If you’re looking for new family game night ideas, this collection of dice games for kids is just what you need! Whether you’re hanging out at home, or you’re camping, on a road trip, or traveling in an airplane, dice games are the perfect way to have fun with your children. Dice don’t take up a ton of room in your luggage, they’re heavy enough that they won’t blow away if you’re playing outside on a windy day, they can be washed if they get dirty, and they offer a fun and easy way to help your kids practice their math skills without even realizing! And with so many dice games for kids to choose from, these inexpensive 6-sided cubes will keep you and your kids entertained for ages.
4 Supplies to Invest In
While you can play many of the dice games for kids below with nothing other than a set of dice, these items make family game night a little easier.
- Multiple sets of dice. Some dice games for kids require more than one set of dice, and given that dice are fairly small, they can get lost pretty easily. Amazon sells a set of 50 colored dice pretty inexpensively, which you can find HERE.
- Storage case. Whether you’re storing your dice at home, or taking them with you when you travel, you’ll want a small container to put them in so they don’t get lost. You may already have something you can use at home, but if not, these small clear containers are perfect and can be used to organize other small items within your home!
- Dice cup. A dice cup makes it easier to shake and roll dice, especially for younger kids and when playing games with multiple sets of dice. They also double as a storage container!
- Dice tray. While you can play dice games on any flat surface, a dice tray helps keep your dice contained and prevents them from falling on the floor, which is great if you’re traveling.
5 DIY Dice Games for Kids
If you’re looking for dice games for kids you can play with nothing other than a few sets of dice, these are 5 of our favorites! They are perfect for all ages, and offer a great way to get kids to practice their math skills while spending time together as a family.
PASSAGE
Number of Players: 2+
Total Dice Needed: 2
Object of the Game: Be the player that reaches 11 points first
How to Play:
- To start, each player rolls one die
- The person who rolls the highest number goes first
- The person who rolls the lowest number rolls a second time, and the number he or she rolls becomes the ‘point number’
- Each player takes a turn rolling both dice
- If the player rolls the point number, he or she gets one point
- If the player rolls doubles of the point number, he or she gets 2 points
- Players take turns, and only roll the die once per turn
- The first player to reach a score of 11 points wins
BEAT THAT!
Number of Players: 2+
Total Dice Needed: 2 for younger players, 7 for older players
Object of the Game: Be the player to get the highest score for the most rounds
How to Play:
- Decide how many rounds you will play
- Each player takes a turn rolling the dice
- If playing with younger kids, stick with 2 dice
- If playing with older kids, you can increase to 7 dice
- Once the dice have been rolled, the player must calculate the highest possible number he or she can form from the numbers rolled. For example, if the player throws a 5 and a 2, his or her highest score would be 52. If a player throws a 2, 4, and 6, the highest score would be 642
- The player who scores the highest combination wins the round
- If 2 or more players have the same score, they roll again to decide who the winner of that round is
- The player with the most wins once the set number of rounds have been played is the winner
KNOCKOUT
Number of Players: 2+
Total Dice Needed: 2
Object of the Game: Avoid being knocked out of the game by avoiding throwing certain scores
How to Play:
- Each player chooses a ‘knockout number’ – either a 6, 7, 8, or a 9
- Players can choose the same ‘knockout number’ if they want to
- Each player takes a turn rolling both dice
- Once the dice have been rolled, the player adds up the number shown
- If a player rolls their ‘knockout number’ (6, 7, 8, or a 9), they are knocked out of the game
- The remaining player after all other players are knocked out is the winner
PIG
Number of Players: 2+
Total Dice Needed: 1
Object of the Game: Be the player to reach 100 points first
How to Play:
- Each player takes a turn rolling 1 die over and over again, tallying their points along the way
- The goal is to get as many points as possible by adding the face value of the die on each roll
- If a player rolls a 1, their turn is over and they lose all of their points
- Players can continue rolling until they reach 100 points, or they can play it safe and pass the die to the next player and keep their points at any time
- Players continue taking turns
- The player that reaches 100 points first wins
SEVENS
Number of Players: 2+
Total Dice Needed: 6
Object of the Game: Be the player with the highest score after a set number of rounds
How to Play:
- Decide how many rounds you will play
- Each player takes a turn rolling all 6 dice
- Once the dice have been rolled, the player must remove any combination of dice that add up to 7 (example: 1 + 6, 2 + 5, 3 + 4)
- After removing the dice, the player can 1) keep the score of the remaining dice, or 2) roll again to try and increase their score
- The first player can re-roll their dice up to 3 times
- Once the first player has finished their turn, the person to his or her left goes next
- Each player can only re-roll the same number of times as the first player
- Scores are recorded after each turn
- The player with the highest score once the set number of rounds have been played is the winner
5 Dice Games for Kids
If you’re looking for store bought dice games for kids that are a little more structured, here are 5 classics the whole family will love!
1. Yahtzee
2. Left Center Right
3. TENZI
4. Farkle
5. QWIXX
Whether you’re enjoying a family game night at home or looking for travel activities to play with your children, I hope you enjoy this collection of dice games for kids as much as we have!