11. How old was Abraham when Isaac was born?
12. How old was Sarah when Isaac was born?
13. Explain ‘nothing is impossible with God’ using this story.
14. What was our memory verse for this week (if you have one).

Game Instructions:

– mix blank blocks with the numbered blocks
– build the block tower as you would for the normal game of ‘Jenga’ – rows of 3 alternating directions
– kids will then take turns removing blocks from the tower and adding them to the top of the tower
– If the block they remove has a number on it, they must answer the question before placing it on the top of the tower.
– If the block doesn’t have a number, they can ask anyone else playing any question they would like.