Jenga research activity

By Minervation,

This is a group activity that tests young people’s knowledge about health research, as well as their steadiness of hand!


Taking it in turns each person around the circle picks out a Jenga block.

The aim is to not be the person who makes the tower fall.

Once you have taken a block out of the tower you must place this on the top level. It is then the next persons turn.

You cannot take a block away from the top three levels.

If you get a block which has a label on you have to explain what the word/letters stand for, or explain what the word means. If you don’t know you can pass over to the whole group for help.

Try and keep the Jenga going as long as possible!


Suggested words on the Jenga blocks:

  • MCRN– Medicines for Children Research Network- which you are part of! The Network provides support and delivers high quality clinical research studies in children.
  • YPAG– Young Persons Advisory Group- that’s this group!
  • Research Nurse– Helps researchers with their studies, help them complete visits with patients, taking blood, observations, meetings with patients to check they are ok with the study they are involved in etc.
  • Research Officer– They help support researchers with their studies, they help with documents, filing, organising patient visits, speaking to patients and the general running of the study.
  • Ethics Committee– this is what researchers send their study to. People on the ethics committee will look at the study in detail, discuss if the study will benefit children and young people and make sure that the benefits of the study out way the risks. Ethics committee can say no to researchers doing their study. An ethics committee has around 10-20 people and sit round a big table.
  • Patient Information Leaflets– These are what patients are given if they are suitable for a study. This has lots of information on about the study and will let the patient know what they will have to do in the study if they would like to take part.
  • Generation R– Event YPAG organised to show why it is important to involve children and young people in research. Took place at the London Science Museum.
  • Research– finding out more about something and building on what we know about something.
  • Medicine– a drug which is used in treating disease or illness.
  • Clinical Trial– These are used to test medicines and different treatments and find out how safe and effective they are to use.
  • Chief Investigator– The investigator with overall responsibility for the research. In a multi-site study, the CI has co-ordinating responsibility for research at all sites. All applications for ethical review should be submitted by the CI.