Melissa found this smart dice-rolling tip on Pinterest. (Which makes me wonder for the hundredth time if I should get on Pinterest.) From the original post at Cardigans & Curriculum:
My school's math coach suggested a fantastic use for these [tiny food containers]. Our district's math curriculum includes many games where the students have to roll two dice.
Problem: Sometimes it drives me crazy when the kids roll their two dice and they fly to opposite sides of the room…
Solution: Roll the dice in this cute container! (There really is enough room for the dice to roll inside there.)
Such a simple, great idea for younger kids, or for travel games. By the way, Casey found a package of eight containers for a dollar at her local dollar store.
Speaking of games, did you know veteran Parenthacker Adrienne (author of many hacks here, and of Baby Toolkit) also does a podcast about board games? She and her husband, Jim, are the hosts of Great Big Table, all about the diversity of board games out there. Check out this post about great games for kids.
Related: Game review: Rory's Story Cubes
When my son had similar assignments, I panic-ed because we didn’t have any board games with dice. Luckily, as they say, “there’s an app for that”!
This is so brilliant. I wish I had thought of this when I was teaching. I had students using dice often and wished there was a way, beyond warning them, to keep the dice in control. I’ll have to remember this if I ever go back to teaching, though this is also a good idea for home as well.
Ian
What a great idea! We have done this with an empty prescription bottle when we need to be sure the dice don’t fall into the baby’s clutches (or gullet). When the baby isn’t present, we sometimes end up chasing free-range dice more than playing the game.
This would be easier to see through than the pill bottle’s translucent orange plastic, and it could be secured with clear packaging tape.
Thank you for the mention of our blog and podcast!
Lee: Very true. But I (unscientifically) think that actually handling dice (if you have them available) helps cement the learning. I don’t know…that tactile, kinesthetic thing really helps me internalize an experience. Hm.
Adrienne: You’re welcome, of course!