Why play dice games…?
Dice games are played today for very much the same reasons as prevailed in 15th century France and England, the cradle of dice and dice games. Reputed to have first been played with sheep’s knuckles, today’s game is a world away from such rudimentary dice. None the less, it was the simplicity, and inexpensive nature of dice games that have attracted players throughout the millennia.
Dice games are so easy to teach to children and can be played almost anywhere. It’s the uncertainty of rolling the dice; the sense of anticipation as you wait for the resultant joy or frustration that accentuates the pleasure from playing.
Within this website there are thirty five dice and many game permutations possible. With these giant dice, playing becomes a series of social interactions where children learn from others in a sharing, co-operative framework. And as they all use chance, it’s the ever present expectation of the result, that gets people and especially children involved and having fun.
In quite obvious ways they get children counting, adding, remembering, drawing, and playing; all within a framework of taking turns, helping each other, taking down scores and off course, learning.
How to play dice games
Throw the dice |
Do the action or make the choice, and if necessary, record it |
Pass the dice to the next person and continue around the group |
The types of activities giant dice games promote
- movement
- co-ordination
- gross motor skills
- sound recognition
- role play
- game play
- social skills
- understanding emotions and feelings
- acceptable safe behaviors
Playing with giant dice; expected educational outcomes
- alphabet and letter learning
- numerals, counting and arithmetic operations
- hand-eye coordination
- physical exercise
- improved social and cultural awareness
- recognition of colors, shapes and patterns
- role play, and improved learning capabilities
- a greater enjoyment of school and learning
