Fun DIY Dice Games that help kids learn early maths skills like counting, counting on, number recognition and more.
We’ve been on the lookout for playful ways to help JJ with her early maths skills. (Regular Danya Banya readers might remember when we played outside with numbers and chalk, jumped for numbers on the trampoline, and when we made our photo and number puzzle – all working on numeral recognition).
Mr Banya came up with today’s number game, so I can’t take the credit, but I thought I would share it with you just the same. I’ve also included a huge list of awesome DIY dice games for young kids at the end of this post – lots of ideas to try!
How to make a DIY dice game for kids
Dice games are also helpful for young kids which not only provides them with a fun option but also helps develop and enhance their Math skills by counting, adding, subtracting, multiplying a set of rolled dice values. Family dice games are lots of fun with only a few dice and counters. There are dice games for young children and the whole family. Family dice games can provide hours of fun with only a few dice and some counters. Dice games differ from board games (which also use dice) because board games only use the dice to move a counter around the board.
Make two or more ‘number boards’ with the numbers 2-12, and at least one set of corresponding 2-12 number pieces. You’ll also need two regular dice.
To make our number boards and number pieces, Mr Banya used a piece of thick white cardboard, a permanent marker and a ruler. He ruled out a grid, and drew the numbers 2-12 in four rows, cutting the first three horizontally to make three boards, and the last row into individual number pieces.
How to play
Number of players: 2 or more
Age: 4-6 year olds
You will need: a 2-12 number board per player; a set of 2-12 number pieces; 2 dice.
Playing time: 10 minutes
Object of the game: to collect the most number pieces by the end of the game.
Age: 4-6 year olds
You will need: a 2-12 number board per player; a set of 2-12 number pieces; 2 dice.
Playing time: 10 minutes
Object of the game: to collect the most number pieces by the end of the game.
The youngest player goes first. She rolls the dice and selects the number from the pieces in the centre. She places the number piece over the corresponding number on her board.
The next player then rolls the dice and selects a number as above. If the number rolled is no longer in the centre however, then she can take this number from another players board and place it on her own.
The play continues in a clockwise direction, with each player rolling and taking a number piece – either from the centre, or from another players board – until there are no more pieces left in the centre. The player who has the most number pieces on their board wins!
(Sometimes it can take a long time to roll the very last number, so you may wish to declare the game finished when there is only one piece left in the middle, especially if you have kids with short attention spans or who get frustrated easily. After all, it’s supposed to be fun.)
Mi casinos list. And then you play again!
Variation: If you want to add to the number of players, make additional boards, and also an additional set of number pieces. While playing, if there are no more corresponding number pieces in the middle, players get to ‘choose’ which player to take the corresponding number piece from.
This game might seem quite simple, and it is, but it still works on quite a few early maths skills.
Math principles in play
- Counting – being able to recite 1-12 in the correct order
- Numeral recognition – understanding that a numeral represents a number, and being able to recognise that numeral.
- One-to-One Correspondence – count a group of dots or along a number line, and understanding that each dot or number is counted once.
- Counting on – starting with a number and counting on from that
- Subitising – recognising that a certain pattern of dots on a die represents a particular number, without having to count each dot
- Addition – adding the two numbers on the dice
My daughter JJ, at 4 years and 9 months, found this fun, even though some of these math principles are tricky for her. You see, JJ is still learning to recognise the numerals 6, 7 and 9. (For some reason, these particular numerals get muddled up in her head.)
This game allowed her to practise her numeral recognition in a non-confronting way, work on a few different skills at the same time, and all whilst having fun.
To give you an example, if JJ rolls a 6 and a 3, she counts the dots on the dice to 9, but can’t yet recognise the corresponding numeral 9 from the number pieces in the centre. So she will ‘count on’ (starting from 2) using her board as a reference, until she reaches 9. She can then use the number on her board as a visual reference to figure out which number piece to take. Tricky!
Subitising (estimating a quantity) is a great math skill for kindergarteners, and dice are perfect for learning to subitise to 6. When kids roll one die, they can learn to recognise how many dots there are by the pattern, without having to count individual dots. Or if they roll two dice, they can subitise to work out the first number, and then use that number as the starting point to ‘count on’ from. Both help with speed, accuracy and confidence with board games and maths in general. JJ is still working all of this out – currently she can subitise to 4, but still counts dots if she rolls a 5 or a 6.
A great way to practise all of these skills, is through lots and lots of dice play! And, it’s not only educational, it’s also fun! I’m super keen to implement a regular games night in our house. It might sound daggy, but it’s also a great way for families to connect, screen-free. Plus I may be super-competitive. (Just saying…) ?
I’ve been looking up some fun kindergarten dice games to play with JJ, and also some introductory toddler or preschool dice games so that we can include her 2.5 year old younger sister, Bee. I’ve found so many awesome ones, that I just had to share them with you. Happy rolling!
Fun dice games for young kids
- Dice play can be as simple as counting out small manipulatives – change up the manipulative, and you have a whole new game. Ha! Buggy and Buggy has some great ideas, including making a simple die for beginners.
- This roll and cover train dice game (with free printable) from Craftulate looks like a fun and easy introduction to dice. {Bonus points that it’s about trains – one of Bee’s favourite things!}
- Plant by number! Inspire a budding florist with this simple spring dice game by Fun A Day.
- Another fun spring toddler dice game: sing along to “Mary, Mary, quite contrary. How does your garden grow?” and roll and build a flower, with this free printable flower download from Best Toys 4 Toddlers.
- Or similarly this roll and build a snowman from Toddler Approved would be great for wintertime.
- Combine dice with animal figurines to create some playful counting, addition and subtraction opportunities. Rainy Day Mum has a really cute count and add farm game, and another speckled frogs counting game for you to try.
- I just adore this Apple Tree Addition Game from Mama Papa Bubba.
- Simple Fun for Kids’ turns a preschool fine motor activity into a playful maths game, just by incorporating a die. And doesn’t it make for a pretty autumn window display? You could adapt to for the other seasons too.
- Kitchen Floor Crafts’ Sum, Say & Spray math game is the sort of game that we would play in our backyard. I love that it takes maths play outdoors in a fun way. I might just borrow this one for an easy 5 minute after school activity.
- Make a simple Lego addition tray like this one from Mama Papa Bubba.
- Roll the dice and construct a wall – Simple Fun for Kids uses foam cups for this activity, but you could use plastic or paper cups, or anything stackable really. Another low prep idea that is great to have up your sleeve when the kids start getting restless…
- Simple board games are great for turn taking, counting and subitising too, like this cute DIY Family Rainbow Game from Rainy Day Mum.
- Combining numeracy with literacy, Kitchen Floor Crafts has a fun addition and subtraction dice game based on the children’s book Pete the Cat and his Four Groovy Buttons.
- Or read Bugs are Insects, and use dice to design your own play dough ladybird like Life over C’s did for Rainy Day Mum.
- Have any plastic eggs left over from Easter? See who will win with this Racing Eggs game from Best Toys 4 Toddlers. (Love that it can be multi-player.)
The big question is, which one to play first. ?
Speaking of learning through play, you might also be interested in a new ebook called ABCs and 123s. It’s a collaborative ebook with literacy, numeracy and geometry activities from over 40 like-minded kid bloggers, who all believe that kids learn best through play. It’s a great resource for parents (grandparents, carers or teachers) who want to introduce letters, numbers and shapes to their kids in a fun, hands-on and playful way. There’s over 40 tried and tested ideas, with materials lists, step-by-step instructions, and full colour photographs. You can read more about it, and see page examples here.
I also pin playful maths ideas that I love here:
xx Danya
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I like card games. I like social interaction games. And yeah, I like board games. But there’s something special about dice games, isn’t there?
The cool feel of plastic as you roll, followed by the satisfying clack-clack-clack, and that tense moment as you hope for that one winning result.
Dice games may not be heavy, and they may not even be deep, but they’re great for lighter fun with a dose of socialization when you just need to relax or pass the time.
Here are some of the best dice games for your collection!
![Games Games](https://theopendoor.lennar.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/home-theater-2-1200x650.jpg)
Related: The best cheap board games and card games
1. Pandemic: The Cure
It’s like Pandemic except your dice rolls determine which actions you can do. The “board” is now condensed down to the six major continents, and there are infection dice that determine where outbreaks happen.
It’s just as cooperative as the original game, but faster paced and more tense! Really fun and great replay value.
2. Bang: The Dice Game
The original Bang card game has horrible pacing. But the dice version? So much better!
The same roles are in play (Sheriff, Deputy, Outlaw, Renegade) and players choose characters with special abilities, but the gameplay is simplified: roll to see what you can do, plus two re-roll chances for dice you don’t want.
The fun of the deduction element is still there, but you can end the game within 20 minutes instead of two hours.
3. Dice Town
Each player starts with five poker dice and some money. Roulette payout tricks. Every round, players simultaneously “draw a hand” by rolling their poker dice (in a cup), setting one result aside, and repeating until a full hand of five dice are drawn.
Players compare their hands and may take various actions depending on how they stack up against everyone else.
4. Quarriors
Quarriors is a light-medium-weight deckbuilding game—except instead of cards, your “deck” consists of various kinds of dice.
Everyone starts with the same set of dice, but each player’s dice pool evolves in different ways based on their choices in the game. It’s fantasy-themed and playable within 30 minutes.
What’s not to love?
5. The Castles of Burgundy: The Dice Game
The Castles of Burgundy: The Dice Game is a fun territory-building game that uses custom dice to determine which territories you can claim. Games last a bit under 30 minutes.
Note that this is different than the original The Castles of Burgundy board game, which is similar to Catan. While the original game is a heavier and more complex game, the dice version is much lighter and easier to play.
Related: How to know when you’ve outgrown Catan
6. Roll for the Galaxy
Roll for the Galaxy is the dice version of Race for the Galaxy, one of the more popular board games to come out in the last decade. It’s an economic strategy game in space, where your dice represent your workers.
This medium-weight game needs a bit of commitment to play, with an average play time of 45 minutes.
7. Zombie Dice
It doesn’t get any lighter than Zombie Dice: on your turn, you roll three of the custom dice which have Brains (one point), Footsteps (optional re-roll), and Shotguns.
After you roll, you can choose to accept your current score or roll an additional three dice. The catch? If you roll three Shotguns, you forfeit all points you would’ve earned that turn.
Push your luck, baby!
8. Qwixx
Do you like Yahtzee? Then you’ll love Qwixx. It’s a roll-and-write game where everyone plays their turns simultaneously.
Players have score cards with the numbers 2 to 12 in each of four colors: red, yellow, green, blue. Each round, a set of shared dice are thrown: two normal dice, and one die of each color.
The dice determine which boxes can be marked off on score cards, but here’s the twist: once a number is marked off for a color, you can’t mark off smaller numbers for that color in future rounds. If you can’t mark off any number in a round, you get a penalty. After someone has four penalties, the game ends.
It’s a fun family game. Note that the score cards are one-time use, so you will eventually need to order replacement score cards.
9. Blueprints
In Blueprints, players attempt to complete various buildings by taking turns picking dice of different colors from a shared pool.
The fun part is that the dice need to be arranged according to the shape on the building’s blueprint card. At the end, players tally up their points to see who wins.
10. Liar’s Dice
Everyone has five dice that they roll and conceal under a cup.
The first player starts with a bid: a face value between 1 and 6 and a count of how many of that face value are face-up under everyone’s cups.
The next player can increase the bid (a higher face value or a higher count) or call “Liar!” on the previous player.
It keeps going until someone is called out, then all dice are revealed. It’s light, it’s fun, and good for families.
Games You Play With Dice
You don’t actually have to buy anything to play Liar’s Dice—you just need five dice plus one cup for every player. But dice games are more fun when you have quality components!
Games To Play With Dice Only
Read next: The best board gaming accessories for game night