MORE: Check out the hub for all our DIY traditional games from around the world.

MORE: Our favorite math games make math practice fun!

Notes and Variations

As with any traditional game with a long history, Shut the Box has many versions. I always encourage kids and families to explore rule variations to see what works best and how players must adjust their strategy accordingly. The important part is that all players agree on the rules ahead of time!

Try some of the following options:

Option 1: You may not shut more than 2 numbers on a roll.

Option 2: When a player opts to roll a single die, you must be able to shut the die as shown. For example if you roll a 5 with a single die, you must be able to shut the 5, not a 2-3 or a 4-1.

Option 3: For a kid-friendly version, player can use individual die numbers rather than the sum. For example if the roll is 3 and 5 (for a sum of 8), but only the 5 is still open, they could shut the 5 without going out. Note that any numbers must match the quantity show on the dice. They could not mark off a 7 just because 7+1 also equals 8.

Option 4: This version is known as "Unlucky 7." When a player rolls a 7, their turn is over.

Option 5: Traditionally, Shut the Box is played with tiles numbered 1-9. We included a printable version with numbers 1-12 for extended play. Playing with 1-12 is known as "Full House."

Taking Turns: Some kids may not have the patience to wait for another player to take all of their rolls before starting their own turn! In this case, instead of playing one player's full complement of rolls at a time, take turns rolling the dice. Each player should still have their own number line game board, however.

Our family's favorite commercial version of Shut the Box is Blue Orange's Double Shutter, which has provided us hours of entertainment. When my kids were little, before they could play the game properly, we even used Double Shutter for number recognition and counting practice.

The post Shut the Box Printable Game (Instructions and Board) appeared first on What Do We Do All Day.

As you know, we love to find and play traditional games from around the world. It's fun to see the connections and similarities between board games from different societies. Kids today are very familiar with tic tac toe (also known as naughts and crosses), and 3-in-a-row games have a strong tradition across many cultures.

MORE: Be sure to check out these eight variations of tic tac toe!

Roman tic tac toe is a 2 player game but differs from the modern day game, because it uses a circular shaped playing board and movable tokens instead of being a pen and paper game. But the goal is the same: be the first player to get three in a row!

What You Need

Tokens. You'll need 6 tokens in total: three tokens per player. Use beans, coins, or borrow game pieces from a board game you already own. Just be sure each player's set of tokens is distinguishable from the other.

2 enthusiastic players. Enough said.

Game board. Draw your own our use our printable game board.

• To draw a game board make a large circle. Draw an X through the center of the circle, then draw a cross (+) through the center. It should look like a wheel with eight spokes. At each point where a line intersects with the circle, draw a large dot, plus one dot in the very center. There should be nine dots in total.

Drop phase:

Player A places his token on any point on the Rota wheel.

Player B places her token on any empty point.

Alternating turns, players continue place their tokens on the board until all tokens have been placed.

Move phase:

Players take turns moving one token into an adjacent empty spot. You may move along the curved edge, or along a straight line.

You may not jump your token or your opponent's token, or knock it off it's spot. You may not skip a turn.

Play continues until one player has achieved three-in-a-row.

Unlike tic tac toe, Rota never ends in a tie.

The wheel-like game board can be found carved into floors and streets in Roman buildings that survive in archaeological sites. Intriguingly, historians do not know the ancient rules of the game; the three-in-a-row instructions are speculative. The earliest set of rules I could find was from this 1916 article, "An Old Roman Game" in The Classical Journal.

But no matter what the exact history of the game, it's still fun for modern kids!

The post How to Play Roman Tic Tac Toe (Rota) appeared first on What Do We Do All Day.

We love games at the holidays, and this year I am trying something a little bit different with my gift guides with this make your own game kit.  It can be a DIY board game kit or all the fixings for an inventive card game! Inspire your kids to invent their own card, board, or dice games with these open-ended game pieces.

I make it a point to make sure at least one (usually several because I am a nut) family games are under the tree so we can spend the rest of the holiday vacation playing fun new card games and board games.

Think how much quickly the school holiday will whiz by when your children are hard at work decorating their own game cards, painting pawns and coming up with clever strategies! (Note: links and images may be affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.)

I've also curated all these items, plus more, including "meeples" on an easy to use list over at Amazon. Meeples! Don't you just love that word? Click here to see the guide plus all the extras.

Card Games

Blank deck of cards. Be sure to include a set of permanent markers. What will they make? A standard deck of 52 cards? A whimsical deck? Maybe they will design a specialized deck for a board game they are inventing! The sky is the limit.

Dice

Multicolored and multi-sided dice. What's more fun that a quick dice game with a standard set of 6-sided dice? Why a self-invented dice game using a 10 sided (or more) set of dice! You can get dice in all shapes and sized to inspire kids to roll away!

Blank dice! Kids can use Sharpies to write numbers, letters or even draw pictures on each side. Alternatively, use stickers to decorate each side.

We love having lots of colored dice so everyone can have their own set during game play. The kids always like having their favorite colors.

Game Boards

Blank Game Boards are essential for creating your own board games, of course!

Game Accessories

Spinners. What I love about these transparent spinners is you can use a dry erase marker to change up how you want to use them.

Chips come in very handy. You can make your own with small wooden discs and paint them the color you want. If you want to get really fancy, a box of poker chips will last forever. My kids love using our poker chips for all sorts of activities, as you've probably seen in our fiverton game.

Play Money will be useful if your child loves games like Monopoly and wants to add a financial element to the game.

Game Pawns and Tokens

Make pawns out of  wooden game dolls or meeples! An inexpensive and colorful paint set will inspire your children to design their own pawns to be used in any game. Perhaps they will paint pawns to represent the family. So cute.  Wooden discs that can be painted also come in handy as game tokens. If you've watched any of our game videos, you may have seen our homemade ones.

Make Your Own Board Game Kits

Maybe you'd rather buy a complete kit to inspire your children to make their own board game. There are several available that look like a lot of fun.

This board game set has everything you need, just add imagination! It includes a board, game pieces, blank cards, dice, spinner, rulebook, and timer!

DIY Board Games. This set is not so much an "invent your own games" but rather a "put together your own games" set. There are five boards with stickers and pieces to assemble to play popular traditional games like Snakes and Ladders and The Great Game of the Goose.

Serious board game enthusiasts can learn from game design masters with this informative book, Make Your Own Board Game: Designing, Building, and Playing an Original Tabletop Game by Jesse Terrance Daniels.

Don't forget to check out the full curated list of items here.

The post The Gift You Never Thought Of: Make Your Own Board Game Kit appeared first on What Do We Do All Day.

Logic Game Stocking Stuffers

Coggy consists of a deck of challenge cards and a movable gear puzzle.  Players will work logic, critical thinking and visual perception skills as they manipulate the colored gears in an attempt to solve the conundrums on each card. The 40 challenges range from easy to difficulty so the game can grow with your child and/or be played with by different age groups.

Fifteen Puzzle. You may remember this classic puzzle game from your childhood. As a kid I loved this puzzle and it has been a favorite logic game far longer than any of the newer ideas on the market. But I still can't resist giving it a go, even though I'm all grown up! Not only is it perfect size to be a stocking stuffer, but it travels very easily so you can take it on long road trips to keep the kids off screens!

Kanoodle. My kids have played this pocket-sized game off an on now for several years and it has been such a mainstay of quiet time in our home that I've recommended it several times on this blog! The newest version has 200 puzzles ranging from easy to very difficult. I love that it comes in a little carrying case which, when open acts as the board for the 2D puzzles and when closed is the board for the 3D puzzles.

Card Game Stocking Stuffers

Phase 10. This is one of my older son's favorite card games! One year he and my mother played the game about 25 times over the course of a week! It's been around since the 1980s and I always know I can count on games that have stood the test of time. It is based on Rummy but with a clever twist. This is definitely a favorite in our house.

Rook is a classic game that I remember playing at my grandparents when I was young. You can play with 2 players but it is excellent for playing as teams. This fast-paced game involves bidding, tricks and trumps!

Dice Game Stocking Stuffers

LCR Wild Dice Game. We love the original LCR game and this "wild version" with some alternative game play options looks fun. LCR is a game for at least 3 players and consists of dice and chips. The rules are simple and the instructions are easy! Players pass chips to either their left, right or pop them in the center of pot depending on what they roll. This is a version of a traditional dice game, Aces in the Pot.

Pig Dice Game. This is a cute version of the traditional dice game PIG in a handy-dandy, stocking-stuffer sized container! The company makes several themed dice games that come in these little cylinders. I also love the sound of this Train Dice Game. Any kid would be delighted to find one of these cute dice games in their Christmas stockings this year.

Twisted Farkle. Farkle is an incredibly popular dice game (which I still have yet to play!) and there are some fun variations like this "twisted" version. It is fun, fast paced and not just for kids! In a twist on the original Farkle, any points you earn may not be yours to keep. A "determinator die" will decide your fate!

With all these fun choices, who wouldn't want to fill up on these stocking stuffer games! Happy playing!

The post Stocking Stuffer Games Will Be Everyone's Favorite Gift appeared first on What Do We Do All Day.

Simple, DIY games are very satisfying for kids and can often be played on the spur of the moment or on the go much more easily than board games. Ruma is a simple but surprisingly challenging game (more on that below!) My 10 year old played it on his own, but we also had a few face offs (see our video below). It keeps their brain active and they won't want to stop until they discover the solution.

What you need:

• Paper
• Pen
• Counters (we used buttons)

Make the board:

Divide a 10 inch strip of paper into 5 equal sections. We made 2 game boards. One is 10 x 2, the other is 10 x 3. Measurements don't need to be exact. Write "Ruma" in the final end section.

Objective: to get all the counters into the "Ruma" section.

Set up: place 2 counters in each of the empty sections.

How to play:

Pick up counters from any square and drop them, one by one into each section (similar to Mancala) towards the Ruma square. This is called "sowing the seeds".

What comes next depends on where your last counter falls.

If your last counter falls into Ruma then you move again, sowing seeds starting from the square of your choice.

If your last counter falls into an empty space, you lose.

If your last counter falls into a space already occupied by one or more counters, pick up all the counters from that square and continue sowing the seeds.

Good to know:

There is only one solution that will get all the counters into the Ruma square. There is a mathematical reason for this, but it is way above my head - ha ha ha. See the video if you want the solution. It was quite challenging for me, although I do not profess to be particularly adept at games like this!

It is fun, though, and my 10 year old and I did not want to give up. Even after we solved the game, it was not always easy to remember the exact steps, so even after your kids win, ask them to try and repeat the feat.

Watch a the new and improved (!) video of how to play. First I demonstrate how to lose (ha ha ha) but then you can watch a mother-son face off, plus at the very end I reveal the solution!

More DIY games we love:

• Tapatan, a 3 in a row game
• Dara: 3 in a row with a challenging twist!!
• Len Choa, a leopard and tiger hunt game
• Peg solitaire game
• Tower of Hanoi, logic puzzle

The post Tchuka Ruma: Solitaire Game for Kids appeared first on What Do We Do All Day.

Alternatively, you can tape several layers of cardboard together, or use a thin piece of plywood.

Cut your tube the width of your board. Tape it to the bottom of the board in the center.

Glue the bottle cap to the top of one end of the board.

How to Launch

Place a soft item (such as a pompom) into the bottle cap.

Count down from 10.

On zero, yell, "Blast off!!!" and with all your might, slap down on the end catapult without the cap.

Watch the pompom sail through the air. "Wheeeeeee!"

MORE: Simple machine play with a diy pulley

Catapult Target Game

Once your child has got the hang of their new toy and is catapulting objects all over the living room, take a moment to redirect their attention to some more structured target practice.

We set up this simple target game in no time with only two items. All you need is a large piece of paper and a pen. As you can see, the target doesn't need to be pretty.

Place a large piece of paper on the floor. A length from a roll of butcher paper is perfect. Next, draw concentric circles and write a point value in each one.

Optional: place a small container in the very center as the bullseye as we did. You can also just draw the bullseye, if you prefer.

Using the diy catapult, launch items, aiming for the center of the target. Depending on the landing spot, each successful launch is worth a point value.

Using this target, kids can simply make up their own rules.

Do they want to play until they reach certain point value? Or a predetermined number of rounds?

Your job as the parent is to sit back, cheer them on, and drink your coffee.

Enjoy!

The post Easy DIY Catapult and Target Game for Kids appeared first on What Do We Do All Day.

Well, these eight tic-tac-toe variations aren't trying supplant the original so much as they are looking to supplement your collection of go-to boredom busters! The tic-tac-toe variants below include both pen and paper games as well as traditional games with moveable counters.

Whichever game you choose, just remember, that it's all about having a little moment of fun!

NOTE: Every game board can easily be drawn on the fly, but if you would like a printable of the game boards for the first four games, get it at the end of the post.

Pyramid Tic-Tac-Toe

Materials and set up: You need pen and paper, pyramid board.

Rules: The game board is shaped like–you guessed it–a pyramid. Five squares make the base, then three, then one. Players take turns marking Xs and Os as in traditional tic-tac-toe.

Winning: The first player to get three-in-a-row vertically, horizontally, or diagonally wins. See two examples of winning positions, below.

TRENDING: More Pen and Paper Games

Four-in-a-Row

Materials and set up: You need pen and paper, grid board.

You will recognize four-in-a row as a two-dimensional version of the classic game, Connect Four. The game board consists of a 7x6 grid. Seven columns of six squares each. Instead of dropping counters as in Connect Four, players mark the grid with Xs and Os as in tic-tac-toe.

Rules: The first player places an X in the bottom square of any column. Taking turns, players make their mark in any column, as long as it is in the lowest square possible. See image below for an example of possible first six moves.

Winning: The first player to get four-in-a-row vertically, horizontally, or diagonally wins.

5 x 5 Tic-Tac-Toe

Materials and set up: You need pen and paper, grid board

This tic-tac-toe variation is played on a 5x5 grid. As in the traditional game, players are Xs or Os.

Rules: Players take turns placing an X or an O in one of the squares until all the squares except one are filled. (Each player has 12 turns for a total of 24 squares.)

Winning: Count the number of three-in-a-rows each player has. Sequences can be vertically, horizontally, or diagonally. Whoever has the most, wins.

Note: Can one mark be counted in more than one three-in-a-row sequence? Decide ahead of time, yea or nay.

Variation: Block out the middle box as the 25th square. Use this square as either a wild square that can complete a three-in-a-row sequence, or as a blocked square that can't be used. Decide before playing.

Example below: The gray lines indicate successful sequences, the red line indicates a possible sequence if you choose the variation in which a mark can be used in more than one sequence. X has 3 (possibly 4) sequences, O has 2. X wins.

4 x 4 Tic-Tac-Toe

Materials and set up: You need 8 tokens in two colors, grid board.

This version of tic-tac-toe is played on a 4x4 grid. For this version, instead of making Xs and Os, you will use tokens. Use coins, beans, checkers or other objects.

Each player has four tokens. Tokens are placed in the starting position as shown below. Note that each player has two tokens on opposite sides of the board.

Rules: Alternating turns, players move their tokens in an attempt to get them into a three-in-a-row position. Players can move to an immediately adjacent open square. They may more forwards, backwards, horizontally and vertically. They may not move diagonally. They may not jump over another token.

Winning: The winner is the first player to achieve three-in-a-row. A winning three-in-a-row may be horizontal, vertical, or diagonal.

Math Tic-Tac-Toe

This is a fun way to practice math skills and is great for classroom use, too. Watch the how-to video below, or visit our math tic-tac-toe post for the written instructions.

Tapatan

Tapatan is a three-in-a-row game from The Philippines. Watch the how-to video below, or visit our Tapatan post for the written instructions.

Nine Holes

Nine Holes is classic three-in-a-row game that's very easy to learn. It's a forerunner for the game, Nine Men's Morris. Watch the how to video below, or visit our Nine Holes post for the written instructions.

Dara

Dara is traditional three-in-a-row game from Nigeria. Dara is unlike any of the other tic-tac-toe versions listed here. It has a big twist. Watch the how-to video below, or visit our Dara post for the written instructions.

Rota

How about a bonus 9th version of tic tac toe? This time, the game is Rota and it's a game from ancient Rome! Watch the video, or read our how to play Rota instructions while you grab a free printable game board and instruction pdf.

The post 8 Tic-Tac-Toe Variations appeared first on What Do We Do All Day.

Nim is a good early math game that supports addition and subtraction skills. I played a few rounds with my soon-to-be 5th grader and he enjoyed beating me (ahem). But then, my knowledge of mathematical theory is not what it used to be, ha ha ha.

How to play Nim

Nim can be played in various ways and with different quantities. I've chosen a simple version to share with you. We also like to call this game, "counting down."

Materials

• 11 stackable counters. 10 in one color and 1 in a different color. We used black and white poker chips, (affiliate link) which are extremely handy if you play a lot of DIY games at home. You can also use checkers, coins, or even flat blocks.
• 2 enthusiastic players

Objective

Force your opponent to pick up the black (the last) chip.

Rules:

• Stack the white chips on top of the black chip.
• Determine who will go first.
• Taking turns, players picks up 1, 2 or 3 chips from the top of the stack.
• Whoever is left with the last chip loses.

Watch the video to see the game in action:

It's that simple!

Tips and Tricks

TIP: You don't need different color chips for Nim. You can play with 11 chips and whoever is stuck with the last one, loses.

TIP: After 1 or 2 rounds, kids will learn that in order to win they need to leave 4 white counters on top of the black one. If they are able to do that, it becomes impossible for their opponent to win. This will lead to some strategizing and you can start to vary the game rules to tickle their little brains even more (see below for some variation suggestions).

A few questions to ask your kids while they play "counting down":

Is it better to go first or second?

What quantity of white chips do you ultimately want to leave on top of the black one so your opponent can't force you to pick up the black chip?

What happens if you play with 11 white chips and 1 black chip instead? (Try it!)

What happens if you can only remove 1 or 2 chips instead of up to 3? (Try it!)

Benefits of Playing Nim

What are kids learning?

• Counting backwards practices the skills needed for subtraction.
• They are learning to think strategically.
• They are using their reasoning skills.
• They are learning to plan ahead (games like this build executive function).

This post is part of our Camp Mathematics series, an easy, free summer camp curriculum based on having fun while boosting math skills.

More math games to play:

• Tens Go Fish
• Cooperative math dice games
• Magic math triangle
• Array game

The post NIM: A Simple Counting Game to Teach Subtraction Skills appeared first on What Do We Do All Day.

By the way, don't forget to check out our growing collection of traditional board games from around the world.

About Lau Kata Kati

Lau Kata Kati is part of the Alquerque family of traditional board games. It's a battle-type game in the vein of the familiar game of Checkers. Two opponents face off on a butterfly shaped game board with the objective to capture opposing tokens or block them from moving.

Players will enjoy playing Lau Kata Kati alongside Kaooa, a traditional "hunt game" from India. And, hey, if you're working with students on a unit about India, be sure to read these folktales from India, and these children's books with characters of South-Asian descent!

How to Play

Objective:

Be the first player to capture all your opponent's tokens, or block them from moving.

Now, watch our how-to video, or read the written instructions, below!

The post Lau Kata Kati: A Traditional Strategy Game from India appeared first on What Do We Do All Day.

The game board consists of pairs of triangles. Traditionally, Kolowis Awithlaknannai is played on a board of 30 pairs of triangles, with 23 tokens per player. We've paired down the game board significantly to make it easier for children, and to shorten the length of the game.

To learn how to play another abstract strategy board game from the Native Americans from the southwest region, try out Picaria, or check out all the traditional games from around the world we've shared with you here.

How to Play Kolowis Awithlaknannai

Objective: To capture or block your opponent. 

What you need:

• Game board. See form below to get our free printable, or draw your own. Our printable includes 2 smaller versions. One with 4 pairs of triangles and one with 8 pairs.
• 6 or 12 tokens per player (depending on which board you choose), in 2 different colors
• 2 enthusiastic players
• A crown of victory (optional)

Watch the video instructions and scroll down for the written instructions, tips and history of the game.

Notes on playing:

If players reach an impasse in play, with no end in sight, they can decide to either 1) call it a draw; or 2) decide that the player with the most tokens remaining is the winner.

Variations:

The beauty of traditional games is they can evolve over time and players can feel free to try out new rules and variations. Here are some ideas to consider:

• Use a smaller or larger board. No matter how long the board is, you need enough tokens so that in the opening position only the center point is empty.
• Do not allow players to change direction when capturing multiple tokens
• Allow captures to be optional instead of compulsory

Boost strategic thinking:

Since Kolowis Awithlaknannai relies on skill and not chance, players have a great opportunity to build upon their strategic thinking skills. Ask these questions:

1. Is it better to go first or second?
2. Should you ever allow your token to be captured on purpose?
3. How can you avoid a draw?
4. How does using a different size game board affect game play?
5. Is it better to focus on forcing your opponent into the middle of the board or the ends?

History of Kolowis Awithlaknannai

Awithlaknannai comes from the Zuni American Indians. It is part of the Alquerque family of games. A defining characteristic of Alquerque games that pieces can move diagonally and jump to capture enemy tokens, as in checkers.

Games expert and American ethnographer, Stewart Culin, described the game in his 1907 book, Games of the North American Indians Volume 2: Games of Skill. It is believed the Zuni people adapted the game from an Alquerque game introduced by the Spanish Conquistadors.

More of our favorite traditional games:

• Queah - from Liberia
• Picaria from the Zuni
• Watermelon Chess - from China

Further resources on American Indian traditional games:

• South Dakota State University : Traditional Native American Games
• The Institute for American Indian Studies
• Mississippi Valley Archaeology Center

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