There are so many popular games that use dice as part of counting and turn-taking fun. Dice can be used for math games, table games, educational games in the classroom, or at family game night! No matter the scenario, the number of players, or the game layout, dice make every game effective and mobile.
These kid and family-friendly dice games will have your neighbors wanting to join the party and can help with coordination and math calculation skills. So get ready for some engaging challenges with our 25 lively dice game ideas for kids!
1. Counting Dice
This simple and popular dice game is very easy to learn and play, so it is appropriate for all young kids who are able to roll dice. For this fun game, you’ll need six dice and a score sheet. Each player rolls all six dice, there are points assigned for each dice number combination. Depending on what you roll for your first turn, you can choose to re-roll some dice to try and receive more points before passing to the next player.
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2. One and Done
This fast-paced dice game is great for counting practice and involves a little luck (don’t they all!). The goal is to roll your three dice as many times as possible without rolling one. Start with the oldest player, they roll and add up the three dice, writing down the score each time until they get a one, then it’s the next player’s turn.
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3. Speed 50!
This intricate dice game is for competitive types who enjoy lively dice games together. You will need a pen, the game objective is to roll a six. Starting with the first person and moving along until someone rolls a six. At that point, this person picks up the pen and begins writing numbers on their paper starting with 1…2…3…4… This will continue as other players hurriedly try to roll a six. When someone else does, the first person must forfeit the pen and the new player begins to write numbers. The first player that writes to fifty wins!
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4. Candy or Dice
Now I know your kids will love this game because you use candy as playing chips! Each player gets a cup, three dice, and twelve pieces of candy. The goal is for your three dice to add up to eighteen (or as close as possible!). Everyone rolls at the same time under their cup and looks at their dice secretively. It’s like poker, you can draw or show, and the winner gets a piece of the loser’s candy!
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5. Head Full of Numbers
This educational board game is amazing at helping kids learn important math skills. The dice have numbers one to nine, and the rules require players to add, subtract, multiply, and divide to win! Great for social skills and making math fun!
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6. Stuck in the Mud
Another game where you hope for a lucky roll. This game uses four dice and the goal is to NOT roll a five. Every number you roll that is not a five is added up, and the dice that land on five are set aside. Your turn ends when all four of your dice have landed on five. Count up the points from the other numbers and give the dice to the next player. The winner is the first person to reach fifty points.
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7. Roll for Candy
Another candy-themed dice game for you! Every player starts off with five pieces of candy, and there is a big pile of candy on the table. Each number of the dice corresponds with an action. For example, if you roll a one, you get to pick a candy from the pile in the middle of the table.
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8. Dice Bowling
This one has an element of competition that will have your kids dizzy with excitement. Some concepts and vocabulary from bowling are used such as strike, gutter ball, scratch, and spare. Different rolls mean different things, but the goal is to get as close to ten as possible each turn rolling three dice. The winner is the player that gets closest to one hundred points in ten rounds.
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9. Run For It!
Another family favorite, this one teaches how to sequence numbers and find patterns. You’ll need 2-6 players and six dice. Each player takes turns rolling the six dice and tries to find a pattern in their numbers. 1-2-1-2-3-4 scores because it has 1-2, and 1-2-3-4. Each run is five points and the first player to get to fifty points wins.
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10. 3 is Free!
This classic dice game has a deep history and a fondness for threes. You can play it with as many players as you want, but that means your chances of winning get lower! For this game, you’ll need five dice and a cup for shaking. The goal is to roll all five dices to land on number three. Three is worth zero points, so if you roll five threes your scoring combination is zero! This is unlikely, so whoever rolls the least amount of points wins each round.
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11. Colorful Dice
There are so many different kinds of dice you can buy and use for kid’s games. For this one, get a set of colorful dice and create an easy-to-learn game you can use to teach any topic or subject you desire. Write out which color means what vocabulary word(s) and have your students roll out sentences to improve their cognitive skills.
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12. Dungeons and Dragons
This best-selling dice game also involves strategy, problem solving, math, and of course, fun! This board game has gotten increasingly popular over the last few years due to its complexity and variation. Despite its fantastical appearances, there are still plenty of opportunities for learning and brain development.
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13. Dice Race to 10!
This is a simple game that your kids will get obsessed with for hours. The only downside is that you need twenty dice. The only objective of the game is to roll all ten of your dice the same number. So if your first turn you roll three sixes, you should then pick up the remaining seven dice and try to get more sixes! The first player to roll all their dice the same wins.
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14. Roll and Steal
Here’s another game in rounds that gives all players chances to turn their luck and win it all! The goal of this game is to steal the other players’ chips (these can be candy, coins, or pebbles) by rolling the higher numbers. Each player has two dice and in each round, the players roll their dice and whoever has more points gets to steal a chip from the opponents. Whoever has the most chips at the end of ten rounds wins.
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15. Color The Train
We have a simple dice game that doesn’t require multiple players and improves number recognition, motor skills, and hand-eye coordination. Print out and laminate the player sheet with the train on it, then give your child a dauber or marker. When they roll a number they will mark the number on the train and as they continue they will fill in the train and make a colorful picture!
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16. Plant Your Flowers
This creative and nature-themed game can help bring out the botanist in your little ones. You can either use fake flowers and play dough (like on the website), or you can use real flowers and soil! Either way, the concept is the same. Roll the dice and the number you land on is how many flowers you plant.
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17. Sorting Farm Animals
This brilliant family game is fun and educational, your kids will continue counting and rolling for hours. You can design your own farm layout using a big sheet of white paper and markers. Then you’ll need some toy farm animals and a dice. The purpose is to move your animals around the farm depending on what number you roll.
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18. Tower of Cups
This is a game of sequences and action that your little learners can play from a very young age to much older depending on the complexity and number of dice you use. It is a number matching game, so get at least twelve foam or plastic cups and write the numbers 1-6 on them. The basic rule is whatever number you roll, you can use the cup(s) to begin building a cup tower.
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19. Rainbow Board Game
Here is a challenging yet easy-to-learn dice game that involves your friends or family. You can easily learn how to create your own board with white construction paper and markers. All the fun rules and action cards you can make up like if you roll a four you must jump on your left foot ten times!
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20. Ladybug Counting Practice
A favorite dice game to play with little kids, because it incorporates different textures, sensations, colors, and skills. Buy some red playdough and mold a ladybug shape or color one on a piece of paper. Get some black buttons, cutouts or pebbles, and two dice. Take turns rolling the dice and using the counters to represent spots on the ladybug’s wings.
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21. Roll and Spray!
This fun, fast-paced dice game in action will get your little learners all fired up! You’ll need a spray bottle with water, chalk, and dice. Prep for this activity by writing the numbers 1-6 on the ground outside randomly. Then give your kids dice and a bottle, so for each number they roll they must say out loud, go find it written on the ground, and spray it so it disappears.
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22. Adding With Apples
Addition is a basic skill that we need to practice when we are young. This apple tree addition game helps kids learn and visualize how to add numbers together. Use two dice and fill in the numbers on the tree as a fun challenge to improve your kid’s math skills.
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23. QUIXX
Ready for an exciting challenge to play with your family next game night? This strategic multiplayer game is a combination of luck and quick decisions. The choices you make can either lead you to victory or sabotage your chances!
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24. Jumping Frogs
Another fun DIY interactive game you can create for your kids using up to ten toy frogs, a flat surface, some colored paper, and dice. Once you’ve designed your frog pond, have your kids take turns rolling the dice and moving the frogs from the log to the water to work on counting and coordination.
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25. Roll and Count
With all the unique and exciting dice games to choose from, there is nothing wrong with going back to the basics. Create your own jumbo dice using wooden toy blocks and sharpie and collect a pile of buttons, pennies, or other small items for counting. Place a bowl on the table and let your kids roll and count the pieces into the bowl and back out.
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