How To Use Jenga For Fun & Effective Counseling Lessons
“Do we get to play a game today?”
If I had a dime for every time I heard that, I’d be able to afford unlimited Starbucks.
Don’t get me wrong, I love playing games too. But, of course our role as counselors isn’t just to have fun with kids. It’s important to provide support and education in different areas of social emotional learning.
Thankfully, there are SO many fun games out there that are easy to incorporate into your school counseling lessons while still working on, and talking about, important SEL topics.
When I think about counseling games, a huge favorite of my students and I is Jenga. Students seriously beg to play it. I don’t know about you, but having students love an activity that much is definitely a win in my book!
It’s super fun, and there are TONS of ways that you can use it to encourage important skills in your students. Keep reading for fresh ways to play Jenga in school counseling that will make your next lessons engaging and impactful!
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What is Jenga?
In case you’re not familiar with Jenga, I'll give a brief overview of how to play.
The game comes with wooden blocks and you stack them in rows, 3 at a time and then 3 on top going the opposite way. Alternate like that until you’ve built a tower and used all the pieces. The players then take turns pulling out one block from the tower and placing it back on top.
The goal is to not knock the tower over. If you pull out a piece that causes the tower to fall over, then you lose. By the end of the game, there’s so much suspense, especially when the tower gets really tall and wobbly.
Don’t have Jenga yet? No problem - you can find it here!
Why Should I Use Jenga In School Counseling?
Hundreds, if not thousands, of games exist. So you may be asking, “What’s the big deal? What’s so special about Jenga?”
Of course my favorite thing about Jenga is that it’s fun. I don’t think I’ve ever had a student complain when I brought the box out. Having an activity that I know the kids will enjoy keeps the kids engaged in learning about whichever skill we’re talking about.
Jenga is also pretty short. It usually only takes about 5-10 minutes for each game, depending on how many players you have. This is nice because you can use it as a launching pad for another activity or discussion, or you can play multiple rounds.
The simplicity of the game is another huge plus. It’s easy to play, which means I can play it with kindergarteners, and then turn around and get it out for my 6th graders. I don’t have to spend a ton of time figuring out how to make it work for different age levels - which is perfect, because who has time nowadays?
If you haven’t used Jenga in school counseling, you need to start today! It’s a fun and easy win for everyone!
Using Jenga To Practice Self Control
Jenga is perfect for teaching self-control. Even if you don’t do anything special with the game, it still gives students plenty of practice in self control. It requires students to slow down and think. If they take the pieces out by ripping them out every which way, the tower is going to fall quickly.
Students have to go slow and be focused on what they're doing if they want the tower to stay up. This game naturally lends itself to practicing the skill of thinking before you act. Without even doing anything else, you're already practicing that skill.
Shhh… No Talking!
One way to practice self-control when playing Jenga is to not allow the students to talk or make noise. This is a helpful intervention for students who never seem to be able to be quiet. It gives them practice in being quiet even when it’s so tempting to talk.
Trust me, when you play Jenga you really want to talk! You want to say “ooh I don’t know if I want to get that one,” or when the tower falls over (or when you think it's going to fall over) you want to scream.
Trying to stay quiet when you're playing this game is difficult. Using Jenga this way in your school counseling lessons gives students the opportunity to practice the skill of using self control with their voice and with their words.
Don’t Think About It!
Another way I love to show students the effects of self control is by playing 2 rounds of Jenga.
The first round we play, I don't let them test any of the blocks before they pull them. Normally, when we play we'll hit the blocks and see if any are loose, but I don't let them do that on our first round - the first block they touch they have to pull out. This represents them not thinking before they act, it signifies them making decisions without testing it out and without seeing if it's going to be a good choice or not.
Once the first round is over, which normally lasts less than a minute, we play another round. During the second round, the students get to touch and test the blocks they pull. We think about it together and we talk about things like, “how can I think through my decision? How can I find the block that won't knock the tower over?”
After we play the second round, we debrief using the following questions:
Which round went better?
Why do you think the tower stayed up longer during the second round?
How did thinking about what you were doing help you?
What happens in the classroom or at home when you don’t think about what you’re doing?
What are the negative results of that?
When you do use self control, how are things different? Do you get different results?
Playing Jenga in school counseling is a fun way to practice and discuss self control and it gives them a tangible example of what it looks like to think before they act.
Using Jenga To Talk About Any Counseling Topic
Playing Jenga is a sure-fire way to make group discussion more fun and engaging. The best part is you can adapt it to any topic that you’re talking about.
Each time a student pulls out a block, they can respond to a prompt. I like to use the same prompt for multiple turns so they can have multiple opportunities to respond.
This promotes small group discussion and encourages participation from everyone. You can also use this strategy when working with students individually for the first time. I’ve found having an activity to do while they’re talking makes students more comfortable.
Here are some example prompts:
Anger Management Prompt Ideas:
Name a coping skill every time you pull out a block.
Name one thing that makes you angry each time you pull out a block.
Self Esteem Prompt Ideas:
What is one thing you like about yourself?
What is one positive message you can tell yourself?
Friendship Skills Prompt Ideas:
Name a quality of a good friend.
Name a conflict resolution strategy.
Write On It!
If you find yourself playing Jenga a lot in your school counseling lessons, especially when talking about a specific topic, don’t be afraid to write directly on the blocks! Then, when students pull out a block, they will respond to the prompt or question that’s on the block they have chosen.
For Feelings:
If you’re talking about feelings or coping skills, you can write different feelings on the blocks. Then, when a student pulls out a block, they can answer a question about that feeling. The questions can change each round. For example, they might have to tell you what makes them experience that feeling, or what they can do when they have that feeling.
For Other Topics:
If you’re teaching about another topic, you can write different questions to help students further understand and practice that skill.
Writing directly on the blocks takes a little more time up front, but then everything is ready for you when you’re ready to play. This is perfect for last minute small groups or individual sessions!
No matter how you choose to play, using Jenga in school counseling is a surefire way to make sure your students are engaged while learning about, and practicing, important SEL skills!
So, the next time your students ask you if they can play a game, the answer can be a resounding “yes!”
