Dice Games for Children

The dice of Zeus fall ever luckily.

Sophocles

This article is on dice games and it is the third in a series of posts about games to teach mathematics.

Dice are extremely old, dating back to antiquity. Their mathematical applications are obvious. They require counting and are ready made tools for teaching about solids and probability -providing that they have not been doctored that is. Wikipedia has an extensive article on the history, use and probability of dice if you would like further background. The article also has some excellent links. Just click here.

Here are links to dice games and their rules:

1. From Activity Village, a British site with activities for children.



2. From About.com, a collection of blogs about just about any subject under the sun



3. From Scholastic.com, a set of four dice games suggested by math guru, Marilyn Burns

Just a note in passing. Although dice are easy to purchase, if you need a substitute or do not have any on hand, you can make spinners out of paper, a paper clip and a pencil that will perform the same function. Click here for some spinner templates.