Dice bring maths to life for children, showing the connection between counting and numbers in a fun and thrilling way. The idea that if you throw a five, you can move forward five spaces on your board game, helps reinforce the connection between the abstract number and the physical quantity or movement.
Dice come in many shapes and sizes. From the traditional six-sides with dots, to those with 20 sides found in complex games like Dungeons and Dragons (any father who played this as a spotty teen can tell you about these, ahem).
If you’re not on to numbers yet, you can replace the numbers with pictures – make your own or use stickers. You could also use or make spinners, with segments that show faces or shapes. Draw anything you like on them, and change the pictures to numbers (or number words) as they learn.
