I love using games in the classroom to engage and motivate students to learn and participate. One of my favorite games is Jenga! I wrote a donorschoose.org project last year to get 2 sets of colored Jenga blocks. We used them as a center rotation and the kids loved them. I really wanted 5 more sets to use whole group. Colored Jenga blocks, however, are rather expensive.
Well, I found a great deal on regular Jenga blocks. They were 5 dollars a set. I jumped on the deal and decided I could definitely paint these. If you know me, I am not a DIY kinda teacher. I am the complete opposite. They haven’t turned out too bad though! If you’d like to make your own colored blocks, here is the quick and easy way I painted them.
I used acrylic paint from Walmart. I also bought paint brushes and matte modge podge there. I’m sure there are better options that crafty people know of but, it worked just fine. I picked colors that matched the blocks I already had in my room. You can pick any colors you want though!
To prep the blocks, we rubbed them with a scotch bright a few times. Just to take off the glossy topcoat they already had on them. That was the worst part of the whole thing.
After that, we painted the blocks. It took 2 coats to cover the blocks completely. I let them dry fro 24 hours and then painted a modge podge coat over it! Super easy. I have two sets finished, one set drying for the clear coat, and the other two are sanded and ready for paint.
Stay tuned to see how I use Jenga in the classroom!
Confessions of a Real Teacher 