When trying to include small children in game playing, you may want to consider dice games. The main advantages of dice games is that they usually require little equipment and little game playing skill making them ideal for young children to play. So, if you are looking for some family fun or a great way to playfully educate your kids, here are dice games to play with small children:
* Beetle – Here is a fun dice game for all ages! The goal of the game is to be the first person to draw a beetle though no artistic skill is needed.
Playing time: 15 min to an hour
Number of players: as few as two
Number of dice needed: one
Other equipment needed: A pencil and paper for each participant.
Game play: The body of the beetle has thirteen parts all together including a body, a head, two eyes, two feelers, six legs and a tail which will make a complete beetle. Before drawing a body part, you must roll its corresponding number on the die:
1. is for the body
2. is for the head
3. is for each eye
4. is for each feeler
5. is for each leg
6. is for the tail
In order to win you must roll a 1, a 2, two 3’s, two 4’s, six 5’s and a 6. Also, you cannot draw any body parts until you have rolled a 1 for the body. Then you must roll a 2 for the head before you can use a 3 or 4 for the eyes and feelers. Players will each take turns rolling the die only once per round. The first to finish his or her beetle wins. There is also an option to play for points where a player gets a point for each body part. The first person to reach the agreed upon points total, 39, for example, wins.
* Centennial – Thought this is a simple game of chance which is great for teaching children addition, it can be a great, fun game for a large group of adults, too. Have everybody put some money in a pot, to add an element of fun. The player who finishes first wins the pot.
Playing time: 5 to 15 minutes
Number of players: Best for five or more players, but still fun for as few as two
Number of dice needed: Three
Other equipment needed: Pencil and paper for each player, with the numbers 1 to 12 and 12 to 1 written as below:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Object of the game: Be the first player to score the numbers 1 to 12, then 12 to 1, in numerical order.
To start the play: Each player rolls the dice to determine the order of play. The highest roller goes first. Play then proceeds clockwise.
A player has one cast of the three dice in each turn. The first number he must make is a 1. If any of the three dice on his cast shows a 1, the player crosses out that number on his score sheet. A player failing to produce a 1 on any of the three dice on his first turn has no move and must pass the dice to the next person.
Once a player has crossed out the 1, he must make a 2 to score, then a 3, and so on. He may not cross out any number until he has eliminated the number before it. Keep in mind that more than one number may be eliminated in a turn, and the same die may be used to make more than one number. A roll of 1-1-2 on a player’s first cast, for instance, would eliminate all the numbers from 1 through 4: a 1 and a 2 are present; 1+2=3; and 1+1+2=4. The best possible opening roll, a 1-2-4, would eliminate all numbers from 1 through 7. The player works his way through the numbers and then when he or she reaches 12, he must throw one 12 to cross off that number on his 1-to-12 column, then another 12 to cross off that number on his 12-to-1 column. He then must cross off all numbers in descending order to 1. If a player rolls three 6’s while trying for his first 12, he may score both 12’s. If he makes the 12 any other way, however, he must make that number a second time before continuing back to 1. A player’s turn will continue until he fails to score on a cast. The first player to cross off all numbers from 1 to 12 and then from 12 to 1 is the winner.
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