Simple Dice Games to Increase Number Sense in Pre-K and Kindergarten

In Pre-K and Kindergarten, students are starting to understand how numbers work and what they represent.  Repetition of simple activities, such as dice games, that have students practicing counting and seeing representations of numbers is the best way to expose students to, and develop, a better understanding of numbers.  

Why dice games?

*Most dice games for young learners are simple, and the instructions are easy to understand.  

*When students are starting out with dice, they are only using one die, so they are only working on numbers 1-6 at first, then can move up to two dice when they are ready for larger numbers and addition.

*Many can be played independently or easily adapted to be played with a partner. (Great for learning to take turns.)

*Rolling dice is fun and keeps students engaged!

How do dice games help?

*With the simplicity of the game, students are getting the repetition they need to commit learning to memory.  

*They will quickly start to notice the dot patterns on the die and be able to recognize how many there are without having to count each individual dot. (Subitizing) 

*When students are counting objects or moving along a game board to show the number they rolled, they are working not only on counting, but also on one-to-one correspondence.

How to Use Dice Games in the Classroom:

*Teach and play the games whole group.

*Use during Guided Math, small group, or tutoring time.

*Place games in centers once children have learned how to play to them.

These are some fun dice games my students enjoy using:

Back & Forth

Players take turns rolling the die and moving the playing piece towards there side.  Continue taking turns and moving the piece back and forth until one player reaches their finish line!

Dice War

Just like the classic card game, but with dice. (Since there are no cards to collect after each win, students can keep track of their wins on a ten frame.)

Board Games

Great for counting, one-to-one, and learning to take turns.

Fill the Treasure Chest

Roll & Build a Tower

Roll & Pop

Cover the Caterpillar

Printable Worksheets:

Tenzi

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The is a fun, fast paced game anyone can play.  Each player needs a set of 10 dice. (You can find sets on Amazon). There are many different way to play Tenzi and you can find all the different variations on the internet, but the most simple way is that players roll their dice until someone gets matching numbers on all of their dice and yells out “Tenzi”!  (For example, if you were going for 5s, then you would roll all of your dice, and set aside only dice that landed on 5.  Roll the remaining dice and continue to set the 5s aside until all of your dice show 5.)

Left Center Right

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This game doesn’t focus on numbers much, but it is definitely another fun one for all ages! (And a great way to practice good sportsmanship!)

You can find my Dice Games here.

When selecting dice for your students to use, any size will work and it’s fun to switch it up by sometimes letting them use the over-sized dice!  One thing to keep in mind is the noise level.  If students will be rolling dice on carpet, you don’t have to worry about the noise too much, but if they will be at tables, you might want to consider foam dice.

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