For most of the games below, all you need is dice, pen, and paper. If you have no dice in the house, use the free online dice roller: big 3D dice on your screen, with sound. That is often easier for small children's hands than real dice, and nothing rolls under the couch. Each game lists the age at which most kids can join in.
On this page
The 10 games at a glance
| Game | Age | Dice | Your child practices |
|---|---|---|---|
| Highest roll | 3+ | 1 | Counting pips |
| Odd or even | 4+ | 1 | Even and odd numbers |
| Monster dice | 4+ | 1 | Creativity |
| Dice bingo | 5+ | 2 | Adding up to 12 |
| Race to 50 | 5+ | 1–2 | Counting on and adding |
| Story dice | 6+ | 1 | Imagination and storytelling |
| Times-table dice | 8+ | 2 | The times tables |
| Pickomino | 8+ (Junior 4+) | 8 | Adding and daring to stop |
| Yahtzee | 8+ | 5 | Combinations and planning |
| Farkle (10,000) | 10+ | 6 | Math and weighing risk |
1. Highest roll (3+)
The very first dice game for every toddler: everyone rolls one die, and whoever rolls the most pips gets a token (or a hug, or a high five). First to five tokens wins. Meanwhile your child learns to recognize and count the pips without it feeling like practice.
2. Odd or even (4+)
Before the roll, your child calls "even!" or "odd!" A correct prediction earns a point. From around age six, make it more exciting: predict whether the roll will be higher or lower than the previous one. It's a playful first introduction to probability.
3. Monster dice (4+)
The famous drawing game: roll the die and draw the body part that goes with the number. 1 = body, 2 = head, 3 = eye, 4 = leg, 5 = arm, 6 = tail. Take turns rolling and drawing; after ten rolls, compare the monstrosities. There's no winner: the point is the monster. Also fun as a craft activity for a kids' birthday party.
4. Dice bingo (5+)
Have your child make their own bingo card with six numbers between 2 and 12. Take turns rolling two dice and adding the pips; if the sum is on your card, cross it off. Whoever fills their card first calls bingo. Sharp kids notice by themselves that 7 comes up more often than 2 or 12. Why that happens is explained on the page about dice probability.
5. Race to 50 (5+)
Take turns rolling and add your rolls together; whoever reaches 50 first wins. Young children play with one die and count along out loud, older kids race to 100 with two dice. To make it harder, agree that a 1 drops you back to zero. Then there are tactics involved.
6. Story dice (6+)
Agree on six story elements: 1 = an animal, 2 = a place, 3 = a treasure, 4 = a villain, 5 = a magic spell, 6 = a vehicle. Roll the die and start a story with whatever comes up; every next roll has to be woven into the story. Good for the car or the dinner table, with no screen needed.
7. Times-table dice (8+)
Roll two dice and multiply the pips: 4 and 6 makes 24. Right answer = a point. For advanced players: roll three dice and let your child pick two of them. They'll start thinking about which product is easiest. It's times-table practice without a worksheet.
8. Pickomino (8+, Junior from 4)
The family favorite: use eight dice to collect as many worms as possible and snatch tiles from your parents. Kids love it because beating mom and dad is emphatically part of the game. From around age 8 with the full rules; for the little ones there's Pickomino Junior. Read the full Pickomino rules.
9. Yahtzee (8+)
The classic with five dice and the famous score sheet. From around age 8, kids can fill in the score sheet themselves, which is good for addition and for planning ahead ("do I save my shot at the large straight?"). You'll find all the rules, the scoring, and a free score sheet with the Yahtzee rules.
10. Farkle (10+)
For slightly older kids: rack up points with six dice, but dare to stop in time, because whoever pushes on too long loses everything they collected that turn. Plenty of math (by hundreds and by fifties) and a healthy dose of nerves. The complete scoring is with the Farkle (10,000) rules.
Two more worth a look
Two games that work beautifully with young children didn't make the ten, but have their own rules page: Drop Dead, in which a roll containing a two or a five scores nothing and those dice are taken away, so your five dice slowly disappear until the turn is over, and Going to Boston, a short round game that suits a table of mixed ages.
Game night tip: with the free Dice Together Android app, you can roll the dice via Chromecast, larger than life, on the TV. That works well with kids: everyone sees the roll, nobody can cheat, and no dice go missing under the couch.
Dice games in the classroom
Most of these games work as well at a group table as at the kitchen table, and they need nothing you don't already have: a handful of dice, paper, and five minutes. Times-table dice is the obvious one: children in pairs, two dice each, one of them writing down the products. It's easy to adapt, too: a child who finds 4 × 6 easy gets a third die and the choice of which two to multiply.
With younger groups, race to 50 gives everyone counting-on practice out loud, and dice bingo shows that 7 comes up far more often than 2 or 12, which lets you start a conversation about probability from something the class has just watched happen. If you're short on dice, project the roll instead: the classroom dice roller throws big 3D dice on the board in fullscreen, so the whole class reads the same result at the same moment.
Playing dice with young children: what to watch for
- Big dice for little hands. For toddlers and preschoolers, large foam or wooden dice are nicer and safer, because regular dice are small enough to swallow. Always supervise play with children under 4.
- A small tray or bowl keeps half the rolls from ending up under the dresser. A dice cup also makes the rolling feel "official."
- Let them win sometimes. Dice games are a good way to learn to handle losing, because luck plays such a big role: today you lose, tomorrow you win by yourself.
Frequently asked questions about playing dice with kids
At what age can a child start playing dice games?
From around age 3, children can count pips and join in with simple games like highest roll. With toddlers, do use large (foam) dice and supervise play: small dice fit in a child's mouth.
What does a child learn from dice games?
Through play, your child practices counting, addition, and later even the times tables and a feel for probability. At least as valuable: waiting your turn, learning to lose gracefully, and following the rules together.
Which dice games can you play with one die?
With one die you can play highest roll, odd or even, story dice, and the drawing game monster dice, among others. For race to 50 and dice bingo you use two.
What is the most fun dice game for the whole family?
Yahtzee is the safe pick from around age 8: almost everyone already knows it, and the score sheet does the teaching for you. For something shorter, play Farkle or Pig. Both are pure press your luck, and Pig needs nothing but one die and a pencil. If you can find a copy, Pickomino is the one families keep coming back to once the adding clicks. With the free Android app, you can also roll the dice larger than life on the TV, so everyone can watch.