Easy Number Game With Variations

Hello again! Sorry you haven’t heard from me in a few days but we needed to travel out of state for a funeral. Back home now and trying to catch up again.

So today let’s look at an easy number game that can be played different ways and only requires paper, some markers or crayons and some dice. The game also reinforces learning numbers and helps with small motor skills. Shhh! Don’t tell the kids that part! 😉 Grab 1 piece of paper for each player and 1 dice to share with all the players to begin with…and a black crayon or marker and 1 marker of another color for each player.

Basic version…

Have each player write the numbers 1 – 6 on their piece of paper. Or for the kids that are just learning their numbers, you can write the numbers for them. Leave a little space between the numbers.

Each player should roll the dice once and the player that gets the highest number will go first. To play, roll the dice once and cross off the corresponding number on your paper. Example, if you roll a 1, cross off the 1 on your paper. Pass the dice to the next player moving clockwise around the circle of players.

Continue with each player rolling the dice once and marking their paper. If you roll a number that you have already crossed off on your paper, you do nothing for that turn and play passes on to the next player.

The first person to cross off all their numbers is the winner!

Version #2…

Write the numbers 1 – 12 on each player’s piece of paper. Use 2 dice for this version of the game.

This version is played in a similar manner as the basic version, but each player rolls 2 dice. You can use the number from just 1 dice OR you can add the numbers from both dice together. In the following example, the player rolled a 2 and a 6. You could cross off the 2 OR the 6 OR the 8. You can only cross off 1 number each turn. In this picture, the 2 and the 8 have already been crossed off, so you would cross off the 6.

Again, the first player to cross off all their numbers is the winner. 🙂

Version #3…

Find something that is round in shape that you can trace around to make circles on each player’s paper. I used the bottom of a paper cup.

Draw 6 circles. (Or more, depending on how you want to play the game.)

Number the circles 1 – 6. Grab a few crayons for this version of the game.

As each player rolls the dice, they can color in the matching circle. (Sneaking in some small motor skills practice!)

You can also take the opportunity to talk about the colors the players choose to use. Some questions you might ask… What color did you choose for number 3? What is your favorite color? What else can you think of that is green? (Or whatever color they are using.)

First one with all their circles colored is the winner!

Version #4…

Draw 6 circles for this version of the game, but make the number inside each circle smaller. When the player rolls the dice, they draw/color that number of objects in the correct circle. For example, if you rolled a 6, you might draw 6 dots in the number 6 circle.

The winner is the first one to complete all their circles. I can see this game getting rather silly when players draw crazy things in their circles! 😉

I’m sure you can think of even more ways to play this game, but hopefully these ideas will get you started on your way to having fun with the number game! 🙂

Hide & Seek With a Twist

Do kids still play Hide & Seek? You know, where some kids go hide and one person tries to find them? Well, what happens when there aren’t enough kids around to play? Or maybe the “big kids” have gone off to school and only the youngest is left at home? You can try this new twist on the Hide & Seek game! You don’t need anything but a few toys that are already in your house. All you do is collect up a few favorite toys and hide them for your child to find. I know…too simple? But it can be lots of fun!

Here’s Clifford the Big Red Dog hiding under the covers.

Here’s a little shoulder buddy hiding among the boxes of cereal.

Depending on the age of the kids playing how hard you make the hiding places. If younger kids are playing, make sure to leave a little of the toy visible.

Matchbox Jeeps love to drive on books!

Sock monkeys go bananas for bananas!

You can give little hints if the hunt goes on for too long. Maybe Tommy Turtle got too hot and decided to find a place to cool down. (Yes, he’s in the refrigerator.) 😉

This gorilla must be wanting to help make supper!

The older the kids are that are playing, the smaller the toys might be.

Or just for fun, ask your child to set the table for supper and hide a fun toy in the silverware drawer.

You can make a whole game out of this idea or just randomly make things disappear to places the kids will come across them and be surprised. Or start with a new toy that you hide and whoever finds it, tells everyone where they found it and they get to be the next person to hide it. This can be an ongoing game that keeps everyone grinning. Hope you’ll have fun playing Hide & Seek a new way! 🙂

Fun With a Simple Magnifying Glass

Here’s another simple and inexpensive way for kids to have fun and learn something in the process! Yep, the title gave it away…I’m talking about a magnifying glass. I found one on Amazon for $6.99. And its pretty big.

I know…all it does is make things look bigger. But have you noticed how very COOL things look when they are huge?! Like….books.

Look at mom and dad’s coffee K-cups.

Or your dog’s nose…

Try looking at plants!

Flowers are cooler when you magnify them.

And grass! Check out what you’ve been walking on!

You might even find something cool that lives in the grass!

And dirt! Dirt looks pretty cool up close too!

The list goes on and on! Check out the carpet, your sister’s tongue, a comic book, look at your food…you could do this for HOURS!! Inexpensive, simple, safe and fun! What more could you want? 😉