Math on a roll: build skills in place value, addition and subtraction, multiplication, and more with these easy dice games.

Jack and the Beanstalk

(NUMBER IDENTIFICATION AND COUNTING) Dice games can be played during free time, at a center, or even at home. For a simple introductory game that kids can play on their own, supply a number of beans or coins to use as counters.

Individuals or pairs roll a polyhedral die (or pair of modified standard dice) and count out that number of beans. Play for five minutes or for a specific number of turns. Whoever has the most beans at the end wins!

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Where to Find Dice

All the math games in this unit use a polyhedral die--an inexpensive, multi-faceted die that can be found in most educational catalogues and teacher stores. (Visit http://bigis landtoys.com/games/dicesets.htm to find a selection.) You can also play the games by simply converting one of a pair of standard dice. Just tape the numbers 7 through 12 on each face of the die, and you're ready to roll!

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Rolling in Addition (ADDITION/USE OF CALCULATOR) Invite partners to roll a die two or three times, depending on children's level of math ability. Whoever calls out the sum correctly first wins the round. Children can keep score with tally marks. The game ends when one child has racked up 20 points. To increase familiarity with calculators, give each partner a calculator and challenge them to be the first to calculate the sum of three, four, or even more rolls. Once children are adept with the addition game, ask them to try the game with subtraction--either subtracting the smaller number from the larger number or deducting the larger number from the smaller to make a negative number.

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Pumpkin Path Math (Using the Reproducible) [ADDITION/SUBTRACTION] This game can be played independently or in pairs. First, enlarge the game board Reproducible on page 42. Cut out the game pieces and glue or tape them onto oaktag or plastic circles. Laminate the game board, display it in the math center, and invite kids to get rolling! Each child may play with a game piece on the addition track, subtraction track, or both. To play, children roll a die two times, find the sum or difference on the track ahead of them, and move to that spot. If a child is playing with a game piece on each track, he or she has the additional challenge of determining which game piece would go farther on the board and be more beneficial to move. When the answer can no longer be found ahead on the path, the player jumps to the finish and wins!

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The Polyhedral 500 Race (MULTIPLICATION) With a pencil and paper handy to keep score, student pairs can roll their way to the finish line (or play independently to see how long it takes them to reach 500). Hand each child a polyhedral die, then have them roll the die and multiply the number by ten. Next, have them roll again, multiply that number by ten, and add it to the first number. Kids keep rolling, multiplying, and adding until one of them reaches 500--and wins the race!

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High Roller (MULTIPLICATION) Before playing this game, pass out copies of the chart at right or have children copy it from the board themselves. To play, students roll a die, plugging the first number they roll into one of the equations on their chart. They repeat the process four times, then add the products of the five problems. The player with the highest total is the "High Roller" and wins the game. Challenge students to see how quickly they can roll the die, choose which equation is best to use for that roll, and solve the equations.

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How High Can You Go? (PLACE VALUE) Have partners practice place-value skills by taking turns rolling a polyhedral die three times, writing down the results as they go. The first roll becomes the digit for the hundreds place, the second roll is the digit for the tens place, and the third roll is the digit for the ones place. The player with the largest number wins the round. Challenge pairs to roll five times to find the thousands and ten thousands place.

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Show Me The Money! (MONEY) Before playing this game, pass out copies of the chart below or have children copy it from the board. Students each roll a die four times, choosing a coin category to record each roll. For example, if a student rolls a 5, he or she might write the number 5 in the dimes category, multiplying it by the coin's value (.10) to get the total value for the roll (.50). After each player has rolled four times, the player with the most money in the "bank" wins.

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RELATED ARTICLE: INSTRUCTOR REPRODUCIBLE

PUMPKIN PATH MATH GAME

To Play: Cut out the game pieces and follow your teacher's directions to play alone or with a friend!