Thinkabara

🎲 Dice Games for Kids and Families

Google Classroom

All you need for these games is a die or two, and maybe a pencil and paper. They're quick to learn, easy to pack for a trip and sneakily good for practicing addition, multiplication and a little bit of probability.

Each game below lists how many dice you need, the number of players, the right age and how long a round takes, followed by the rules step by step and a few tips.

Pig1 die · 2+ players · Ages 6+Ship, Captain and Crew5 dice · 2+ players · Ages 7+Going to Boston3 dice · 2+ players · Ages 6+Beetle1 die · 2-6 players · Ages 4+Twenty-One1 die · 2+ players · Ages 6+Math Dice Race2 dice · 2+ or a whole class players · Ages 6-10

No dice at home? Roll on screen with the free online dice.

Questions and answers

What is the easiest dice game for young kids?

Beetle is perfect from about age 4: every number on the die lets you draw part of a bug, and the first to finish their beetle wins. Going to Boston is a great next step for kids who are starting to add.

Which dice games help kids practice math?

Going to Boston and Twenty-One are great for adding, Pig builds mental math and decision making, and the Math Dice Race lets you switch from sums to products or differences as kids get stronger.

How many dice do I need?

Pig, Beetle and Twenty-One need just one die, the Math Dice Race uses two, Going to Boston uses three and Ship, Captain and Crew needs five.