Easy to Make, Cast, and Read Dice

Project:

Playing games is fun and good for everyone. Sometimes, when playing a game with dice, they are so small, that it can be hard to grab and cast, or toss them. This project shows how to reuse large, lightweight materials to make a pair of easy to cast and read dice.

Materials & Supplies:

2 lightweight cubes

1 low-sided box

1 flat rectangular piece of cardboard

1 gift bag

markers

tape

decorations (paint, stickers, )

Supplies

2 lightweight cubes
1 low-sided box 1 rectangular piece of cardboard 1 gift bag markers tape decorations (paint, stickers, )

Step 1: Get Your Cube

Find a Styrofoam cube from some packing materials. (The next steps will show you how to make a cube from a rectangle.)

You can also use an empty cubed cardboard box.

Step 2: (Make a Cube 1)

A cube has 6 (six) equal, or congruent sides. You can find a rectangular piece and cut it down so all sides are equal.

Step 3: (Make a Cube 2)

Use a ruler, or a straight edge to get all sides equal.

Step 4: (Make a Cube 3)

Use a box cutter or a serrated knife to carefully cut the long sides of the rectangle to make them equal to the short sides of the rectangle. In other words, make a square with 4 equal sides.

Step 5: (Make a Cube 4)

Cut and smooth the Styrofoam cube block.

Step 6: Decorate Your Cube

Re-Use a panel from a gift bag or some wrapping paper to wrap your cube like a present.

Step 7: Number Your Cube to Make a Die

Print out and paste, or draw one different number- 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6- on each side of the cube. (You can find numbers in a font and size you like from free pictures on the internet.)

Step 8: Make Dice (2 or More Die)

Repeat steps 1-7 to make another die.

Step 9: Make a Roll Ramp and Catcher

So that your dice do not go all over the place, and so that you can roll them from any height, get a box and a flat piece of cardboard.

Step 10: Decorate Your Roll Ramp and Catcher

Use paint, stickers, or fabric and glue to decorate your box and roll ramp.

Step 11: Set Up Your Roll Ramp

Use a chair or a table to lean the ramp against.

Step 12: Set Up Your Catcher

Place the bottom of the ramp in the catcher box.

Step 13: Cast Your Dice!

Roll the dice down the ramp and play your game!

Step 14: Suggested Games: a & B

A. Use a deck of cards assigning red cards addition, and black cards subtraction.

(You can use multiply, divide, fraction, percent, or use the numbers as an ordered pair to add a challenge.)

(You can even make each suit a different operation.)

(If you use 2 dice, you can make 1 die positive numbers and one die negative numbers.)

There are many ways you can incorporate math skills and concepts.

1. Draw a card and roll a die or two dice.
2. Write the number sentence and solve!

B. For early learners, you can roll 2 dice

--have them say and write all the number combinations that can be made

--put the numbers them in order from least to greatest.

Comments

[jessyratfink]

What a great idea :D