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Over the years, giant wooden block games have become a classic outdoor take on a beloved childrens game. The game has turned into a staple at neighborhood barbeques, parties, and other family get-togethers. And while the game is undoubtedly fun on its own, adding some variation can turn it into an even more engaging experience.
Whether you’re a CEO, teacher, or a parent that wants to add some variety to family game night, these seven versions of the Giant Mountain Block game are sure to meet your gaming needs.
Adding some random chance is the perfect way to spice up your game. Now before you go and take a permanent marker to your wooden block game, there are ways to do this without defacing the art on your solid mahogany blocks.
The first option would be to get a couple of packs of solid-colored garage sale stickers. If you’re lucky enough to find packs that include an even amount of six different colors, you can put one color on each side of the dice and then put a sticker of each color on 9 of the blocks. So you’ll need a total of sixty-six colored garage sale stickers for this variant of the game; that gives you enough for all the blocks and two die.
Play then continues with players taking turns rolling the dice and removing the blocks that match the colors they rolled. Then like in a traditional game, the blocks are placed on the top of the tower to progressively make it less stable.
Don’t think removing two blocks per turn is challenging enough? Then stipulate a rule that if someone rolls doubles, they must make another roll and remove additional blocks. This can definitely add some extra tension to your game as players hope and pray that they don’t roll doubles again.
This is another excellent variation of the wood block game that includes dice, but for this one, you’ll need a twenty-sided die—also known as a D20. You’ll also need some stickers for this variation so that you don’t damage your blocks. But this time, you’ll label each block with a number between 2 and 18. There should be three blocks with each number on it—except for the numbers 1 and 20.
Make sure the tower is built in such a way that the numbers are randomized throughout the tower. Then continue play by rolling the D20 and removing one of the three blocks that match the number you’ve rolled.
This game differs from the last because the numbers 1 and 20 are considered critical rolls. Rolling a 1 is a critical failure. If this happens, the player must roll again and remove all 3 of the blocks with the corresponding number. If you roll a 20, it’s a critical success. You get to pass play on to the next player without having to remove any of the blocks from the tower.
This is the perfect option for anyone looking to add an extra dimension to their next trivia night! We recommend picking six different topics that will pose a varying degree of difficulty for your group. Once you’ve chosen a few different topics, number each of them 1 through 6. Then label the giant mountain blocks 1 through 6 in the same way you would for the previously discussed variations of the game.
This game can be played either in teams or as individuals. Play continues with players taking turns rolling the dice to determine the topic of the questions, and then they try to answer the questions. If they answer correctly, they receive a point and don’t have to remove a block from the tower. If the question is answered incorrectly, then they lose a point and must remove one of the blocks with a matching number and place it at the top of the tower.
When a question is answered incorrectly, other teams can try to answer the question. If they answer correctly, they receive 2 points. If they don’t, then they lose 2 points.
Play continues until the tower falls over, and the team that knocked it over loses 5 points.
This variation of the wooden block game is pretty straightforward and doesn’t require any extra materials. In reverse giant mountain blocks, instead of taking blocks out of an already constructed tower, you try to create the tower without knocking it over.
And no, you are not trying to build the same tower you would use in the regular game. Instead, create a base using four blocks in the shape of an “F.” Then, you attempt to build the tower using a mix of vertically and horizontally placed blocks. And like the traditional version of the game, if you knock the tower over during your turn, then you lose.
If you’re a CEO or an HR leader looking for an engaging team-building activity for your departments, a normal wooden block game set can be used to facilitate camaraderie through teamwork as your employees attempt to keep the tower from falling. If you want to take your team building to the next level, there are several different layers you can add to make the game more impactful for your team.
One of the easiest ways to mix up a normal game of mountain blocks for your employees keeps the gameplay relatively the same, but the setup and goal of the game are changed.
During set-up, take post-it notes and write down the name of a department within your company on each. To avoid having the post-its fall off during play, use some scotch tape to hold them in place.
Once every block has a department name on it, construct the tower. Try to avoid placing the same department blocks near each other.
Then have your employees take turns removing the blocks. But instead of placing the blocks back on top of the tower, the blocks are set aside, and the tower’s structure gradually becomes weaker until it finally collapses.
The real objective of this team-building activity is to show how vital each department is to the overall success of the business. Everyone on the team plays a vital role in the company’s success. Hopefully, this will inspire buy-in from your employees.
Want to drive the message home even more?
Write down your employees’ names underneath their respective departments to show them all how vital they are to the team’s success.
If you’re a small business or have a lot of new employees, the wood block game can also make for an excellent way for your teams to get to know one another.
Write down 54 different icebreaker questions. These can either be written on top of the blocks or a post-it note that is taped onto the block.
Your employees take turns removing the blocks and answering the corresponding questions.
Write down questions that dig into their interests outside of work.
Here are a few questions to get you started:
Gamification is a highly effective method of teaching that reinforces learning with fun. When students enjoy learning, they’re more likely to remember the content that they’ve learned. Using gamification, Giant Mountain Blocks can be turned into the perfect review tool for teachers that want to reinforce their student’s understanding of the material before their next test.
Write down 54 questions that will show up on your next test and give them each their own number. Then number each of the giant wooden blocks 1 through 54—you can use post-it notes or write directly on the blocks.
Break students into groups of four and give each of them a question sheet. Instruct them to keep these sheets facedown until they have removed a block during their turn. They must then write down their answer underneath the question.
When there is around 10 minutes left in the class, end all games and go over the answers to the questions. Then each student has their own study guide with all the correct answers, and they should be more prepared for their next test.
Depending on the number of students in your class, you may need multiple sets of Giant Mountian Blocks to accommodate all students. Also, creating different versions of the question sheet will help keep the game random and ensure that students can’t just memorize the answers by number.
Whether you’re a teacher looking for a new study aid, a CEO looking for your next team-building activity, or just want something new to play at game night;Giant Mountian Blocks are the perfect addition to your game collection.
At Elakai, we marry craftsmanship with style to deliver unique products that are easy on the eyes and hold up to the test of time. Unlike other Jenga-like games, Giant Mountian Blocks are built to last. Each solid Mahogony block is made with a protective coating that helps protect them against the elements. The blocks also feature a puzzle on the sides, so even setting up the game can be enjoyable.
Don’t settle for shoddy design and mass-produced parts.
Pick up your Giant Mountian Blocks today for a gaming experience everyone will remember.
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